About
2011 will mark our 15th year of business for LLLReptile and Supply Co, Inc. In an industry where success is the exception, never the norm, this company has remained a leader throughout. How has LLLReptile remained one of the most trusted and reliable suppliers of herps and products for so long? There is no simple answer. It is a combination of timing, honesty, reliability, stellar employees and good old fashion hard work that has kept LLL an industry leader now, and for years to come. Here is a behind the scenes look at the history of LLLReptile, current projects and future possibilities.
Humble Beginnings
How does one "get into" reptiles? For the LLLReptile & Supply founder and owner Loren Leigh, he simply fell into it. While attending college courses he began to work at a Southern California reptile wholesaler, providing pet supplies and live herps to stores. He was always an entrepreneurial type of person interested in creating his own business, and quickly made lots of contacts and friends in the industry. In early 1996, he left his job and started LLLReptile out of his home office. He was one of the top Leopard Gecko breeders in the country, having one of the first "Leucistic" Leopard Gecko colonies in the US. He starting stocking reptile products, created a reptile product catalog, and began his mail order business at home, while selling his leopard geckos as well. In August of 1996, he did his first reptile show in San Diego with his brother Scott and wife Jessica. They began doing trade shows up and down the west coast, driving from show to show, staying at the least expensive hotels, and even sleeping in the Ford Explorer to save a buck!
Caught up in the Web
In late 1996 while attending college, Loren's brother decided to create a website for the company. At this time, the only big online websites were Amazon and Ebay, and even they were still quite small. Obviously e-commerce was growing rapidly at this time, and the LLL website took off over the next year. LLLReptile was one of the very first companies to offer reptiles and supplies for sale over the internet. From day one, Loren strived to offer a wide variety of high quality supplies. The products he stocked were the finest available, opening the door to a new level of reptile husbandry. Still today, LLLReptile carries all of the newest and best products, making it easier than ever for customers to provide optimal care for their animals. The website gets a new face lift every few years to make sure that the best technology and easiest shopping experience is provided for the LLL customers! After the launch of the website, and trade show business increasing, Loren decided he was ready to open a reptile store...
The Stores
Loren decided that downtown Oceanside, California was the best location to open his first retail store. In the summer of 1998, his brother moved down to Oceanside, and Loren, his then girlfriend Jessica and Scott opened the first LLLReptile retail store front. Located downtown near the beach, the store drew crowds of people into the store. Many had never been into a reptile store, or even knew that such a niche hobby existed. It wasn't long before LLLReptile had become the best and finest reptile and supply store in San Diego.
As business picked up, a staff of highly dedicated individuals was carefully chosen. Many customers rave about the level of customer service available to anybody visiting LLLReptile. In a renegade industry, the LLL crew is truly a breath of fresh air to both seasoned and novice customers. One big reason for LLL's successs... Of the first 5 employees at the company (Scott, Brandon, Jon "Skillet", Kate and John B) the first 4 listed are still with LLL to this day. Scott runs the wholesale division of the company. Kate manages the retail side of the company. Skillet manages the Oceanside store, and Brandon runs our east coast reptile shows. That is called loyalty, and says a lot about Loren as both a business owner respected industry wide, and a person.
By the holiday season of 2002, it was becoming evident that having a second retail location would create greater convenience for many LLL customers. San Diego county, being the size that it is, simply couldn't do with just one LLLReptile! So the following summer, a second, larger retail and breeding facility was opened in Escondido, CA, about 15 miles inland from the original location. Set on historic Grand Ave, store #2 quickly gained momentum and has become a fixture of downtown Escondido. Current manager Jonathan Rheins has been with LLLReptile for 8 years now, and has written countless articles for the LLLReptile website along with being published in Reptiles Magazine! Just another example of what kind of knowledge the LLL staff has.
In November of 2010, LLLReptile opened its 3rd location! This time, they ventured north and opened the new store in Menifee, CA. The store is located right off the 215 in the Ralphs shopping center. Filled with a great staff, beautiful cages and tons of supplies, it is in an ideal location for Orange and LA County to easily access this location and is quickly becoming the best reptile store in the area!
In June of 2011, LLLReptile opened its 4th location! The new location is located near downtown San Diego in the Mission Valley area (next to San Diego State University). This is the first time LLL has taken over an existing location (previously Reptile City). It is in a great location with easy access. The store was redone in the "LLL" style and is now stocked full of supplies and a great selection of reptiles!
Stocking hundreds of animals, and thousands of supplies, all four shops are the epitome of cleanliness and organization. Many people who visit LLL for the first time are shocked not only by the vast selection, but by the presentation. Sleek Vision brand cages house most animals in naturalistic set-ups; no newspaper and cardboard hide boxes here! In addition to all of the reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, LLL sells feeder insects and rodents as well, living up to their slogan as your "One stop herp shop."
The First Warehouse
In 2008, LLLReptile had grown so much that the Oceanside store could no longer sustain the amount of shipping done by the business. So Loren decided to invest into a large warehouse for the business. Moving staff and product to the new location, they now ship all of their supplies from the main warehouse. The new location allows LLL to stock an enormous amount of product, allowing us to have close to a 100% fill rate on all orders! Deliveries to the stores for product restocking are also done from this location. The warehouse has been a great addition to the company.
The Second Warehouse / Breeding Facility
In 2011 - LLLReptile purchased a 2nd warehouse location right next to our first warehouse! However - this one will have an entirely new purpose... We now have a huge private breeding facility, and over the next few years will start to produce a huge selection of "in house" captive bred reptiles. Since we started in this business as breeders of high end leopard geckos - it makes perfect sense that we expand our breeding into a huge, customized facility with only the best products being used!
LLLReptile Today
To this day, Loren has instilled in his employees the importance of professionalism and customer service. LLLReptile currently employs 26 individuals, all taking great pride in the company they have helped to create. When prodded in regards to his secret to success, Loren is quick to pass the buck to his loyal employees, "I'm just their to guide them along, teach them what they need to know. They're the ones making the difference." Too bad we can't all have a boss like that!
LLLReptile Tomorrow
It is unclear what lies ahead for LLLReptile and Supply Co. One thing is for sure, and that is that they aren't going away any time soon. LLLReptile will strive to stay ahead of the pack, providing new products as they become available, and evolving along with the wants and needs of the herp-keeping community. With fifteen years in the books, the LLL team can only wait in grueling anticipation to see what the future may hold. The LLLReptile team hopes that with three stores in San Diego, one in Riverside County, and annual attendance at over 30 reptile expos across the country, you will stop by and see what LLLReptile is all about.
