The Bonus Round

The old adage of spending money to make money certainly rings true in the printing industry.Many companies in the industry find that nothing gives an employee a little push to succeed, and in turn a boost in revenues, then forking over a cash bonus, an all-expense paid trip to somewhere sunny or another type of pat on the back.

Cleveland-based Proforma has offered such incentives to its high sellers for more than a decade, said company founder and co-CEO Greg Muzzillo.

Not only does Proforma offer its owners a competitive fee structure that enables them to retain up to 80 percent of their gross profits, its owners also have the opportunity to join the company's Million and Multi-Million Dollar Clubs.

The Million Dollar Club, which was established in 1990, recognizes owners who achieve annual sales of $1 million or more in a calendar year. A dozen years later, the Multi-Million Dollar Club was formed to recognize those owners who have generated $2 million or more in sales during a calendar year. High-selling earns owners the reward of a luxurious vacation for themselves and one guest each. The company picks up the tab for hotel accommodations, food and air travel.

Recently, those honored traveled to the Bahamas, St. Thomas, Puerto Vallarta and Palm Springs. Next year, the attendees will be off to Atlantis in the Bahamas to celebrate a year of success.

And, Proforma's sellers certainly take advantage of the opportunity. Currently, there are more than 100 members in the Million Dollar Club and more than 25 members in the Multi-Million Dollar Club. Do the math. That means these sellers are generating between $2 million and $15 million in sales a year, Muzzillo emphasized.

He pointed out that each year the trips prove to be more and more successful. For example, Muzzillo said, on the 2007 trip to Palm Springs, more than 100 owners, guests and special partners were in attendance. There were 150 people in attendance at the Million Dollar Club Trip to St. Thomas in 2008. And, this year, more than 200 people celebrated in Puerto Vallarta.