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One of Oklahoma City’s largest well-kept secrets is a massive 60-acre company resting noticeably, yet humbly, on the corner of Santa Fe and Memorial. You may have recognized the sign as you drove by, or you may have noticed the tiny writing on the back of light bulb packaging you bought at a local retailer with the writing, “Jasco.”
July 2015 marks an important milestone for the company: its 40th anniversary.
Jasco has been reinventing innovative small solutions products, such as consumer electronics, nightlights and home surveillance products, since July 15, 1975. Each day their engineers, product developers and sales and marketing teams design and implement the everyday, convenient products you use for your home.
Jasco has more than 300 employees worldwide throughout North and South America and China. They proudly serve over 86,000 storefronts with more than 3,000 products throughout the United States, Canada, Central America and South America. Jasco is a licensed manufacturer of some of the biggest brand names in the world, including GE, Disney, Nickelodeon, Marvel and much more. Each year, more than 80 million products are shipped to major retailers like Target, Lowe’s, Walmart, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Jason Trice and his brother, Cameron Trice, became Jasco’s co-CEOs after their father Steve Trice, transitioned to chairman of the board. However, Jason doesn’t just credit his family with Jasco’s success and impact of over the years.
“The team has done a great job of getting us this far,” Jason says. “There’s lots of family-owned, privately-held businesses that don’t make it on to 40, so we’re blessed to be in this position.”
Jasco held their 40th Anniversary Open House on June 22nd where they unveiled their new, major renovations. Building additions to their distribution center, office space, and innovation and design center equates to almost 230,000 square feet of new geo-thermal and environmentally friendly materials. Keeping their carbon footprint to a minimum and creating state-of-the-art working environments for their valued employees is something Jason Trice takes very seriously.
“It will certainly save us costs over time,” Jason relates. “There’s a return on the investment with the energy savings that we see, but it also reduces our carbon footprint and allows us to do what’s better for planet earth.”
From the humble beginnings as Trice Wholesale Electronics in 1975, to what is now Jasco, the multi-generational family business has continued to thrive. In the early ‘90s, the company started selling brands such as Emerson and in 1998, GE branded consumer electronics. The Trice family knew they needed to expand their work space in 2004 when they acquired the GE home electrical business and became licensed to not only distribute, but also to manufacture GE products. So they decided to move from their warehouse on Northwest 122nd Street, which they built in 1983, even after undergoing several expansions there.
“We had no idea ten or 15 years ago how big it would become today and we have no idea what God intends to do with it in the next ten years,” Jason says.
With Jasco’s versatility and ability to evolve with growing technological trends, it’s possible more expansion could be in their future. New innovations, such as USB charging stations and home lighting abilities with mobile devices are part of the “connected home” trend that Jasco is acclimating. Every year, Jasco upgrades their wireless technology to adapt to the constantly evolving trends.
“Change is good. It’s what makes our job fun,” Jason says. “If it was still selling the same coaxial cable from the 1980s it wouldn’t be as exciting.”
Another exciting product is the line of Projectables nightlights. Projectables provide soothing guide lights with images of Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, Pixar and DC Comic characters projected onto the ceiling, floor or wall. With Disney’s announcement earlier this year of a “Frozen 2” in the making, Jasco is sure to stay on their toes, waiting to see what the highest-demanded Disney category is. Here’s a hint: it will probably be Elsa.
“Frozen’s by far the biggest property right now,” Jason says. “But Avengers is huge too. We follow those movie releases pretty closely.”
Regardless of whether the next big wireless innovation creates more design opportunities or which animation movie provides the highest product demand, Jasco’s mission to improve peoples’ everyday lives will stay the same.
“We’re very passionate about the little things—the small solutions that make peoples’ lives better, and we feel like we’re placing some smart strategic bets on the connected home, USB charging and Projectables in particular,” Jason says. “And we’re just really excited to see what God is going to do through Jasco next.”
With Christian-based faith, environmental concern and efforts to give almost 50 percent of their profits to charities, Jasco will likely sustain as one of Oklahoma’s strongest companies. Jason believes this 40th anniversary is a testament to Jasco’s past and present.
“We are always looking ahead to what the next 40 years and beyond is going to be and try to continue to grow and establish a legacy, not only for our family but for all of our customers, vendors and employees that we serve.”
Written by Jessica Valentine | Photography by Emily Brashier
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