October 4, 2005

R.V. Cloud does not sell RV’s!

Controversial electronic sign expected to entice contractors
and the public to kitchen and bath showroom

By Ken Lotich
Staff Writer

I bet you didn’t know that R.V. Cloud Co. has been around since 1964 in Campbell, selling everything from nuts and bolts to toilets. The only problem is that many people drive by it every day and have no idea what it is, said owner Steven Cloud.

The front of R.V. Cloud Company located on Winchester Boulevard, has not changed since opening in 1964, said owner Steven Cloud, who has lobbied for a large sign in front of the business. Photos by Ken Lotich

R.V. Cloud Company is located on Winchester Boulevard, and sells irrigation, plumbing, heating and sheet metal supplies at wholesale prices to contractors and the public. The business also contains a kitchen and bath showroom.

Despite Cloud’s efforts in advertising in local newspapers, television and mail circulars, he said two out of three people in Silicon Valley haven’t heard of R.V. Cloud Company or don’t know what it sells.

“Many people think we sell RVs,” lamented Cloud.

The truth of the matter is that R.V. Cloud stands for Ronald V. Cloud, Steven’s late father, who founded the company.

The staff at R.V. Cloud has grown from a five to more than 75 employees, including some who have been with the company for decades. The scenery has also changed quite a bit. In the 1960s, only IBM and R.V. Cloud Company stood south of the Campbell Lumber Company, which was surrounded by agriculture.

Before breaking ground in Campbell, R.V. Cloud opened Fresno Distributing Company in 1946, which sells plumbing supplies and appliances. Both buildings are roughly more than 100,000 square feet, Cloud said.

In comparison to Campbell, Cloud said more people in Fresno are familiar with his business there.

“Fresno is just Fresno,” Cloud said. “Everybody seems to know everybody in that town.”

Clouds said in the Bay Area things are a little bit different.

“There are so many neighboring cities. It makes it difficult to get familiar with many of the local businesses,” Cloud said.

He splits his time between the Campbell and Fresno locations. He is usually in the Bay Area two days a week and spends three days in Central California.

Although business is still very good in Campbell, Cloud said he’d like to attract more customers.
Getting the word out

“The front of our building looks the same as it did in 1964,” Cloud admits.

He said one of the biggest things hindering business is that the building sits far off the street, because of the railroad tracks that run along Winchester Boulevard.

It also doesn’t help that many people confuse his father’s initials with motor homes, he said. Despite the confusion, Cloud said he wouldn’t append or change the name of the company.

“Out of respect for my father, I wouldn’t dare change the name,” he said.

To help generate more patronage, Cloud filed paperwork with the city in September 2004 to get the okay to install the sign.

Initially, the proposal was denied by the planning commission, which was something Cloud didn’t understand, since the Heritage Theatre was granted unanimous approval for its electronic sign.

“When we brought up the fact that the theater had a sign, the (planning commission) didn’t say anything,” said Cloud adding that no one from the public spoke out against the sign.

After being shot down, Cloud appealed the planning commission’s ruling, which went to city council a few months later. This time, the ball bounced company’s favor, and the proposal was granted with a 3-2 vote.

The Campbell Education Foundation, the Campbell Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Campbell Business Association spoke in favor of the sign at the council meeting.

Still, more had to be done. Cloud said he was required to repaint a building, remove wiring, remove signs, as well as add some landscaping on the property, amongst other things.

Although doing all of these tasks was a lot of work, as well as costly, Cloud obliged.

Now, after many battles with the planning commission and city council, R.V. Cloud Company will finally get its electronic sign “as soon as possible” he said. Currently, final plans and drawings are being wrapped up.

R.V. Cloud Company is located at 3000 Winchester Blvd. in Campbell. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (408) 378-7943.