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business upcycling vintage
furniture and home décor.
Read on to learn how
a typical day unfolds for
Coffman at the helm of
Elliott Calendar Company.
How does your family
history intertwine
with the history of
your company?
I have been with Elliott
Calendar Company/Hour Glass
Line for 19 years and have served
as president since 2004. Our
great-grandfather started here
in 1917. We currently produce
calendars, but I have been
told we printed a local church
cookbook in 1893. I haven’t
found it yet, so the earliest
documentation we have is 1894.
What do you love
about your company?
I love that we are one of
the industry’s survivors, still
independent and family owned
and operated to this day. Our
team of employees is incredible
and we strive to serve our
customers and manufacture
a great product to the best of
our ability. Distributors have
trusted us for over a century to
do what we say we’re going to
do and deliver as promised. We
are not perfect, but we are still
trying to get better every day. I
also love that we have a cookout
every Friday for our employees.
Describe your
office atmosphere.
We moved our offices
downstairs two years ago to
improve communication and
visibility, and we designed it
as a vintage service station
with a storefront and garage
door. It reminds us to put
customer “service” first, and
it also recalls our history by
displaying the promotional
products we have manufactured
over the past 122 years.
What kinds of projects
or tasks might you
tackle on a given day?
I am still personally involved
in the manufacturing process
and continue to develop, market
and sell our calendar line. I might
work on a quote for 75,000 desk
pads or talk to a distributor in
California about a 100-quantity
custom digital calendar. I love
handling the “opportunities”
that arise on a day to day basis. It
might be an equipment issue,
employee issue or the chance
to work with a new distributor.
Howdoyoucollaborate
with co-workers?
First, we have a huddle
meeting every Monday morning
at 10 am. We work through
opportunities and communicate
what is going on in every
department and discuss how
to resolve them. Second, we
often have brainstorming
sessions with our marketing
and design departments to
come up with new designs,
products and marketing ideas.
How does this job
challenge you?
It is challenging because I have
to wear many hats and, to be
honest, some of them don’t fit as
well as I would like. It constantly
stretches me to learn new skills
and develop my leadership
abilities. I am curious by nature
and love to study our industry
and businesses to benchmark
and continuously improve.
What changes or
improvements
have you recently
implemented, or
are you planning to
make in the future?
We have implemented
many LEAN principles
and streamlined our
manufacturing processes to
become more competitive
and viable. We moved our
offset plate maker next to
the pressroom, consolidated
packing and shipping and
have purchased two pieces of
equipment for our Daily Date
calendars and desk pads.
What makes your
company a valuable
member of the
promotional products
community?
I believe we are valuable
because we continue to
provide an excellent product
and unbeatable service to
the industry, and we are a
link to its very beginning in
Coshocton. We were one of
the founding companies of
our association in 1903 as well;
not many of us are left. We
have had the great opportunity
to have a front row seat for
the duration of the history of
promotional products. Our
founder was the operating
director for Jasper Meek [who
first promoted a business with
an imprinted book bag] and
the country’s first promotional
products company,
Tuscarora Advertising.
LEFT
In 2014, Coffman led
Seth Barnett, PPAI Diversity
Development Manager (left)
and Mark Jenkins, MAS+,
former PPAI board chair
(right), on a museum tour
in Coshocton, Ohio, where
pre-World War II promotional
items made by Coffman’s
company are on display.
Our team of
employees is
incredible and
we strive to serve
our customers
and manufacture
a great product
to the best of
our ability.
Elliott Calendar Co.’s
booth at The PPAI Expo.
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NOVEMBER 2016
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