The price is still right, even if it’s not that Bob Barker.

~ nobody knows the trouble I've seen ~In the world of niche marketing, Robert Barker of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, has definitely maintained an unusual foot in the door; a 10-gauge steel door, to be precise. The Bob Barker Company is the country’s largest supplier of equipment for correctional facilities.

From toiletries to linens to electronics, prisons need supplies just like hotels and restaurants do. There is a slight difference, of course; hotel guests don’t occasionally try to fashion spoons into weapons. Due to their customer base, Bob Barker has very stringent quality control procedures. Smocks and jumpsuits are made of heavy-duty fabric that makes it difficult to tear or form into a noose. Toothbrushes are systematically ground against cinder block to make sure they can’t be turned into a shank. No pork by-products are used in their cosmetics or toiletries in order to prevent religious objections. The company’s mattresses are tested to ensure they meet strict fireproofing standards. Despite all the exacting specifications necessary to its products, Bob Barker manages to maintain competitive prices and quick turnaround time, which is why the company gets the majority of the available detention center supply contracts.

Unfortunately, if you’re an average consumer who has a hankering for a jumpsuit that can’t be removed by the wearer, you won’t be able to buy one from Bob. His company sells products only to federal, state, and local government agencies.

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