to be right. They’ve got to be on time. ‘I’ve got to have somebody I can trust. I want to be sure, because if things don’t go well, it doesn’t make me look good. It doesn’t make my company look good.’ For some customers, there’s a certain amount of angst associated with that, or dread. What we’re really trying to say is don’t worry about that. We’re here to help you. We’ll make sure everything goes as it should, and if it doesn’t, we’ll make it right.” This Is The Way As my visit to 4imprint winds down, there’s an obvious question left unasked: If the last five-year plan brought us promo’s only national commercial campaign, new standards for corporate social responsibility and the greatest sales year ever for a single distributor, what are the next big goals? When it comes to technology and commercial marketing, there is no end in sight, only constant tweaking with new data. On the sustainability journey, Worwood isn’t ready to get specific, only suggesting that they’re just getting started: “It’ll outlive us all,” she says. She doesn’t dismiss the idea of greater attention on packaging. Cardboard 4imprint boxes are stacked high in the warehouses of most large suppliers these days. And as for how much 4imprint can generate in sales in the next half-decade? Lyons-Tarr has something in mind, but he wants to get through 2023, the first full year removed from pandemic weirdness, before announcing anything. The idea, obviously, is scale, scale, scale. “We could’ve done more marketing last year and didn’t because we didn’t have the resources to handle the volume we were getting,” he says. “So, all that kind of needs to normalize. At that point, then you can really begin.” I gather my things and snap a few photos on the way out. It’s mostly polite Wisconsin small talk as we pass the quiet rows of cubicles while heading to the non-showroom at the front entrance. I shake hands with Campbell, then Lyons-Tarr, then Worwood while saying goodbye. Lyons-Tarr offers his hand once more. I reach out mine again, absentmindedly, when he shakes his head at me. “No,” he says, pointing at my left hand. “Your water bottle. Let me recycle that for you.” Ellis is the publisher and editor-in-chief at PPAI. Must Read | Distributors Rank Score Name 2022 Revenue (Millions) Change Since 2019 41 165.89 The Image Group $39.4 14% 42 Kaeser & Blair $95.0 -23% 43 Eagle Promotions $43.8 20% 44 The Vernon Company $82.5 2% 45 The Icebox $43.9* 12% 46 APISOURCE Inc. $49.0 12% 47 G&G Outfitters $89.0* -7% 48 Image Source $31.0 3% 49 Goldner Associates $26.7 14% 50 152.89 Zagwear $29.0 50% Score equals the total number out of a possible 500. * Estimate. 2019 revenue calculated based on figures reported to PPAI and others. All 2022 revenue figures have been certified by a company representative unless denoted. Revenue Growth Industry Faith Professional Development Responsibility Innovation Employees Happiness Online Presence Distributors Earned HIGH MARKS in The Following Categories 58 • JULY 2023 • PPAI
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