PPB June 2016

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WHAT EMPLOYEES SAY ABOUT OMNISOURCE MAR-
KETING GROUP | “Our agency is owned by a
woman who is 71 years old but is just hitting
her stride,” says nominator and 17-year
employee Kendal Summers. “Janie Goldberg
is a forward-thinking, collaborative leader
who is revolutionizing the way promotional
products are curated and purchased. She has
evolved our distributorship into a promotion-
al marketing agency model and is helping our
Fortune 500 clients protect their brands and
streamline spend by uploading promotional
merchandise to the cloud—making items
that are on-brand, on-strategy and on-budget
simple to find, easy to buy and quick to ship.
“Our culture and our leadership provide an
infrastructure that talented people can leverage
to succeed beyond our wildest expectations. It's
like a trampoline—if I bring the energy, the
device is designed to help me soar!” he says.
The company also just opened a new
facility which physically matches its culture.
“We now not only act like a collaborative,
creative agency—we look like one,” says
Summers. Visitors to the company’s
Indianapolis offices don’t encounter a recep-
tionist desk upon entering; they walk into a
collaborative space with a fridge stocked with
PepsiCo products (the largest client) and a
large community table—for collaborating
with clients, suppliers and fellow associates.
HOW IT DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF AS AN EMPLOYER |
Summers says Goldberg is the company’s pri-
mary differentiator. “She recruits top, talented
people and then finds their high-impact role
within our agency. She promotes from within,
giving everyone an opportunity to grow their
responsibilities and grow their income.”
Summers adds that as he networks with
associates at other companies, he notices the
lack of two very important things that make
OmniSource a great company to work for: a
culture of sustainability and a culture of
integrity. He explains: “Janie Goldberg and our
executive team run a viable, sustainable opera-
tion that thrives because having processes that
sustain our business is in the best interest of all
of our stakeholders. Our No. 1 source of talent
is referrals by our supplier reps and multi-line
reps who know we are a company with
integrity. We pay fairly, we pay our people on
time, we pay our suppliers on time, we pay our
taxes on time. And we don't look for ways to
‘short’ our salespeople on their successes.”
THE EXTRAS THAT COUNT | The agency doesn’t just
talk about teamwork. Its new office, completed
in January, is designed with an open concept to
encourage collaboration, break down barriers
and create cross-disciplinary work flow.
Company videos pulse from giant screens
throughout the space. Collaboration areas are
nested beneath artwork by local artists. The
signpost for the sales department is a tribute to
the role of typography in branding—a floor-to-
ceiling pillar of the word ENGAGE crafted
from repurposed shells of giant, lighted out-
door signage letters. The words SUPPORT,
DESIGN and INNOVATION are painted in
giant letters down entire walls. The modern
work space also features exposed ceilings punc-
tuated by architectural “clouds” that pay hom-
age to the company’s motto.
30 • PPB • JUNE 2016 INNOVATE
GREATEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR 2016
Top Executive
Janie Goldberg, president
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Company Type
Distributor
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Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
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Website
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Year Founded
1989
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Total Employees
43
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Company Motto
“Promo Cloud—Rethink
Branded Products™”
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Perks
Collaboration Café serving
local, organic coffee, free
Pepsi and Frito-Lay munchies;
kid- and dog-friendly environ-
ment; lactation facilities for
nursing moms; monthly team
breakfast; annual company
picnic; account managers can
work remotely; healthcare
benefits; childcare spending
accounts; 401(k) with match;
paid time off and flex time
OmniSource Marketing Group President Janie
Goldberg (seated on sofa, far left) has established
a company culture that embraces collaboration and
employee innovation.