PPB September 2018

Rising Stars | FEATURE TimHowe, LLB, MPA, CAS, 30 COO Spectrum Designs Foundation F rom his first job as a CD assembler in his home country of Wales, to selling hotel rooms, insurance and software, and even managing an airport, Tim Howe has done it all. The U.S. is the eighth country he’s worked in, where after studying at King’s College London Law School, he earned a master’s in public administration with a focus on nonprofit management at CW Post in New York. In 2013, he joined lifelong friend Patrick Bardsley at Port Washington, New York-based distributor Spectrum Designs Foundation, a nonprofit apparel customization shop that predominately employs teens and young adults with autism. Howe was immediately hands-on with every screen printing machine, embroidery machine and piece of software in the business. He learned every job and is never above helping print, fold and ship thousands of t-shirts at the shop—even on weekends—where he has helped grow sales from $200,000 to $2.5 million. It was Howe who recently added promotional products, along with pad printing, to the company’s offerings. “With Tim as the driving force, spending late nights reading books, consulting industry experts and watching webinars, Spectrum’s non- apparel promotional products sales went from zero to $150,000 in a year simply with determination and upselling,” says nominator Mackenzie Jameson, office manager at Spectrum Design Foundation. “This year we are forecasting to almost double that, predicting [promotional products] sales in excess of $250,000— nearly 10 percent of Spectrum’s sales from a brand-new sales avenue.” A lifelong learner, Howe is constantly looking for more. In March, he worked with the Nassau County District Attorney’s office to embroider over the crests of 10,500 counterfeit jackets that were then donated to the poor. In April, he collaborated with Google to create a virtual tour for potential employees. In May, he appeared in a feature-length documentary discussing the company’s role in employing people with autism. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives and is active in the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York. This summer he earned his Certified Advertising Specialist designation. His Inspiration I have always drawn inspiration from those closest to me, so the biggest and best are my Mum (Carol) and Dad (Trevor), who taught me to never stop learning and improving myself, my fiancée Sherley whose tireless work ethic is a daily inspiration, and of course my boss and lifelong friend Patrick Bardsley, Spectrum Designs’s resident visionary blue-sky thinker who recognized something in me that made him choose me to be his right-hand man. Best Advice Make yourself indispensable. New machine? Learn it. New process? Be the first to understand it. Something breaks? Be able to fix it. Executive or line worker, you should understand every single job in the shop. I got where I am today because I read manuals, I ask tough questions and I’m never satisfied with “I don’t know.” You shouldn’t be either. The promotional products industry is vast, but it is incredibly supportive. Watch PPAI webinars, call people with more experience than you, draw on any resource you can to become an expert in your field—and don’t stop at 9 to 5. ChangesHe’d Like To See For me, social responsibility is the future. Don’t just think about who makes your t-shirt, but who prints it. When buying a promotional product, where does that money go? Make sure that your supplier and distributor are doing their part for the local community, for the U.S. and our industry. I would also love for the documentary featuring us, This Business of Autism , to reach a worldwide audience and help spread the word about these hard-working individuals with disabilities who can be incredible assets when just given a chance. | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 37