In 1994, Gary M. Brown began working in the promotional products industry as a supplier. He liked it well enough, but the landscape was changing, and he knew it; that same year, Time magazine ran a cover story on a hot, new, up-and-coming technology—a little thing called the Internet. Brown was inspired. He believed you could get good products from anyone, but sound marketing advice and creative ideas were hard to come by. He wanted to work with clients and find the best promotions to fit their needs—and he saw in the Internet as the perfect vehicle.
So in 1996, Brown left the supplier side to found The Image Factory LLC, where he'd serve as president and CEO. Based in Raymond, N.H., the distributor set its sights online. Brown would make e-commerce solutions the company's focus, betting that clients would begin to rely more and more on the Internet for their business needs. Nearly two decades and $2 million in annual sales later, it's clear Brown made the right call. The Image Factory LLC continues to supply large companies with e-commerce websites, and Brown continues to look forward for inspiration. Here, he shares his thoughts on the industry.
Print+Promo (P+P): How do you set goals for yourself? For your business?
Gary M. Brown (GB): I have always looked to the future for my business ideas. All my goals are initially set for the long-term, about three to five years on average. Once the long-term goal is set I continuously test and refine the goal(s) based on the business environment and industry needs at the time. In my opinion, flexibility is the key to achieving any goal, short- or long-term.
P+P: How does the economy continue to affect the industry?
GB: For me, it has never been about price, so shrinking budgets is not a major problem in the big picture. However, I see that overall order volume is down a little in existing markets. This is more than offset by new market acquisitions and remaining out in front in new technologies. A bigger problem for myself is government regulations. From the Environmental Protection Agency to the Federal Trade Commission, there have been some decisions made over the past five years that are killing the industry. Selling to the pharmaceutical industry is one glaring example of government overreach hurting the promotional products industry.
P+P: What do you expect to be some of the biggest challenges the industry will face?
GB: I think the biggest problem [...] is the ongoing efforts of the state and federal governments to place a sales tax on Internet sales. As a New Hampshire corporation we have no sales-tax issues, and to be required to collect and distribute sales tax payments to cities, states and the federal government would be near impossible, require a huge amount of time and seriously curtail online activity. I feel for companies with storefronts but understand that was their decision for their business, not mine. It would be like Henry Ford feeling bad for buggy-whip salesmen. You have to improvise, adapt and overcome competitor and market obstacles.
P+P: What keeps you up at night?
GB: The reliance on foreign manufacturing. It seems to me that we, as consumers, have forgotten the value of American-made goods. I remember when [goods purchased in America] were actually made in America. Everything from furniture to appliances, radios and even computers (I worked for Wang [Laboratories] in the late '70s to mid-'80s) would last twice as long as […] foreign goods from China.
P+P: What is the most exciting thing your company is doing right now?
GB: Customized e-commerce websites for our large corporate, franchise and dealer clients. By offering this service for free, we address the major problems facing all companies. On-time shipping problems, logo and brand differences, and corporate-color variances across different substrates are a thing of the past, and the client doesn't pay anything to make these problems go away. For us, it streamlines the order/paperwork process and allows us to offer a higher degree of customer service, automating much of the process and eliminating human error where possible. Everyone wins.
P+P: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
GB: I have very little free time, like most business owners. The people who know me would say I am always moving at the speed of light looking for the next shiny object. So when I tell them I build museum-quality, highly detailed models, they always say, "I never knew you had the patience to build something like that!" Most of my models have more than 4,000 pieces and take close to a year to complete.