Think Big, Win Big
1. Global Domination
It was a very good year for Chicago-based InnerWorkings.
"Before this year is out, over 7,000 clients will have relied on InnerWorkings to manage the production of nearly 300,000 unique jobs, meeting their service, delivery, cost and quality expectations," said Eric D. Belcher, president and CEO. "We are exceedingly proud of our track record, and of the supplier community we have partnered with to meet these commitments."
A provider of global print management solutions, InnerWorkings put forth a strong showing of $482.2 million, securing the top spot in this year's list. To stay on track, the company already has a plan for 2012.
Belcher foresees customers turning to InnerWorkings for additional support—especially with their global operations. Customers also may need InnerWorkings' assistance with managing more categories for their businesses.
"Expanding our support capabilities to meet this increased demand is a real focus for us looking forward," Belcher commented.
He wasn't kidding.
InnerWorkings just acquired Paris-headquartered Productions Graphics, a leading international print management firm with particular strength in Continental Europe. The acquisition will give the company a stronger global footprint. Most important, customers will benefit from an enhanced buying scale, an expanded supplier network and an extended global platform.
While his company is faring rather well, Belcher realizes the industry comes with some challenges. In his opinion, the vast majority of jobs in the print industry continues to operate on something other than the optimal print manufacturing platform, in the wrong geographical region or sometimes both.
"This creates waste, both time and money, and limits the returns to end-users for their expenditures on printed material," Belcher noted. "Moving forward, the industry will thrive if we embrace the optimization of the supply chain, with distributors investing in the development of relevant procurement data and manufacturers relying less on sales-oriented relationships and more on being the best manufacturer in the space for their chosen products."
Finally, the number of companies looking to maximize resources continues to grow as a result of the current economic climate. InnerWorkings has the ideal solution.
"Our solution is actually the perfect fit for companies seeking to maximize resources in the midst of a struggling economy. We take a non-core function off their hands, creating efficiencies while allowing them to focus on their core business," Belcher concluded.
2. Dreaming Big
A little innovation goes a long way and Cleveland-based Proforma has the numbers to prove it. With reported sales of $358.8 million, the company advances to the number-two spot on this year's Top 100 Distributors list.
Under the leadership of Founder Greg Muzzillo and his wife, CEO Vera Muzzillo, Proforma provides its owners with world-class tools and resources to help them reach their goals. The company's Sales Automation program, in particular, has proven to be a big hit for the owners.
"It is a series of three multidimensional mailings geared at opening doors and securing appointments," Vera Muzzillo explained. "We've sent out more than 28,000 mailings and have an 80 percent success rate. This program has millions of dollars in sales for our distributor members."
It doesn't stop there. According to Greg Muzzillo, the company recently launched a program that he believes will be a "game changer" for its owners. They now have access to a weekly webinar series, new marketing materials and the opportunity to learn more skills for driving business.
Greg Muzzillo elaborated. "We are launching new tools and resources such as a weekly Sales Basics, Mentoring and Motivational webinar," he said. "We are also developing a Marketing Intelligence program...arming our owners with the information they need to outsmart the competition...automating the process and taking the work out of monitoring customer activity."
The Muzzillos believe Proforma's tools and programs always are a work in progress. In 2012, the company will continue to gain momentum for "Team Proforma 400," a team of owners committed to growing their sales beyond $400,000.
To accomplish this, Proforma will use multidimensional marketing campaigns to attract customers and ultimately close the sale. Its integrated approach incorporates print, direct mail, social media, complete collateral sets and top-of-the-line presentation tools. In regard to Team Proforma 400, the program includes several new brochures and notecards to walk owners through that first appointment.
If other companies aspire to reach Proforma's level of success, they must heed the Muzzillos' advice: keep up or close shop. "The industry is changing. There are constantly new and viable marketing tools popping up. This also means additional sources of revenue. Distributors have to be able to adapt. Those that are able to keep up with the industry will succeed. Try to fight it, and you'll fall behind," Greg Muzzillo cautioned.
3. Controlling Destiny
Larry Zavadil, founder and CEO of Glenwood, Minnesota-based American Solutions for Business (ASB), doesn't have time to waste.
Over the last year, many print suppliers and distributors continued to face adversity. ASB was no exception. The difference? ASB took action.
"When other companies were sitting back and recovering, we were aggressively planning growth and as a result, we are now—more than ever—in the best position to grow our sales," Zavadil said.
While overcoming its own internal system issues, ASB made key sales acquisitions, enhanced its overall offering and improved upon its technology. The staff's efforts paid off. ASB finished strong this year with revenue totaling $180.7 million—enough to secure the number-three spot in Print Professional's big list.
To stay at the forefront of its customers' minds, ASB has developed a corporate marketing strategy that utilizes different strategies including social media, e-mail campaigns and traditional media advertising. In addition, a marketing team is based at the home office to help sales associates with campaigns tailored specifically for existing and prospective customers.
While these tactics have proven effective, Zavadil believes the true key to success can be summed up in one word: relationships.
"We tell our sales associates that every day begins and ends with the face in the mirror. We understand that our customers buy from our sales associates and not from ASB. ASB has three customers: our sales associates, vendors and end-user customers," Zavadil explained. "Our job is to make it a win-win-win for those three parties, and we do that by planning our work and working our plan.
"Communication is key and you need to do what you say you're going to do. That is how you build a strong relationship—and with strong relationships you will continue to be successful."
So what's next for Zavadil and his team? ASB has two top priorities for 2012.
Technology will play a big role. In preparation, the company is "fine-tuning" its technology and the tools it offers to its sales force.
Zavadil also plans to share the American story. "We've developed new electronic marketing tools to share our story and explain our unique culture so that we can attract new faces to our family," he remarked.
Zavadil concluded, "The foundation of our company is rooted in the philosophy of providing quality products, on-time delivery, competitive pricing and extraordinary service. Success is achieved by individuals within the company because each of them has the opportunity to create and manage his or her own future, surrounded by a culture of integrity and support. Our vendors play an integral part in American's success and our ability to serve our customers now and into the future."
4. A Helping Hand
The word "can't" is not a part of Warner Mason's vocabulary. This works out well for his company, WebbMason.
Serving as the president/CEO, Mason's can-do attitude resulted in a substantial boost in sales for the company—a $23 million increase to be exact. WebbMason brought in $90 million in revenue this year, which earned the company the number-four spot in Print Professional's Top 100 Distributors list.
Located in Hunt Valley, Md., WebbMason recently revisited its direction and made some changes.
"WebbMason's best [move] over the last year was making the decision to acquire the resources necessary to reposition the company from being a 'print distributor' into a single-source provider of print, promotional, interactive and integrated marketing solutions," Mason said.
According to Mason, effective marketing requires more than just delivering your message through new and different channels. "It's about selecting platforms that reach your customers or members in the way they want to be reached, and allowing them to respond to you in the way they want to respond," he explained.
WebbMason helps its print clients maximize relationships with customers and members through a customized mix of website design, direct response videos, rich media experiences, data analytics, social media, content creation, print expertise and more. With WebbMason's technology and team of integrated marketing specialists, firms of any size can deploy targeted, layered, connected campaigns that converge print, Web, e-mail, data and fulfillment.
The team also is stressing the importance of website review, design, development and enhancement. WebbMason builds customized sites, multimedia features and more for firms looking to maximize the way people experience their brands.
"An important component of our integrated marketing and Web strategies is the ability to analyze data and the effectiveness of communications across channels," Mason commented. "WebbMason helps customers make sense of marketing data, understand trends, anticipate change and draw meaningful conclusions about marketing decisions."
WebbMason plans to continue on a similar path in 2012. The company's top priority will be to keep growing by helping its customers grow. "Their success is literally our success," Mason added. "We continually innovate to help them communicate."
To accomplish this, WebbMason intends to increase its effort to deliver content that has little to do with what the company sells. Instead, its customers will have access to valuable tips and ideas on how to improve their own businesses.
Mason is confident about this approach.
"We're going to think 'engage' before we think 'acquire.' Instead of 'shouting at strangers,' which essentially defines pitching products or services with constant self-referenced brand messages, we're going to offer the promise of thought leadership, making our prospective buyers more informed. And if we as a business deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they will ultimately reward us with their loyalty," he concluded.
5. A Lesson in History
Wisdom is gained through experience. Print Professional's fifth-ranked distributor, Batavia, Ohio-based Kaeser & Blair (K&B), has the rich history to prove it.
According to Gregg Emmer, vice president, chief marketing officer, K&B is the oldest promotional advertising company in the country. The company's corporate roots can be traced back to 1853 with the Acme Print Company, located in Boone County, Ky. The current line of business was spun off in 1894 under the name Cincinnati Printing & Paper Products.
It wasn't until 1923 when two paper salesmen from Hamilton, Ohio, Dutch Kaeser and Bill Blair, purchased the assets and stock of the company and incorporated the name Kaeser & Blair, Inc.
"For 159 years, this company has been involved in the printing and promotional specialty industries," Emmer related. "Our printing plant closed about 30 years ago so we could focus on promotional advertising specialty sales and distribution. We now provide the resources for hundreds of printing companies to include promotional products as one of their profit centers."
To run a profitable business, K&B invests in the latest technology and employs a knowledgeable staff. However, Emmer believes the true key to K&B's success ultimately comes from the support given to the 2,200 authorized dealers in the K&B Dealer Group.
"Our success comes only when they succeed. So, every activity and policy at K&B is with the goal of making the experience our dealers have easier and more profitable," he shared.
Emmer went on to explain the many ways dealers can benefit from K&B's support.
"On the operational side, we finance all orders, advance profits to our dealers at the time of the sale, give lucrative bonuses, protect them from bad debt and product liability, handle pre- and post-sale administration, and even handle billing and collection if ever necessary," he said. "It is essential for us to promote this information in our marketing so potential associates (new dealers) understand how much support we provide."
And if that isn't enough incentive, K&B also offers marketing tools to assist its dealers when selling promotional materials. "We publish catalogs and interactive websites to showcase promotional items and support individual sales efforts," Emmer noted.
Looking ahead, K&B intends to capture a greater market share of the promotional advertising specialties sold through print brokers and distributors. Furthermore, the company's central focus will be to increase the number of authorized dealers. K&B's attractive record certainly makes these attainable goals.
Throughout its 88-year history under Kaeser ownership, K&B has fostered a reputation for paying suppliers on time, earning the company a 5A1 commercial credit rating. This subsequently brings additional pricing benefits to K&B that are able to be passed on to its dealers.
Finally, K&B can still boast about the fact that it has never had "a single layoff of a single employee for economic reasons."
"Our team is the best in the business and we will do whatever it takes to keep them at K&B," Emmer remarked.
Elise Hacking Carr is senior production editor for Print & Promo Marketing magazine, and managing editor for PRINTING United Journal.
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