PPB May 2018

a record year in 2017, this year is off to a great start. Thus far, 2018 is proving to be our most profitable year yet. With a bigger focus on meeting client goals and offering additional marketing services, we have seen steady and healthy growth. Where do you see your company by year end and how does that compare to 2017? By year end, I expect my company will be up 10 to 15 percent in top-line sales. What trends or issues are having the biggest impact on your business and why? In 2018, I have seen a trend of companies dedicating more money in their budgets for promotional products as well as opting for higher-quality items. This trend has led to higher-dollar orders. While my company initially attracts new customers to our website through ecommerce, ultimately our goal is to develop a relationship with those customers and turn them into long-term clients. This process of getting to know our clients has had the biggest impact on our growth. Raman Agarwal President/ CEO Akran Marketing (PPAI 228797) Ottawa, Ontario Company Founded: 2000 Key Markets Served: Private and public (educational, federal, provincial and municipal governments, Fortune 1000 corporations, financial sector, natural resources) Types Of Services Offered: Akran Marketing is a full-service promotional distributor offering silk screening, embroidery, warehousing, fulfillment, pick and pack, and ecommerce. How is your business faring so far toward meeting its 2018 goals? Really well. We are very pleased with the progress toward our goals in 2018. So far, we have seen a 25 percent increase in our revenues, which we find remarkable and rewarding. Where do you see your company by year end and how does that compare to 2017? We see our company continuing its growth path, and by year end we should see a 30 percent increase in our revenues, which is pretty good compared to 2017 and to other distributors’ performance. What trends or issues are having the biggest impact on your business and why? Even though we offer 24/7 service, we are finding that clients are getting more and more demanding and expecting faster delivery and service from us. Also, they are looking for more technology products that they can use all the time. Mid-Sized Distributors Janie Goldberg President Omnisource Marketing Group (PPAI 146491) Indianapolis, Indiana Company Founded: 1989 Key Markets Served: OmniSource Marketing clients include the world’s largest food and beverage company, largest shopping mall owner, large automakers/ OEMs, global technology companies and top universities. Utilizing an agency service model, our team actively engages our clients’ teams at all levels—from procurement and branding at headquarters, to the brand-activation team at their most distant outpost. Types Of Services Offered: We manage all aspects of branded merchandise for our clients. From ideation and conception, to brand identity, to sourcing and supply chain compliance, and from warehousing, fulfillment and kitting, to cloud-based procurement solutions that are hard- wired into client ecosystems. We sit at the planning table to develop strategy with branding leaders—then execute myriad process points, until branded merchandise magically appears across the globe, at countless points of brand activation. How is your business faring so far toward meeting its 2018 goals? We continue to deliver on year-over-year revenue growth, having doubled in size in the past five years. Because of our unique agency model, we grow by referral, not acquisition. We’re on target to meet our 2018 growth and financial goals. Where do you see your company by year end and how does that compare to 2017? We plan to have a repeat year with 15 - 20 percent sales growth, which will take our billings to over $20 million for the first time. We’ve come a long way fast by finding and onboarding new clients—2017 saw a $3 million jump in revenue, from a record- setting $14 million in 2014. What trends or issues are having the biggest impact on your business and why? If a company isn’t growing, it’s dying—and we repeatedly execute a new business plan that delivers stunning results. Growth doesn’t fly like an arrow, however. It moves like a caterpillar. When our new business PPAI Exclusive Research: 2017 Distributor Sales Volume Estimate | FEATURE “In 2018, I have seen a trend of companies dedicatingmoremoney in their budgets for promotional products aswell as opting for higher-quality items.” —Patrick Black, Perfect Imprints | MAY 2018 | 51