Harcourt Potter
North
(802) Job-Magi
Objective: Sales and
Marketing Director/VP/Vice President
Summary: Marketing- and sales-oriented manager with experience
in all facets of business management, including:
Sales
Force
Development
Marketing Management
Live
Television Appearances
Sales Force
Recruitment &Development
Operations
Management
Acquisition Integration
IPO’s
Have opened national
accounts in most retail channels, including:
Discount
Stores (Wal-Mart,
Target) Department
Stores (Sears, Macy’s, Harrod’s)
Drug
Chains (Walgreens, Rite
Aid) Supermarkets
(Kroger, Albertsons)
Mail
Order (L L
Bean,
Home
Centers (Home Depot, Lowe’s)
Experience:
VICE PRESIDENT/SALES &
MARKETING, PorkBarrels,
Inc. Porcupine,
Oversee all sales and
marketing functions. Manage a direct staff that included a National Sales
Director, Marketing Director, International Sales Director, and Customer
Service Manager, plus an indirect staff of 27, comprised of 5 regional sales
managers, 2 national account managers, an art director, five product managers,
14 customer service representatives and 175 independendent
manufacturer’s reps.
Sales increased from
$23-million to $77-million in nine-year period in a market that underwent a net
decrease of 17% during that time. Net profit increased from 1% to 13%
during that period. Recruited key
managers as internal sales and marketing staff increased from 10 to 27.
Led a sales staff that opened key accounts that included Wal-Mart,
Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Harrod’s, Crate &
Barrel, Wegmans, Harry & David, Michael’s,
Meijer, Target, Pier 1, Dillards, Eddie Bauer, Ace
Hardware, Carlson Marketing, Maritz, Range Rover, Wonder Bread, Bloomingdale’s,
Bed, Bath & Beyond, Orvis, Macy’s, and Dayton-Hudsons.
EXPORTING:
Identified and retained distributors in
TELEVISION
HOME SHOPPING: Set up a
series of monthly programs that featured a barrelmaker
from our factory on QVC, a national home-shopping network.
Generally, I also appear on these programs, which are now in their third year
and generate an average of $900,000 in wholesale sales per one-hour program.
ACQUISITION
INTEGRATION: Identified Frankenmuth
Housewares as an acquisition target, and key member of management
team that oversaw and integrated the acquisition of Frankenmuth Housewares,
a $7-million housewares importer, into PorkBarrels
in 2005. Frankenmuth-branded products sales have now reached
$17-million.
IPO
EXPERIENCE: Key member of
management team as company’s private equity ownership launched an initial
public offering of the company.
DIRECTOR OF SALES &
MARKETING, Warthogs,
Miraculous,
Recruited, trained, and
managed sales force of more than 100 manufacturer’s reps calling on gift and
gourmet shops, mail order catalogs, premium/corporate accounts, department
stores, and mass merchants. Put together catalogs and brochures, and
developed new products, including a line of picnic baskets that L L Bean immediately picked up.
Oversaw a
company staff that initially consisted of one Assistant Sales Manager/Marketing
Manager and on my leaving included a Marketing Manager, National Sales Manager,
National Accounts Manager and three clerical support people.
Developed a
unique pie basket program with Krogers’ bakery
department that was featured in Supermarket News. This led to a promotion with Albertsons,
front page items on Ralph’s Memorial Day and 4th of July flyers, and
nine more promotions with Kroger.
NATIONAL
SALES: On my arrival, sales
were rapidly falling and there were only seven major accounts. I
replaced nearly all the reps, and set up two sales divisions, one for major
accounts and one for independent shops. More than 100 major accounts were
opened, including Sears, J.C. Penney, Spiegel, Orvis, Amway, True Value,
Bloomingdale’s, Mercantile Stores and Walgreen’s as sales increased from
$4-million to $13-million in 6 years.
MARKETING/PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT: Developed
catalogs and brochures, sales forecasts and new packaging. Worked with reps and accounts to develop new product ideas.
After discussions with Country Curtains and Vermont Country Store,
I put together a line of wrought iron curtain accessories that became over 15%
of our sales (Country Curtains became our largest customer).
Recruited and worked with freelance designer who developed items that opened up
new markets and new accounts, including J.C. Penney,
PROMOTION:
Placed Warthogs products in national consumer and trade magazine
articles, all at no charge to the company. Magazines included Cosmopolitan,
Family Circle, Country Living, First For Women, Country Woman, Mademoiselle,
Craftworks (front cover) and Be-Pal (
PRODUCT
SOURCING: Sourced
manufacturers for contract work to increase product base. These ranged
from not-listed-in-any-directory woodworking companies to more traditional
companies like brass manufacturers and contract packagers. At times,
sourced and purchased raw materials, including steel, glass and packaging
items.
PRODUCT
COSTING: worked with plant manager and factory personnel
to develop an accurate cost structure, and personally oversaw those maintaining
that system for two transitional years for the
company.
Beauteous
Corporation,
EASTERN
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER & MARKETING MANAGER (1991 to 1993).
Reporting
to VP/Sales, directed sales force of independent reps covering all states east
of the
NORTHEAST
SALES MANAGER (1989 – 1991).
Assisted
VP/Sales in management of national independent rep force while covering Northeast directly. Due to seasonal nature of the business,
also became involved in marketing, product development, shipping, purchasing,
and production management.
MARKETING: Developed annual marketing plan. Worked with general manager and freelance artists to develop new
product line. Designed and developed 4-color catalogs.
PURCHASING: Purchased point-of-purchase displays, labels
(saving $15,000), and Christmas tags.
OPERATIONS: Worked as production supervisor during
non-sales and peak production season for 5 months/year directing 25 to 30
employees, and ran entire factory (150 employees) in plant manager’s
absence. Managed factory store
FREELANCE
WRITER,
Wrote
articles for more than 25 national magazines, including McCall’s, Woman’s
World, Omni, Sierra and Discovery. Topics were varied, and included the outdoors,
medicine, science, psychology and law. Wrote business
articles for Forbes, Inc., Fortune and Kiplinger’s, among others.
SEMINAR
TEACHING: Taught Sell
Your Writing, a monthly seminar for adults on freelance writing offered
through The Knowledge Network, which sponsors seminars in the Ilium area.
Education:
Major: Psychology
Personal Interests: Bicycling, Backpacking, Kayaking, Caving,
Skiing, Basketball, Hockey,
Ham
Radio (Extra Class License)
Former minor league football player,
Timson
Hill Preschool, Board of Directors, 1994 – 2001
Established
Oinkers Youth Basketball League, 2002 (President, 2002-2004; Coach 2002 to
present)
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