The Red Line & Co., a brand representative based in Dallas, develops, sells and manages products for Costco, while embracing an individualized approach for each client.
Alex Parrott, CEO and co-founder of The Red Line, told Dallas Express he co-founded The Red Line & Co. after becoming frustrated working at other firms in Washington State.
“I grew up in Issaquah, Washington in Costco corporate’s backyard. After college I began my career at a boutique Costco brokerage firm that represented manufacturers for their Costco business,” Parrott said. “After working for other firms for several years and being part of the traditional broker model, I became frustrated with several things; the value they were bringing, and the amount of brands these firms represented but didn’t personally believe in themselves.”
Parrott said his wife, Claire, pregnant at the time with their fourth child, encouraged him to start his own business unique to the market.
He said she “urged me to think outside the box, and to use my passion and drive to set out and create a business that was a disrupter to the current market. I took the idea and ran with it.”
According to Parrott, The Red Line & Co. delves deeper to understand each company and client.
“We believe in quality over quantity, which allows us to have the time, energy and ability to dig deep to completely understand the brand, capabilities and products. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, I learned I had to approach each company and client as a unique individual much like I do parenting four children,” Parrott said.
Parrott talked about his second son, born with Down syndrome, and said he provided a “huge life-changing event for our family. Braxton was such a blessing to our family and gave us the gift of seeing life through a new clear lens. He gave us the true understanding of what is important in life.
“After really learning the importance of feeding our son clean ingredients, I wanted to use my platform to bring quality, better-for-you products to millions of households in the U.S.,” Parrott said.
When Parrott sees customers buying a product he created, or when he witnesses a client’s sales rise as a result of its products exposure at Costco, it is fulfilling for him.
“It absolutely fuels me to see someone walking through the parking lot with a product that I helped create in their shopping cart. Watching a company go from zero to 60 and taken to another level with Costco’s volume and the relationships and friendships I have through this business with be something I will cherish forever,” Parrott said.
Parrott moved to Dallas for both business and family-related reasons.
“We moved to Dallas to not only get more centralized in the U.S. with our business, also provide better services for our son, Braxton, and to set our children up with a foundation built around a special community with the core values and views that aligned with ours,” Parrott said.
“We have fallen in love with Dallas. We are continually blown away by the genuine sense of community and pride here. It’s been a breath of fresh air and in hindsight something we didn’t realize how much we were missing in the Pacific Northwest,” Parrott said.
He indicated that the city has professionals who are not only driven to succeed, but are also passionate about innovation.
“I am driven by constantly being surrounded by business-minded people who are passionate and hungry for success and are always looking at innovative ideas and ways,” Parrott said. “The community is so important for us and I am lucky to be able to raise my four young kids and family here.”
