PPB September 2019

Huebner started working for the company. At this time, Steve Edwards had become president, a position he held until retiring in 2006, when Huebner purchased the company from him. Now, as the company’s current president—a role that he’s held for the past 13 years—Huebner has led Mac Mannes through its 50th anniversary in 2007, its 60th anniversary in 2017 and a relocation fromWashington, D.C. to its current headquarters in Bethesda in 2008. This year, Mac Mannes, Inc. was recognized as one of PPB ’s 60 Greatest Companies To Work For. What are some of the changes you have seen since your earlier days at Mac Mannes? When I started at Mac Mannes, we mailed purchase orders and color-separated art boards to suppliers. Four weeks was considered a rush order. With all the technological changes, we still transmit purchase orders and art to industry suppliers, and the supplier-to-distributor selling channel model has remained virtually unchanged. When you started with Mac Mannes, did you anticipate being with the company for over three decades? What about Mac Mannes stuck with you? It all started as a summer job when I was fresh out of high school. I was the assistant to the assistant mailroom director. I stuck with it through winter and summer breaks throughout college, evolving into the role of sales assistant. President Steve Edwards took a chance on me and hired me as a full-time account executive after college in 1989. I had a commission draw account of $300 per week, or $15,600 annually, which was less than the $350 per week I’d earned the summer before. It worked out well for both of us, and eventually I acquired the company from Steve when he retired in 2006. I certainly had no plans for a summer job to evolve into my career. With some two-thirds of the company working fromhome, how do you ensure that deadlines are met and communication flows among teammembers? Ten years ago, each of us worked out of the home office daily. Acquisitions, geography and traffic have caused us to evolve to a larger remote workforce, and technology has made it all possible. We’ve had success with teammembers who embrace our mission and our workflow, and they’re appreciative of the opportunities given to them. Our biggest challenge is the face-to-face interaction we all miss and crave. We try to solve that by meeting in small groups or as a company whenever we can. Having celebrated 60 years in business in 2017, what key takeaways can you offer to companies just starting out? It’s all about finding the right people—both teammembers and clients. Hire people who are invested in a career as opposed to just a job. Prospect for clients who understand that promotional products are an effective advertising medium. Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB. “It’s all about finding the right people—both teammembers and clients. Hire people who are invested in a career as opposed to just a job.” —Chris Huebner The original Mac Mannes shop specialized in gifts and housewares, prior to transitioning into promotional products. Mac Mannes, the founder of the eponymous store, is pictured to the right in a dark-colored suit. | SEPTEMBER 2019 | 93 CONNECT