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APRIL 2016 •
PPB
• 77
KIPPIE HELZEL, MAS,
CPS/KEYSTONE
Burke, a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, Kippie and Richard say
they feel like they are finally right where they’re supposed to be.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I am just so happy to be home that often I am truly content just put-
tering in the house and gardening. I love taking walks with Richard
and the dogs to our little downtown. We love to cook and entertain,
and have friends over for dinner frequently. We go to Italy every year
in March or April to visit relatives and friends, so that is the bulk of
our vacationing, though we squeeze in a little additional travel here
and there. I have six sisters and one brother, so a lot of my free time is
also taken up keeping in touch with them.
How long have you worked in your present position?
I have been with CPS [in Erie, Pennsylvania] for 14 years now; over 10
as vice president of sales. I started in the industry in 1987 with ASI.
I’ve been in the promo industry for almost 30 years. It’s hard to believe.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I really love my actual sales work, talking with clients, reaching out to
growing customers and helping distributors with special requests. It
feels good, always, to know that I can make things happen for our
customers because we have such a great crew at CPS. Now that we
have a number of sales reps, a lot of my time needs to go to sales
management, which I love
because I have such a great
team. But given the choice of
selling or managing, I honestly
prefer the customer contact.
What was your first job, and
what lessons did you learn?
I first worked at an oil and gas
exploration company in
Denver. I started at the bottom
of the secretarial pool, and took
it so seriously that I was
noticed by our CFO who
brought me in to his office one
day, and asked me about my
education and background.
When he heard that I was a
liberal arts major and graduate
of Tufts, he told me that he
supported a liberal arts educa-
tion, asked me where I wanted
to work in the company and
then helped me get into the investor relations department. Doing the
work required put me on his radar and helped me step in to a higher
level position much more quickly than I had expected. That is a les-
son I never lost.
What was your first job in promotional products and how did it
come about?
After living in Denver for seven years I was ready to come back to the
East Coast to be closer to family and friends. My sister had worked at
ASI, and recommended me to the company. I studied up as best I
could on the promotional products industry to be ready for my inter-
view, and I’ll never forget the feeling I had when Don DePena was
talking about a “two-headed widget” and I thought to myself, “how
did I miss that one, what ad specialty item is that?” Don hired me and
turned me over to Ron Ball, and the rest is history, as they say. I could
not have had a better mentor and leader than Ron; he taught me
everything I needed to know about not only promotional products, but
about customers, how to achieve the best working relationships and
how to ask for business.
What motivates you in business and in life?
I am energized by the great people in my life, from customers, col-
leagues and industry friends, to my husband and personal friends. I
feel so blessed to have so many great friendships in work and my per-
sonal life, the good energy in it all just blows me away sometimes.
What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
Having brought CPS to what I like to call “today’s real world.” I
worked hard, listened hard, fought hard (respectfully) to get CPS
where we are today. From rebranding the company 10-plus years ago,
to pushing for the expansion of colors and products, rush service,
developing a great customer service and sales team, I had to push and
be patient. As the owner of the company, Leon Bilewitz, said to me
recently, “When we put our heads together we have been able to come
to good decisions,” and he is right. Finding the balance between a
conservative company management philosophy and a changing mar-
ketplace forced us both to adjust the pace of our strategic plan and the
change required and desired. In the end, I will say that winning the
2016 PPAI Supplier Star Award of Merit is the recognition for all
that we achieved as a team.
What advice would you give to an industry newcomer?
It’s all about relationships. Do the work, be honest and treat people as
you would want to be treated. You may not win over everybody, but in
time you’ll win enough to be happy.
Julie Richie is associate editor for
PPB.
“I feel so
blessed to
have so
many great
friendships
in work and
my personal
life,
the good
energy in it
all just blows
me away
sometimes.”