SanMar Radio

Jorge Colindres is the general manager for SanMar in the Americas — that is to say, North, South and Central America. He hails from Honduras and takes a special interest in SanMar's apparel manufacturing operation there.

In this episode, Jorge discusses how efficiency has played and continues to play a big role in his work, and explains how SanMar works with and supports the Honduran community.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE

• How a lottery brought Jorge and his wife to the United States and ultimately to SanMar.
• Jorge lays out his work history before he came to SanMar and explains how efficiency was at one point his biggest priority.
• Why Honduras is such a central location for manufacturing in the western hemisphere.
• How SanMar works with other companies in the region to maximize sustainability.
• The role SanMar plays in assisting the Touching Hands Project nonprofit and other community-focused organizations in Honduras.
• Why optimizing every step of the supply and production process is Jorge's favorite part of his job.
• The reason a successful company should always be curious.
• What we can do to more effectively inform our customers about the time it takes to manufacture and ship products.

QUOTES

• "You keep on learning every day. The important thing is to be curious and keep on exploring."
• "Apparel is the sector of Honduras that generates more exports, and we're right there with the big players in the amount of jobs being generated."
• "When you go green, it also helps the other green."
• "If you're growing faster than the rest, it means you're doing something right."

LINKS

• The Touching Hands Project: http://www.assh.org/touching-hands/Home
• SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/
• SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/
• SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp
• SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Shelley Renning is SanMar's Vice President of Brand Management whose position allows her to, in her own words, "play with clothes all day." Shelley helps select which brands SanMar sources its products from.

In this episode, Shelley discusses how she and her team work to identify and solve customers' apparel challenges; she dives into how trends and fast fashion are changing the way people do business; and she explains why it's so important to step out of your comfort zone and connect with others.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE

• Why getting into consumers' heads is Shelley's favorite part of the process.
• The various methods her team uses to understand what SanMar's customers needs.
• The challenges SanMar faces when creating customers' ideal products.
• The difficulties of keeping up with trends and customer demands at the same time.
• What "fast fashion" is and how it is impacting our industry.
• The one upcoming trend Shelley is really excited about.
• Why customers want to know more about the origin and manufacturing process of apparel and how SanMar is accommodating that need.
• How SanMar decides which brands to bring on board, and which products they choose to keep or part ways with.
• The products that have surprised Shelley the most during her time at SanMar.
• Why people are Shelley's favorite part about being a leader.
• How SanMar employees know to select the right product for their customers.
• Who Shelley looks up to in her work and why she believes we all need to take more risks.

QUOTES

• "Those Top 5 styles, they may be one of our top sellers but the reality is they may not fill the end-user's need."
• "It's not about us. It's not about me. It's about what the consumer wants."
• "It is like a puzzle, and you're trying to find the right pieces to make a whole."
• "We're kind of taking input from all places at all times, but that's what makes it fun."
• "How do we tell the story especially when there's so many products and so many stories to tell?"
• "At the end of the day, the numbers will be there if we're serving their needs in the right way."

LINKS

• SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/
• SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/
• SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Jason Hooks is the assistant manager of SanMar's Preston distribution center located just outside of Seattle. A self-described "cheerleader," he works with the center's pickers and packers to ensure that customers receive exactly what they ordered on time.

In this episode, Jason discusses the ups and downs of working out of a relatively small warehouse, explains how new technology has made order picking even more accurate, and recounts some of the distribution center's furrier visitors.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE

• Jason lays out his responsibilities managing our distribution center.
• What brought Jason to SanMar and how he made his way up the ranks to where he is today.
• What staff at the Preston center do to facilitate their "family values" culture.
• How Jason navigates language barriers leading his multilingual team at the Preston center.
• Why size and location are obstacles the distribution center needs to work around.
• The new technology that allows warehouse staff to pick orders with even greater accuracy than they were able to before.
• How Jason sees distribution technology changing even further in the near future.
• Jason explains what the "PSST" acronym means and how the system benefits SanMar distribution.
• How the distribution center team measures success.
• The biggest piece of advice Jason has for customers looking to receive their orders on time.
• What our distribution centers hope to achieve in the near future.
• The unusual pests the distribution center staff are forced to bear with at times.

QUOTES

• "A lot of my day is just making sure that things are going okay."
• "Every day's a little bit different and I think that's one of the things that keeps them coming back."
• "Any email that needs to reach a large audience is going to be in both English and Spanish. I want to make sure that people get the message."
• "We're looking to be able to service more customers on a daily basis and we've been able to do that!"
• "The material handling world is evolving really, really rapidly."

LINKS

• SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/
• SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/
• SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Bonnie Wells is a credit manager at SanMar and has been with the company for 14 years. Her accounts receivable team works directly with customers to ensure that they have the best possible experience purchasing from SanMar.

In this episode, Bonnie discusses why it so important to enjoy the work you do, how her team works to build customer relationships and how you can make even the most difficult customer conversations into positive experiences.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE

• What does Bonnie do as a credit manager and why does she have so much fun working in that department?
• An overview of what brought Bonnie to SanMar and what she's done here over the years.
• Which customer and colleague moments have been the most fulfilling to Bonnie.
• Building strong professional and personal relationships with customers.
• Why one of the most important traits of a credit department employee can't be taught.
• How Bonnie measures success on her team.
• The specific challenges the credit team faces working remotely.
• What prompted Bonnie to launch Bonnie's Got Your Back.

QUOTES

• "We're here to help your business and make it a fun process."
• "It's so rewarding helping people to grow and reach their goals."
• "I've loved my journey here and I've got 30+ years left!"
• "If somebody is following their passion, they are going to give you 100% more."

LINKS

• SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/
• SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/
• SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Mike Knapick is SanMar's Chief Information Officer. His team ensures that the technology at SanMar is working - for both customers and employees.In this episode, Mike shares the value of technology in our industry, how to prioritize tech that can help your company and why we should install those computer updates more often than we do.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

• How Mike and his team stay on top of SanMar's technological prowess and compliance.
• Mike describes the serendipitous timing that brought him to work for SanMar.
• The SanMar method for determining which new programs and systems should be prioritized.
• Why customers should think of keeping up with tech as a time investment rather than a financial one.
• How the Promo Standards organization SanMar works makes tech requirements much more accessible across the board.
• The unique challenges SanMar, our clients and our competitors face when processing orders through a digital database.
• Figuring out that tech adoption sweet spot: when's too early? When's too late?
• Some simple tips for avoiding security breaches you can use every day.
• Why you should hammer that "UPDATE" button on the programs and apps you use ASAP.

QUOTES:

"The technology work that we do needs to have business value."

"Once I have that standard in place, I can turn it on for any other customer in a matter of hours, maybe days."

"Where do you want to be on the forefront of adopting new technology?"

"If you want it to work right away, perfectly, then don't be the first one out the door."

"If every day we're getting incrementally better, that's what I think of as success."

"Prioritize your technology investments and be okay with asking for opinions about it."

LINKS:

Promo Standards - https://promostandards.org/

SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/

SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/

SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Since starting SanMar in 1971, Marty Lott has made kindness and honesty key to the company's daily operations and wants to make it as much a family business as a corporate one.In this episode, Marty discusses how he founded SanMar, explains why being honest and being nice are woven into our company's policies and where he thinks the industry is headed.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

• Debunking some myths about SanMar's creation and how a college project and brewery got Marty on the path to founding SanMar.
• How entrepreneurship and a strong work ethic runs in Marty's family.
• What it's like for Marty to work with his sons and how he balances work and family time with them.
• How Marty and others at SanMar have made family values core to our corporate culture.
• Marty explains how his wife has been key to SanMar's success and even dishes out some marital advice!
• Who are some of Marty's personal business heroes and what lessons has he taken from them?
• Why he is so grateful for SanMar's culture.
• How SanMar has grown with technology over the years and how the company will have to adapt for the future.
• Marty's advice for customers and new distributors in the industry.
• What makes Marty excited about his work every day.
• Why SanMar's corporate culture is the legacy he'd like to leave behind.

QUOTES:

"We continue to put millions of dollars every year into inventory accuracy so that when we tell somebody we have something, we actually have it."

"I always liked work better than school."

"Life is better when people are nice. It's hard to be nice when you don't tell the truth."

"I recognized there was a real opening in the business world for someone who just told the truth."

"If you don't know the truth, you should find it out before you speak."

"If it makes somebody else happy, do it."

LINKS:

SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/

SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/

SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Susan Rye, Director of Regional Sales, learned the value of differentiating herself from the competition at an early age and it has served her well as she has worked to find solutions for customers.

She shares her insights into the changing landscape of sales and what it means to be a disrupter in our industry. In this episode, Susan explains why it's so important to pay attention to the little things that make a big difference for your customers, how you can help customers add value through creating experiences and how being a "disrupter" helps her find fresh solutions.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

• What led Susan from the hotel and hospitality industry to a career in sales at SanMar.
• Why it's important to be customer-centric and pay attention to the little details that mean a lot to customers.
• The part of the job that still brings a smile to Susan's face after all these years.
• Why we need to take a "collective" and imaginative approach to selling.
• How we can help customers imagine what could be possible.
• Why creating memorable experiences for customers adds a priceless value.
• The experience that led Susan to challenge other people's expectations in business.
• Why Susan believes she works for her team, rather than the other way around.
• The importance of exploring better ways of doing things and not falling into complacency.

QUOTES:

"Value has a price; price alone has no value."

"We understand that the little details are incredibly important to people."

"I am so happy to be aligned with a company that has the same philosophy I do."

"I think great customer service is doing many little things really well."

"You've got a happy employee, you've got a happy customer."

LINKS:

SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/

SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/

SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Jason Murphy is SanMar's Strategic Manager of Affiliate Relations — though we like calling him our decoration expert. The Decorator Relations Team he's part of works with the embroiderers, screen printers and other decorators to find solutions to challenges they may have in their shops. Want to know how dedicated he is to the art of decoration? He used to run a decoration shop out of his own garage!

In this episode, Jason explains how his decoration expertise helps SanMar customers make the best possible purchases, emphasizes why attending tradeshows is crucial to keeping up with trends and talks about how shops can set themselves apart from the competition.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

• How Jason went from working on F-18 planes to embroidering hats.
• Why he finds the problem-solving side of his job so rewarding.
• How you'll get a lot more out of attending a tradeshow than browsing the web for style inspirations.
• The decorator's key to measuring success and how social media plays a big part in it.
• His biggest piece of advice for decorators entering the industry.
• The consequences of not digitizing well.
• Some neat trends that have caught Jason's eye lately.
• What smaller decorators and shops can do to set themselves apart from the competition.

QUOTES:

"We are a solutions-providing portion of SanMar."

"My favorite part, truly, is helping those customers take that next step."

"Every shop I go into, I learn something too."

LINKS:

SanMar Decorator Relations Team: https://www.sanmar.com/resources/decorator-relations

SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/

SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/

SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Vicki Ostrom is SanMar's futurist and trend analyst. Technical as that title might sound, what it really means is that she's responsible for knowing what looks are in, out or about to make big waves in order to ensure that SanMar products are not merely functional but stylish as well.

In this episode, Vicki discusses how she follows trends to keep SanMar and its customers on the leading edge of style and also explores the new arena of e-sports.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

• How Vicki analyzes trends and applies them to SanMar's existing product line.
• Her journey from clothing design to trend analysis.
• How customers can make the best use of Vicki's trend reports.
• Which trend Vicki wishes wouldn't come back, and one she thought would never take off.
• The surprising intersection of real world and video game fashion.
• The most rewarding part of Vicki's trend editor work.
• Why she doesn't look to the fashion runways for inspiration.
• Where Vicki sees the future of fashion trends heading and why she's optimistic.

QUOTES:

"There are actually a lot of new customers you can serve with your companies now if you just look for them."

"I think there's such a hunger out there for people to really be able to understand all of the many, many pieces of information that are out there."

"Learning those economic statistics is important so you can reach the customer you're trying to find."

"That's really what trend is all about: connecting the dots."

"There's a huge range of interests and tastes out there that actually I think you can find enough customers to make it economically viable."

LINKS:

The Style Network: http://www.education.sanmar.com/tsn-blog/

SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/

SanMar's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/

SanMar's Twitter: @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram: @sanmar_corp

Product experts and corporate trainers Holly Rox and Brandon Kerr are on the air with SanMar Radio today to break down how exactly we ensure our staff knows the ins and outs of each of our products, as well as figure out what would be the best training for our customers. They're an enthusiastic pair who recognize that good training needs to be engaging and enjoyable.

In this episode, Holly and Brandon share how they work with both staff and customers to ensure that product training is concise, effective and fun.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

• What drew Holly and Brandon to SanMar's product training team.
• How SanMar's training program and techniques have evolved over the years.
• Finding the right balance between technology and in-person training to ensure employees receive the most effective instruction.
• Drawing the line between having fun and teaching, and how the two can intertwine.
• How SanMar's training program aims to make each employee a "trusted advisor."
• Why good training is a daily rather than monthly or yearly practice.
• Do customers need to be technically knowledgable to take full advantage of SanMar resources?
• Figuring out which training methods are the best through trial and error.
• Five questions SanMar employees should ask their customers to find the right product for them.
• Holly and Brandon's tips for customers looking for the best way to train their staff.

QUOTES:

"We can show video when it makes the most sense, but we also still have that live trainer there to help and support those learners."

"When you can use humor to help people learn, I think when there's a purpose behind it, that's when it's most effective."

"The longer people wear it, the more money, the more advertising dollars you get out of this particular promotional piece."

LINKS:

SanMar U homepage - http://www.education.sanmar.com/

SanMar's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/

SanMar's Twitter - @sanmar_corp

SanMar's Instagram - @sanmar_corp