PPB April 2021

to Edge at one day at 3 am early on in the pandemic. He thought about how to convert the sublimated bag process to make masks, and spent the entire next day researching masks, templates and how to make them. On Monday, he approached his production team and Peerless was on its way into PPE. “That was a really important item for us and still is,” he says, “because it got people working again.” He says the company plans to remain in the mask business, at least through the end of this year or as long as people want to buy them. He’s also seen his patio and restaurant umbrella business kick off earlier this year—in late February. Indoor dining capacity at restaurants in New Jersey and New York is limited to 35 percent at press time, and Edge thinks that and the fact that people just enjoy eating outdoors will create more demand for Peerless umbrellas this year. During April and May 2020, Peerless employees worked in teams where they alternated being in the office and working at home. By June 2020, most were coming back to the office regularly although most employees still work from home one day a week. FromMay 2020 through year-end, the company remained busy. “A lot of that was having the right products combined with our marketing efforts,” Edge says. “I figured this was our chance and we had to be as aggressive as possible. My marketing team went into overdrive.” They focused on the next trends and what people needed at home including introducing a backyard vacation assortment such as hammocks, sports chairs and the like. “It got people working again and that was my goal,” says Edge. He adds, “We learned so much about ourselves; personally I learned so much about myself, including what I had to do to keep people motivated. I was so concerned about everyone’s mental health—that’s real.” Because he could not do the usual team-building activities, such as go out for Happy Hour or bring pizza into the office for lunch, he looked for workarounds. Now, every Friday at 4 pm he brings a rolling cooler into the office and invites everyone to enjoy a beer to finish off the week. He didn’t know if that simple gesture would make a difference, but several employees said how much they appreciated it during performance reviews in January. He also put together 45 swag kits for employees containing Peerless-branded promotional items (some from other suppliers) including an Igloo cooler, a Bluetooth speaker and a personal letter. “People were so appreciative that we were recognizing their efforts,” says Edge. Looking back over the past 12 months, he says, “In a weird way, from a business sense, it was the worst of years and the best of years because there were a lot of lessons learned last year that we’ll continue to act on.” Adam Campbell, MAS, operations manager for distributor North Georgia Promotions, a small, family-owned company in Alpharetta, Georgia, kept the company’s doors open throughout 2020 by making clear and regular communications a priority with the eight-person staff and being honest “We learned so much about ourselves; personally I learned so much about myself, including what I had to do to keep people motivated. I was so concerned about everyone’s mental health—that’s real.” Dan Edge National Sales Manager Peerless Umbrella Newark, New Jersey FEATURE | Resilient And Resourceful 30 | APRIL 2021 |