At its core, Compac Industries is a family business.
Founded in 1980 by Jamaican immigrant Frederick Hart to make life simpler and more enjoyable for people of all ages, the Georgia-based business manufactures and distributes a range of “everyday use” products from kitchen gadgets to oral care and baby accessories.
Today, Frederick’s son, Dean-Paul Hart, sits at the helm of Compac Industries as its president and CEO. The younger Hart immigrated to the United States from Jamaica with his family as a child. Frederick and June, Dean-Paul’s mother, still come in to support the 17-person staff, the majority of whom are refugees. Some employees have been with Compac for more than three decades. All are considered members of the Hart family.
“It’s our family business, but there’s really 17 people’s families that are involved and connected,” Hart said.
“I’ve heard testimonials from people on our staff who have said that they were able to get a house by working here. They were able to send their kids to college by working here. The impact is generational,” he added. “It’s not just about the product that we deliver to our customers, but it’s also about the people who make it happen—we’re all connected.”
Hart’s family-forward philosophy is at the heart of the company’s success.
Over 40 years, Compac Industries has evolved into a powerhouse in manufacturing and distribution, boasting a diverse portfolio of six brands. Their products are distributed globally through supermarkets, specialty retailers, independent stores and ecommerce, including Amazon. Most products they sell are made in the US.
In 2021, Compac Industries joined Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator(BBA), a program designed to help Black-owned businesses achieve sustainable growth.
“The training and support have been invaluable in helping us to increase our organic search results, drawing more eyes to our brands and product,” Hart said, adding that BBA was a ‘wakeup moment’ for him. “It has allowed us to stay sharp and tight with our inventory levels, and to keep work flowing for our team of people.”
Two years ago, the business also shifted to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to maintain delivery speed and reduce costs after a May 2021 BuzzFeed article featuring a Compac grill cleaner drove an unexpected 1,600 orders in a single day for the product—30 times higher than normal. The team fulfilled orders in house using “all hands-on deck” and immediately began making plans to shift to FBA.
“We got a glimpse of the growth and knew that we would need FBA to thrive,” Hart said, adding that “FBA most definitely is a backbone of what we do.” Partnering with Amazon has helped Compac’s orders multiply tenfold to as many as 10,000 per month compared to pre-COVID sales, when the company was shipping between 700 and 1,200 orders monthly.
“[With Amazon], the increased opportunity for millions of eyes to potentially see, consider and allow us to serve them and their families is what we are in business to do,” Hart said. “We are not seeing single purchases and never seeing customers again; instead, we have repeat sales, Subscribe & Save, multi-pack promotions and more—meaning that we are building a wave of sales.”
With Subscribe & Save, Compac Industries’ subscriptions have reached more than 3,000 in just two years, Hart said. His goals for 2024 are similarly ambitious, with a continued focus on international expansion in Canada and the United Kingdom.
What sets Compac Industries apart is its compassionate approach to employment for refugees and new Americans.
The company headquarters in Tucker, Georgia, is just minutes away from Clarkston, a small town east of Atlanta known as “the most diverse square mile in America” for welcoming tens of thousands of refugees over the past three decades.
Through a partnership with a Clarkston-based workforce staffing agency, Compac Industries has provided employment opportunities for dozens of refugees from around the world to contribute to the company’s success while rebuilding their lives in the United States.
Among those employed today are women from Iraq, the Congo and Burma. The first was Sara, who today oversees production work orders, including Amazon orders and the FBA program.
“My hope is that we make a difference in the community and in the lives of people that we work with. Being a part of this community means so much more than just giving a job,” Hart said. “How are we going to care for people? How we think about them, how we speak about them, how we take care of them, and how we act” matters.
Hart’s leadership philosophy blends business acumen with a deep sense of purpose and service.
“I believe there’s an opportunity for us to care for people whether we’re working with them or buying from them or selling to them,” Hart said. “At the end of the day, it’s really not about stuff. It’s about people.”