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Indoff CORPORATE NEWSLETTER
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NEWSLETTER
Indoff
WHERE SOLUTIONS TAKE SHAPE
CEO Message
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Keeping Indoff Top of Mind
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Indoff ’s Newest Partners
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Customer Engagement Site Updates
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Marcia Whites Retirement
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Partner Success Stor y
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Using Technology
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Get to Know Your Corporate Staff
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Confluence Order Tracking
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Sales Partners of the Month
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APRIL 2022
CEO
Message Jim Malkus
Chief Executive Officer
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arch 21 st marked 34 years with Indoff for me, an anniversary I NEVER expected to hit when I walked in the door as a 27-year old punk (makes me 61, Doug Black…). It’s been a very interesting ride, and I’d like to share a few thoughts: •
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The opportunity to work with world-class salespeople has been eye-opening – John Temple, Ron Brewer, Walt Carter, David Denmark, John Vasquez, Bob Berry, John Kaiser, Al Hutton, Bill Brooks, Dave Perry, Tom Vanhoozer, Bob Goodwin, Staci Deaton, Georgine Golitko, Bill Jacobson, Jeff and Shari Zeimetz, Steve Bloom, Darrell Reed, Kristy Long, Mike and John Hollern – I’ve missed many names, and to you, I apologize. I’m still a moderately trained accountant, but I have tried to listen and learn from you all. We’ve shared history – the dot com bubble, 9/11, the Great Recession, Covid and now the war in Ukraine. Our community has helped us process and push through these events; I am grateful. I’ve raised my family while working here; my precious one-year old twin daughters are now 35, my “baby” is 32. I’ve met many of your children, and I’ve “watched” them grow up through conversations and photos. Now I’m busy with the next generation – the 1-1/2 year old grandson. The Partner Program didn’t exist when I started; it launched in 1991. The simplicity of the program endures; we have never changed the commission rate. We work hard administratively so our Partners can apply their talents to their customers’ challenges – the formula works. Change, change, change – pay phones, calling cards, mobile phones (think bricks), cell phones (think flip) and now smartphones; thermal fax, laser fax, and now attached pdf’s; gang faxing, emails and now texting; order pads, the template, Confluence and overriding everything, the Internet… Long-term working relationships and friendships with so many people – in the office, I’d be remiss if I did not mention Robin Migdal and Julie Frank. They have been vital to our stability and success. Finally, the constant has been John Ross. He hired me, he’s been here prodding, guiding, reminding us of what is important. A Company can not endure without a solid foundation, and John provides that and more.
What’s next? Who knows…I look forward to the future. I’m deeply appreciative of the past 34 years, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for us all. Stay safe, stay well and thank you all for all you do for Indoff!
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WHY 4
WORKSTATION CRANES
NEWSLETTER
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APRIL 2022
Indoff’s
Newest Partners MATERIAL HANDLING
COMMERCIAL INTERIORS
BUSINESS PRODUCTS
Tony Goodwin, SC Tony Goodwin, TN
George Litzburg Tony Olona
Richard Carter
Indoff’s
Newest Corporate Employees Cierra Marshall
John Howell
Rylan Love
Margaret Wiggemansen
Accounts Payable Recruiting
Finance
CSR for Promo
Vinny Milburn Recruiting
Indoff’s
Corporate Employee Updates Langston Tann
Promoted to A/P Assistant Manager
Linette Going
Promoted to Asst. Credit Manager
Pam Hake
New role as our V.P. of Credit
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NEWSLETTER
After 26 years of dedicated service to Indoff, Marcia Whites has set her sights on a well-deserved retirement. Marcia joined us in October 1995 as a new construction salesperson; she specialized in locker sales for school projects. After a few successful years, she came inside and joined our Partner Support group. Over the years, Marcia has helped hundreds of Partners navigate their way through the Indoff systems. All of us will miss Marcia, and will never forget her contributions to Indoff!
APRIL 2022
Using Technology To Fulfill Customer Needs Ronni Hillard
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Sales Partner
s many as 20 different Indoff Partners have been challenged by the Morsco account. This distributor of commercial and residential plumbing, waterworks, and HVAC asked Lew Brown to visit their 215 stores and confirm that each location adhered to a specified level of safety by confirming a set of questions (Are rails bent or damaged? Is wire decking damaged or missing? Are the uprights properly fastened to the floor or damaged? Are safety clips on rails missing?, etc.) “National Accounts” that require onsite assistance all over the country, for “potential” purchases that are low $’s, are difficult for any sales organization. If the account could find someone else who would take on what they’ve asked, they would have. Over the past few years, Lew Brown has driven thousands of miles to service Morsco. Although there have been challenges on both sides, we have delivered on fulfilling their needs. Overall, he has done a noble job trying to keep this account on track and has achieved about 1.8M in MH sales. Last October, I received a panicked call from the Facilities Manager (decision maker) for this account. Staples had just dropped their furniture line and they wanted to know if we sold Trendway and other brands. Although their options were few, they wanted to put us through some steps to confirm we would be a good partner for their furniture fulfillment. We took the opportunity to meet with them and ask: “What are your needs?” Their answers were as you would expect: “We don’t want surprises. We want communication. We want to know when something ships, is in transit, delivered, installed, etc. We want you to assist with the project management, not just sell it.” We asked: “What does that look like for you?” I came back to the office and worked with Colin and Courtney’s team to fulfill their request. Today they have a Customer Engagement Site that allows them to log in and track their orders, shipping, delivery, install, etc. We have recently added the ability for the customer to purchase from the portal those standard SKUs approved by Morsco. This streamlines the effort and allows the regional managers (who manage a number of locations) to take ownership of the project. Because Confluence integrates with our CES (Customer Engagement Site), the order information is provided to the user based on the information entered by the Partner. We even provide a user guide to share with the customer on how they can retrieve their reports. “Keeping this particular customer up to date on all of their orders is daunting. Providing the tracking information in Confluence, that appears on a report within their engagement site, provides a current snapshot of their projects, accessible from anywhere, at any time. Previously, a facilities person would call us (often when we were not available) wanting an immediate answer. The online ordering ability allows their internal customers to select their needs without using the facility group’s precious time. The order is automatically created within Confluence and then I immediately receive email notification of the order. “Ordering made simple” - and they love it.” Ronni Hillard, Partner (Dallas) If you think you have a customer or prospect who would benefit from this, please contact our Partner Support team!
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NEWSLETTER
CONFLUENCE
New Capabilities - Order Tracking Courtney Brazell
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Manager, Partner Support & IT Help-desk
ou asked, we listened! We recently added a new feature to Confluence to assist Sales Partners with order tracking including delivery and/or installation of line items in sales orders. This new feature is optional and can be activated under Preferences in Confluence. The Order Tracking feature allows you to enter expected ship dates, carrier information and even confirmation/tracking numbers. We’ve also included a feature that allows you to check off items when they have been delivered and/or installed. How do you use it? To turn on this feature, click your name in the upper right-hand corner of Confluence and select Preferences from the dropdown menu. In the “Advanced Tracking” section, select Yes and click Save Preferences at the bottom of the page: On the Order Detail screen you’ll now see a button called Add Tracking which will allow you to select one or more lines and add specific tracking information:
Finally, a detailed report can be run within Confluence (click Orders then Tracking History) to view the tracking for all Sales Orders. Your report can be run for “all orders” or “open orders” only. (Red text = past due dates, Black text = pending/not complete, Green text = Complete)
Want more information on this feature? Call the Partner Support Help Desk at 866-587-4648 or email partnersupport@indoff.com
APRIL 2022
RECRUITING
Keeping Indoff Top of Mind Adam Heck
Vendor Relations Manager
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ello Partners, I am filling in this month for Angela Suntrup, who is out this week on jury duty. We had planned to sort of cover all the new happenings in the recruiting department the first quarter of 2022. First and most importantly, we hired 2 new Recruiters- Rylan Love and Vinny Milburn. Rylan is focusing on research and recruiting for the Promo division and Vinny has stepped in to recruit in BP, CI, MH, and ES. Both are doing great jobs and we are very happy they are on the team. The first new initiative in 2022 for the recruiting team was starting back up our Promo recruiting efforts. Those had lapsed over the last few years due to our struggles to attract new Indoff Promo Partners. We have since added new internal support for customer service and artwork that has allowed us to be more competitive with the other big Promo distributors. Since mid-January Austin, Jake, Rylan, and myself have each been spending part of our day focused on recruiting new Promo Partners. Recruiting is always a slow process, but our goal is to be top of mind for reps and small business owners when it’s time to look at alternatives. We also have several new additions to our Recruiting efforts that we are offering across all divisions: • $1000 sign on bonus for new Indoff Partners • 75% commission for 2 years for business owners that become a Partner • We continue to offer 70% commission in year 1 for sales reps in addition to the new sign on bonus We are always very appreciative of any referrals the Partners provide us and are still providing the $1000 referral bonus for any new Partner that starts with Indoff. As Angela would say, we need your referrals!
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NEWSLETTER
Customer Engagement Site Updates
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Courtney Brazell
Manager, Partner Support & IT Help-desk
ack in 2020 we rebranded our Partner Marketing Sites and changed the name to Customer Engagement Sites. Our goal in making this change was to not only update the look and feel but to make our brand consistent from one application to another. While these changes were helpful for someone looking for a company store environment, we still needed a way for Sales Partners to have a content only site, something akin to a website . As of mid-March, you now have that option! Colin Faulkingham has been working hard to add new features, content-only capabilities and customization to our Customer Engagement Sites. New features include: 1. 2. 3. 4.
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Updated site preferences to allow the inclusion of a top menu and/or content page. Both menus are customizable. Updated site preferences to allow the turning off of the cart if you’re not using a catalog on your site. Ability to add a customizable call to action button on the top menu if you have turned off the cart. New Hero editor under Content has been added that allows you to customize a hero for use on a content page. A hero image is a large or oversized web banner image that is pinned to the header section of a webpage, usually towards the top of the page. Because of its prominent place in the site’s visual hierarchy, the hero header is often the first thing users see when arriving on a website. New Gallery Editor allows you to create a gallery of products/images to be included on a content page. The template for the entire site has been updated to stay “on brand” and closer in look and feel to the Indoff Corporate website - www.indoff.com
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APRIL 2022
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O F F I C E F U R N I T U R E D I S T R I B U TO R
COE Distributing is a customer-focused organization and is 100% committed to providing you with the best experience possible when purchasing our products. We take time to understand your needs and develop solutions to meet or exceed them. We build longterm loyalty by a commitment to customer satisfaction. We ask for your feedback and implement continuous improvement processes.
ABOUT COE OUR
Connecting people and products to create an Inspiring environment wherever they work.
OUR Vision
To be the most successful & respected furniture source in America.
Mission
OUR Values
Customer Service, Respect,Teamwork, Quality, Safety, Innovation, & Transparency
COE Distributing is a national office furniture distributor with a passion for creating inspiring work environments. A familyowned business since 1947, COE sources high-quality office furniture with forward-thinking, well-planned design from around the globe. Our private label OfficeSource offers a line of furniture and accessories always styled right, built right and priced right.
WHY CHOOSE US? * * *
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Quality Products & Service Large Variety of Stocked Products 3 Warehouse Locations For Quick Delivery - Smock, PA-280,000 sq ft - Charlotte, NC-180,000 sq ft - Houston, TX-250,000 sq ft The Finest Customer Service In Industry Variety of Dealer Marketing Tools
Join us at NeoCon 2022! June 13-15 Booth #7-2074 Your T rusted Office Furniture Wholesaler Since 1986!
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Accolades :
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NEWSLETTER
® OFFICESOURCEFURNITURE.COM
PICTURED CORDOVA BROWN
COSMO COLLECTION by OfficeSource®
Greet customers, clients or guests from the clean, modern profile of the Cosmo Collection reception line. Modern edges, sharp color contrast and attractive floating glass tops deliver a distinct look. With reception pieces and varied storage options, all pieces are easy to wipe clean and are designed for daily use in an office or customer-facing environment. The silver accents contrast beautifully against the durable MDF laminate with matching edge banding. Each piece comes ready to assemble. • Available in Cool Steely Gray or Warm Cordova Brown • Silver Desk Top & Wood Counter with Matching Accents • 3.8MM Tempered Glass Transaction Tops
Various Matching Components
Turn Your Reception Area Into A Statement
APRIL 2022
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PARTNER
Success Story: Randee Walsh
Allied Appliance Sales Partner
Why You Should Know About our Appliance Division & Randee Walsh
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ello fellow Partners. My name is Randee Walsh and I started at Indoff over 10 years ago in Partner Support, training all new Partners on Confluence and helping them with their everyday problems and questions. I loved the everyday involvement with the Partners. In 2013, Indoff acquired a company called Allied Appliance. Allied (a Division of Indoff) specializes in appliances, PTAC/through the wall air conditioners, commercial laundry, hospitality grade TVs and ice machines to Hotels/ Motels, Apartments and Assisted Living facilities nationwide. We represent all the major name brands such as GE, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Speed Queen, LG and Samsung. In 2015 I was given an opportunity to join the sales force team of this division. I had previous sales experience from my Printing / Promo background, but nothing with Air-conditioning or Appliances. This would be a new challenge for me learn. Well, things must be working out since I have been here for 8 years now. Indoff is unique, in that we have multiple divisions that Partners specialize in to best serve our customers. Some Partners sell products in multiple divisions, but all should be taking advantage of partnering with their peers to expand the types of products that they sell to their customers. Doing so, adds value to our customers while increasing your own commission. Our appliance division operates much differently than Indoff’s Partner program in that our appliance team is inside sales and reports in office. I have worked with numerous MH Partners on modular building projects to help save on the large markups on the HVAC units from portable building vendors, making the projects more competitive and increasing margins. My experience with most CI Partners is providing appliances for breakrooms and/or kitchens for offices. We have supplied TVs with brackets for conference rooms and lobbies as well.
• Allows your sprinkler system to function as designed • Provides 3" transverse flue space on each side of rack post • Heavy duty tube member designed for up to 48" frames (larger on request) • Also available: Original FlueKeeper for hand loaded boxes and HD-Structural for Structural Rack • Boltless front & rear beam type connections • Satisfies insurance guidelines and local building inspector criteria (may be required by International Fire Code®)
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DACS inc.
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I have been designated as the Partner liaison for appliance opportunities. Please reach out to me on any opportunity to see how we can best work together to expand your offering and for more details on compensation for referrals/joint ventures..
FlueKeeper® HD (HEAVY DUTY): Keeps palletized material out of rack transverse flue spaces
800-909-4937 fluekeeper.com / dswanson@dacsinc.com
Proven Solutions - One Source
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GET TO KNOW
NEWSLETTER
Your Corporate Staff Linda joined Indoff in February 2015 as an Accounts Payable Clerk & was promoted to Accounts Payable Specialist in May of 2015. Linda bills sales orders for our Partners, assists Partners with inquiries & issues regarding their orders, processes Request To Issue Credits, as well as Job Problems & corresponds with vendors regarding invoices & ship dates.
FUN FACTS
Linda Smith
Enjoy spending all of my free time with my family & my grandkids. Love taking hikes, going to parks with the kids & looking for pretty rocks.
Heather joined Indoff in October 2020 as an Accounting Specialist for the Accounts Payable group. In December 2021, Heather was promoted to Cash Application Specialist in the Finance group. Heather processes all customer payments, which includes posting checks, ACH, and credit card payments and processing customer credit card requests from Partners. She also recently completed a Women’s Entrepreneurship Certification through Cornell University.
FUN FACTS
She originally went to college for Forensic Chemistry One thing she would tell her younger self: “It will all work out. Listen to your mom, she was right most of the time & take the scholarship to WashU!”
Heather Scott
T.J. joined the Marketing Department in July 2020 due to Michael Dormagen being promoted to Director of Marketing while Craig Pennington went to part-time and is focused on the Appliances Division. T.J. has been working primarily as a freelance and an in-house graphic designer as well as marketing specialist for the past 10 years. Before that he was an music educator for 16 years in the state of Missouri. Since joining Indoff, T.J. has been creating weekly email marketing pieces for MH, CI, and ES divisions, digital and print marketing pieces like the new divisional Idea Books, as well as working on the new Promo for All initiative by creating mockups of products (virtuals), vectorizing artwork, and custom artwork for promotional products Sales Partners.
T.J. Panula
FUN FACTS
Enjoys all things St. Louis Sports – Lets Go Blues! Loves to golf and fish Is married to his college sweetheart, has two sons, two cats and a dog
Indoff’s
APRIL 2022
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Sales Partners of the Month DECEMBER 2021 MH CI BP PP ES Allied
Doug Coakley Ronni Hillard Nicole Stinson Gary Blackwell Chris Drowne Chris Koeneman
JANUARY 2022 $478,630 $466,084 $64,515 $54,158 $20,089 $371,281
MH CI BP PP ES Allied
Bill Jacobson Georgine Golitko Jim Riley John Hollern Bob Barroll Chris Koeneman
$460,200 $338,101 $212,071 $71,122 $19,530 $438,131
FEBRUARY 2022 Staci Deaton Beth Ocker Tom Vanhoozer John Hollern Brad Anderson Chris Koeneman
SALES PARTNERS
Indoff’s Anniversaries
$8,519,862 $564,846 $141,419 $198,855 $5,043 $417,200
Congratulations to the following Partners & Corporate employees who are celebrating their Employment Anniversaries with us in the month of August, September, October, November and December 2021
25 YEARS
10 YEARS
Tim Stine January 13 Gary Wambold January 27 Doug Black February 3
Kathleen Wright Tim Thurmond Doug Silva Courtney Lytle
20 YEARS Georgine Golitko March 4
Neal Steiger Rachel Dabill
February 19 April 1
15 YEARS Kristy Long
January 1
January 4 January 6 March 1 March 15 Sammy Stephens March 19
CORPORATE/CSR
MH CI BP PP ES Allied
15 YEARS Maurice Belle
March 16
10 YEARS Josh Long
March 19
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NEWSLETTER
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WWW.WWMH.NET | SALES@WWMH.NET | 888.650.9473 CHICAGO, IL | CHARLOTTE, NC | DALLAS, TX | SAN BERNARDINO, CA | SEATTLE, WA | WATSONTOWN, PA
70th Anniversary 1945 - 2015