PPB July 2018

Br i an Gi l l T wenty-five years ago, Greg Gill founded distributor Performance Press, Inc. in Apopka, Florida, just north of Orlando. Greg’s son, Brian, spent his high school years sweeping the warehouse floors and making deliveries. These early experiences inspired the younger Gill to study marketing at the University of Central Florida and return home to work in the family business. Gill started out as a warehouse assistant in 2004, then moved to customer service. Seeing the marketing potential of the internet, Gill became the company’s first web developer. He played an integral role in the 2014 rebranding of the business, which is now named thumbprint. In 2016, Gill was promoted to vice president of sales, where he utilizes his grassroots knowledge and trademark enthusiasm to build relationships and drive full-scale marketing programs. How did you become interested in the promotional products industry? Our business has morphed with our clients’ needs. As soon as the internet took off, we got onto a software platform and started launching online sites for clients. The online sites really drove our business because clients wanted to add more products such as promotional items and let us handle fulfillment and distribution. Up until then, we had focused on traditional printing, so it was exciting to get involved in the promo business. I was always excited to see what was new and fun and how we could better position our clients’ brands. We’ve been in the promo market now for more than 10 years. What are your day-to-day responsibilities as vice president of sales? I am very much in the mix. I oversee a sales team, I’m a sales rep and I’m also somewhat of a customer service rep. I’m involved in the day-to-day of building relationships with suppliers, getting samples for clients and brainstorming. I am very passionate about my clients. I like to be hands-on, and most times my clients become good friends. I try to be preemptive and proactive and reach out to our clients to let them know when something After rebranding his family’s company, it’s been all thumbs-up for Brian Gill. by Terry Ramsay The Rewards Of A Refresh The word “press” really had us in a box. We’re so muchmore than printing. We wanted a name that would convey our uniqueness—that we are experts in promo, apparel, technology, warehousing and distribution. —Brian Gill 74 | JULY 2018 | CONNECT