Around EBSCO Manufacturing
Around EBSCO
Two EBSCO Businesses Partner with Cheeriodicals
Cheeriodicals, a Birmingham-based online gift company that sells magazines and specialty food items in signature bright green boxes at www.cheeriodicals.com, has partnered with EBSCO Magazine Express to fulfill their magazine and subscription orders, and with Vulcan Information Packaging (VIP) to manufacture their specialty gift box. Cheeriodicals, which means a cheerful periodical, contacted David Wilson, assistant vice president and general manager of Magazine Express, also located in Birmingham, who suggested Cheeriodicals also utilize VIP to produce the Big Green Boxes of cheer.
Stewart Signs Shatters Sales Records Bigger sales force is able to capitalize on opportunities Stewart Signs, with sales operations in Sarasota, Fla., and manufacturing operations in Clanton, Ala., and part of the EBSCO Sign Group, closed out the 2012 fiscal year with a new historical high in sales, shattering the previous 44-year high by more than $4
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School division: Surpassed the previous fiscal year by 29 percent and shattered the past historical high by 22 percent
An important initiative for Cheeriodicals is to host Cheeriodicals Days, where they partner with corporate sponsors to provide Cheeriodicals containing children’s magazines and toys to children’s hospitals nationwide. “The effect of hundreds of smiling faces is simply amazing,” Mary Martha Parisher, founder, said. “We’re now in discussions with dozens of other hospitals nationwide to bring these events to their children.”
MCM Takes Follett For 18 years, MCM Group has been the primary supplier of licensed gift product to Barnes and Noble College Stores, one of the two largest lease operators in the college store market with approximately 700 stores in the U.S. Recently, MCM also began to take the primary position at the other leading lease operator in the college store market, Follett Higher Education Group, which also operates about 700 stores in the U.S. Led by the efforts of Bob Turner, general manager, MCM has been able to chip away at Follett over the past three years with their product offerings. “Getting our foot in the door allowed us to start building rela-
Leading the sales charge for Stewart was Shay Einhaus (School Division), who set a new individual sales record with $1,277,300 in sales for 2012.
Church division: Topped the previous fiscal year by 53 percent and beat its historical high by 13 percent
Military division: Topped last year by 103 percent Business division: Increased 49 percent over the last fiscal year and had its best year ever by 103 percent over the previous historical best
Civic/municipal division: Increased sales by 300 percent over last year and beat its previous historical high by 28 percent
Vulcan Information Packaging Continues to Succeed with Discover Financial Services tionships with key buyers and proving ourselves and our capabilities,” Turner said. Turner explained that business really took off when MCM began to build small leather goods and tote bag programs especially for Follett under a private label. Sales have grown from about $150,000 three years ago to just under $1 million during the 2011 calendar year, with a projected $1.5 million in 2012. – Sheri Thompson /
Internal Communications Director
“It takes a confident man to tell people that he sells teddy bears for a living, and I have to admit, it was plush that got things rolling for us, finally, at Follett,” Turner said.
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13 of whom achieved more than $500,000 in total revenue. “By hiring more sales resources, we were able to create smaller, more manageable territories in which the consultants can immerse themselves,” Keller said. “The JM Stewart model is a continued on page 9
<ADD QUOTE FROM DAVID> Customers can choose from more than 50 themed Cheeriodical options such as golf, women’s fashion and business magazines from an inventory of more than 150 magazines to include in the bright green gift box. Sweet or savory edibles are included in the
million, or 32 percent. Eric Keller, vice president of sales and marketing, attributed the historic growth to a significant increase in sales resources that enabled the company to fully staff its territories with 37 consultants (up from 22 in December 2012),
Manufacturing
In the fall of 2004, Vulcan Information Packaging (VIP) was exhibiting at the Graph Expo in Chicago when they were approached by a Discover representative who expressed interest in VIP’s check presenter, the small, black vinyl folder that is used to deliver the bill at a restaurant. After performing a trial run to manufacture the item, VIP secured a yearly order of approximately 750,000 check presenters for Discover. Discover has been one of VIP’s largest customers for the past five years. They not only manufacture the black vinyl folder; they also customize it with the Discover logo on the cover. There were several factors that contributed to a successful partnership:
• Patient persistence. It took almost two years to secure the first order. • Vitronic Promotional Group’s participation in the first few years on the customization program. • EBSCO’s financial strength. Most overseas factories require payment for goods before they ship. • VIP’s continued participation in the customization program. Customer service, art and production are all performing seamlessly. • A strong performance. For the past three years, VIP’s overall supplier rating / scorecard from Discover has been close to the highest rating Discover gives.
“We are certainly thankful that our partnership with Discover continues to grow,” Jerry Bridges, VIP national sales manager, said. “All of us at VIP will continue to work hard to retain this business as long as we can and will also continue to look for other good pieces of business similar to the Discover business.”
– Jerry Bridges / TITLE?
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