News & Features

A Look Back on 2011

Indoff finished strong with a 4% sales increase. Material Handling and Commercial Interiors were the top performing divisions with increases in excess of 10%. 17 Sales Partners exceeded $1 million in sales placing them on the honorable Million Dollar Partner list.

With help from our recruiting department and referrals, Indoff welcomed 74 Sales Partners to the company which resulted in $4.3 million in sales from that class alone.

The largest accomplished task was updating the accounting and management system using JDEdwards Enterprise One. Indoff invested nearly $1 million in hardware, software and consulting assistance to ensure a reliable and efficient system for years ahead.

With a successful outcome, the annual National Sales Meeting took place in April at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in St. Louis. Indoff hosted nearly 200 Sales Partners and over 100 vendors and corporate staff members with events including a vendor expo, training classes and an awards banquet.  The 2012 National Sales Meeting is scheduled for October 25^th – 28^th at the St. Charles Convention Center.

“We are blessed to have a tremendous group of Sales Partners and administrative staff who care about one another and about doing things the right way,” says Jim Malkus, president of Indoff. “We are extremely optimistic about the future of Indoff, and we thank each and every one of our employees for all they do for Indoff throughout the year.”

A Million Dollar Resolution!

In 2011, Duane Young set a New Year’s goal for himself to make Indoff’s Million Dollar Partner List. Well we would like to say, “Congratulations Duane you did it!”

Duane, a Material Handling Partner based in Dallas, TX joined Indoff in 2008. Since then it has been a goal of his to make the Million Dollar Partner List – so the real question is what did he do differently to ensure success? Well there are several factors that helped lead to this accomplishment.

Before joining Indoff in 2008 Duane worked as a manufacturer’s rep and was always focused on long cycle sales projects (6mos.-5yrs.), rather than the short cycle sales process (1-6wks.) that are more common in distribution sales. He decided to channel his previous mindset and focus on a few long-term projects that could help him achieve this goal.

Duane decided to approach this goal from a different angle than he has in previous years. He sat down and wrote out three major target projects, then worked backwards through his plan, first taking into consideration the desired ultimate result for each project, and finishing with the beginning details. In addition, he made sure to keep this goal in mind throughout the year and compare how each project was adding to the achievement of the main goal.

One of the long-term projects was with LabCorp, a clinical laboratory. Having a vision of what they wanted, LabCorp was looking to renovate their facility in the Dallas area. With the help of Jim Krakower, Kewaunee’s General Sales Manager – TFG, Duane received the project and was able to find a solution.

“Duane Young was well-respected enough within LabCorp that they allowed him to suggest an alternative product to what their Corporate office encourages them to use.” said Jim Krakower.

This is where Kewaunee came in, rather than telling LabCorp to work with the products that they had available, they asked them questions, such as “What are your processes?”, “What changes are you looking to make?”, and “What do you envision the finished project to look like?”. After gathering all of this information from LabCorp and their architect, Kewaunee was able to modify their current product to find a custom solution that fit LabCorp’s needs.

“Throughout the whole project Duane has gone above and beyond, becoming knowledgeable of Kewaunee’s products, sorting through a warehouse in the Texas heat to ensure the product inventory was in check, thinking outside the box to find solutions when we made a mistake, and overall just being there every step of the way.” said Jim.

Phase one of the LabCorp project is about to wrap-up and it was with the help of Kewaunee that Duane has been able to ensure that things have gone smoothly. With a project of this magnitude, things are bound to go wrong, but with everyone’s hard work and dedication there have been no major glitches.

There is also another 2011 long-term project that will carry over into 2012 with a primary government contractor for military aircraft that has enabled Duane to be a Million Dollar Partner in 2011. In this project it was again Duane’s tenacity and good salesman skills that allowed him to bid and gain the sale of 79 out of 144 items on the contract.

“Within my three years at Indoff, the support of other Partners, local and throughout the country, has helped me tremendously in reaching my goal of becoming a Million Dollar Partner. So I now am making it one of my goals in 2012 to give back and help my fellow Partners as much as I can.” said Duane.

Indoff is proud to have such a dedicated and hardworking Sales Partner and we look forward to seeing Duane on the Million Dollar Partner list in the future. 

January Vendor Spotlight - AIS!

Our Partner Program is now in its 21st year, and we would not be able to service our customers in the way that we do without the quality vendors who support our efforts. In order to honor our vendors we will be spotlighting different ones throughout the year.

In our Commercial Interiors group, our largest vendor for the past several years is also one that has worked with us for 14 years – AIS. From working with Partners on projects to attending our Sales Meeting to advertising on the back page of Inside Indoff for the past several years to supporting our first ever Facebook contest, AIS works closely with us and our Partners. Several of our Partners have even been referred to Indoff by their AIS representatives; it has been a true Partnership.

Over the years, AIS has grown from a maker of clones to a full-line manufacturer of proprietary systems furniture and has recently added a seating line and now casegoods. The Indoff account has been managed by a number of different AIS managers from Mike Dugally to Rob Lazarus to Dave Bolduc to Michelle Warren.  Our current support team is headed up by Brad Armacost, Amy Transue and Serena McNaboe who continue the tradition of working closely with the Indoff Partners.

In 2011, Indoff purchased in excess of $1.5 million in product from AIS. One of our most recent projects was a $400,000 call center opportunity in the greater Pittsburgh market. Georgine Golitko chose AIS for their ability to provide high quality products with unique design features at a budget-conscious price.

“Working with Serena and the factory gives me the confidence to meet tight time frames for customers. If problems arise, I know the resources are available in Hudson to take care of them and keep the project on track. I am comfortable working with AIS on my projects,” says Georgine.

While any vendor relationship can have its ups and downs, AIS has consistently supported Indoff and our Partners. We appreciate their past support and look forward to growing our business together with AIS in the future.

James Roark Teams Up with Worldwide Icon!

James Roark has been with Indoff for only two years, but don’t let that fool you. Stemming from a background of over 15 years in the material handling/packaging industry, James is no rookie, and that is proven by his recent contract with the one and only, Rolls-Royce North America.

A world renowned name, Rolls-Royce, announced in 2007 that an aerospace facility would be built in Prince George County, Virginia. James, only located about an hour away from the site, networked and qualified his knowledge of the projected facility with Lista Regional Manager, Dan Schoen, whom he works with regularly. Through listening, understanding and perseverance, James earned the trust of local contacts at Rolls-Royce’s new facility.

“It was a solid competition, but by offering competitive pricing, a lifetime warranty, a design with over 7,000 compartments and most importantly, local support, I earned the project and feel fortunate that I was able to contribute to one of the world’s leading business markets,” James said.

The main assignment for James was creating a maintenance room to store parts inventory with an optimal capacity storage system that would meet 5S standards. James teamed up with one of his core solution providers, Lista, a leading manufacturer of modular drawer storage systems. James and Dan from Lista worked with Rolls-Royce one-on-one and made multiple visits to the facility to help create a design that would fit their specific needs.

 “It meant a lot to Rolls-Royce that the regional manager of Lista and I both showed up on a consistent basis, worked as a team and really understood what Rolls-Royce needed,” said James. “Working closely with the Lista RSM is what helped set me aside from my competition (including other Lista dealers).”

The final project includes a modular Lista 319 drawer storage system with over 7,000 compartments, a Starrett granite bench, custom mezzanine, Lista workbenches and Lista mobile toolboxes.

The project is still in effect and James will continue supporting the system locally even after the project is complete.

Due to the thoroughness of the maintenance room project, James was invited to look at a lab project for Rolls-Royce. Further solidifying James’ relationship with Rolls-Royce and Lista, James was chosen to complete the build-out of the metallurgy lab which includes Lista custom resin work surfaces and a custom fume hood. The two projects will result in over 47,000 pounds of Lista products being installed.

Indoff is proud to have a Sales Partner take part in a project for one of the world’s most well-known brands, not once but twice. James has exuberated high quality performance through his persistence and teamwork. Being part of the Indoff team for two years and already earning a rewarding deal, Indoff looks forward to the future work of James Roark. 

The People have Spoken!

Votes were cast and plenty of notes were placed in the comment box. Thanks to our Partners, Indoff has been voted one of The Greatest Companies to Work For by Promotional Products Business (PPB) Magazine and One of the Best Places to Work by Counselor Magazine, the Promotional Products Industry’s two leading publications. Indoff will be featured in both magazines’ September issues.

What does it take to make this list? There is no secret formula, no tricks up the sleeve or even a social media tactic. This topic could easily be a debate, but when it comes down to it, there is no one winning answer.  According to PPB’s editor, Tina Filipski, “when PPB asked readers to tell us about the greatest companies to work for, we heard most often about the company culture itself – along with work environment, career development opportunities, teamwork, motivation, creativity and great company leaders.”

Indoff has been going strong for 40 years, priding itself on their family environment, sometimes referring to it as the classic dysfunctional family – but that’s for a different article and a different time.

40 years brings a lot of experience, hard work and dedication. Over the years, the people of Indoff have learned from mistakes, helped each other out and have been rewarded based upon talents, efforts and million-dollar successes.  Every third year, Indoff takes its top Partners to a resort destination and every 18 months, a sales meeting takes place in St. Louis, bringing Partners and corporate together to learn new tactics and acknowledge certain accomplishments.

Corporate employees and Sales Partners help each other out daily. Indoff has a discussion board that is active every day of the week with solutions, suggestions and friendly notes to fellow employees.

Freedom is a big factor for Indoff. Micromanagement is not in the business plan and corporate is always open to any suggestions or concerns.

“Indoff allows me the freedom to run my business any way that works for me and my customers,” says Pamela O’Rourke, a nine-year veteran.

Celebrating 40 years and receiving two recognitions, 2011 has been an exciting, proud and busy year for Indoff.                                                                                                           

“It’s just a wonderful collection of people who care about each other,” says Jim Malkus, president of Indoff. “The reason people step up and say it’s a good place to work is that they recognize they are working with talented, dedicated and nice people who care.”

Indoff takes on 18 new Sales Partners in 2nd quarter!

Indoff takes on 18 new Sales Partners in 2nd quarter!

ST.LOUIS, MO. July 18, 2011 – Indoff finishes off the 2nd quarter with 18 new Sales Partners.

The 18 newcomers will be representing Indoff across the nation in one of our five divisions: Material Handling, Business Products, Promotional Products, Commercial Interiors and Commercial Printing. Halfway through the year, that brings the total to 43 new Sales Partners for 2011. Indoff is happy to be adding to the team and looks to finish the rest of the year off with even more Partners and great success.

 Our Partner Program consists of a nationwide network of hundreds of Sales Partners who combine their knowledge and expertise with our administrative, financial and technological support to provide the widest array of product solutions at competitive pricing backed up by local service.

 Indoff is headquartered in St. Louis and has 400 Sales Partners located throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Indoff has been serving the needs of both industry and the office for 40 years.

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Indoff and Quantum Storage Systems team up for success

Indoff and Quantum Storage Systems team up for success

ST. LOUIS, MO. May 23, 2011 - Indoff and Quantum Storage Systems take on the healthcare market together and discover an opportunity in sales.

When Quantum Storage Systems decided to aggressively pursue sales in the healthcare market, Indoff was one of the first distributors to call. Mike Patino, Indoff Partner from California, reached out to Dean Cohen, Quantum Storage Systems VP, and Liz Faller, Quantum National Sales Manager, to discuss their plans.

Through numerous conversations, Mike convinced Quantum to give Indoff Material Handling Partners a chance to participate at the beginning of Quantum’s healthcare initiative.  One of Quantum’s first steps was to print a catalog specific to the healthcare industry.

“I sent out over 100 of the catalogs to a large commercial pharmacy customer,” said George Musk, Indoff MH Partner.  “They had been ordering wire shelving from me for a few years, but the catalogs and follow up really helped me drill down into additional locations, increase orders, and help them even more.”

Thanks to motivated Sales Partners and Quantum’s marketing materials and customer service, the program has been a success from day one. “After our class at Indoff’s National Sales Meeting in October 2009, Sam Siegel and George Musk began promoting Quantum’s chrome wire into both the healthcare and hospitality industries,” said Elizabeth Faller. “Our Indoff Partners all do fantastic jobs promoting the Quantum line, but these two gentlemen made it their business to take advantage of the additional opportunity the Quantum healthcare offering affords.”

Faller goes on to say, “Between these two Partners, we have seen a substantial increase in our chrome wire sales, exceeding $300,000 in the past few years!  Our bin product sales have increased as well.  These two guys saw an opportunity with Quantum’s guaranteed lowest prices, largest product selection in the industry and best customer service around.”

At Indoff’s 2011 National Sales Meeting, Quantum again hosted a class focused on the healthcare opportunity.  Because of the success of the program to date, it was a “packed house” that sent Partners home loaded with ideas and opportunities. “It was great to see the standing room only Healthcare class had over 80% attendance by Partners outside of the Material Handling division,” said Mike Patino.

“This program is unique to Indoff, and it showcases the strengths of our company,” said Jim Malkus, President of Indoff.  “A quality supplier had an idea, a talented Partner headed up the effort internally, and today we have numerous Partners making headway into a field they had not experienced success in before – healthcare.  I am thankful to Quantum for their trust and confidence in Indoff, and I am grateful that Mike Patino understood the opportunity and ran with it.”

Indoff is a nationwide distributor of five industries: Material Handling, Commercial Interiors, Business Products, Promotional Products and Commercial Printing. Indoff is headquartered in St. Louis and has 400 Sales Partners located throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Indoff has been serving the needs of both Industry and the office for 40 years.

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Indoff's Printing Division Expands into 8 States and 11 Locations Since January!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Indoff's Printing Division Expands into 8 States and 11 Locations Since January!

Indoff Inc. has opened 11 locations since the inception of its Printing Division in January. Indoff plans to recruit additional printing sales professionals and business owners to add to its expanding nationwide network. Indoff’s 11 (soon to be 13) Sales Partners and locations include the following:

Jim Togstad in Minneapolis, MN; Allan Johnson in Pace, FL; Kathleen Bender in Sagle, ID; Tom Vanhoozer in Fayetteville, GA; Mike Leinwohl in Los Gatos, CA; Irene Perez in Gulf Breeze, FL; Diane Stegall in Marietta, GA; and Toni Brunner in Poplar, WI; Tony Wynn in Albion, NY; Jeff Garlock in East Aurora, NY; and Wendell James in Laurel, MS.

To request information about Indoff’s Partner Program and locations, please contact Amanda Goedken, Indoff’s Director of Business Development – Printing, at 314-997-1122 ext. 288 or Amanda.goedken@indoff.com.

Indoff is a $110 million nationwide distributor with five “divisions” including – printing, promotional products, business supplies, commercial furniture and material handling.

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Indoff's Printing Division Expands into 7 States and 10 Locations in First Quarter!

Indoff Inc. has opened 7 locations since the inception of its Printing Division in January. Indoff plans to recruit additional printing sales professionals and business owners to add to its expanding nationwide network.

Indoff’s 10 Sales Partners and locations include the following: Jim Togstad in Minneapolis, MN; Allan Johnson in Pace, FL; Kathleen Bender in Sagle, ID; Tom Vanhoozer in Fayetteville, GA; Mike Leinwohl in Los Gatos, CA; Irene Perez in Gulf Breeze, FL; Diane Stegall in Marietta, GA; Toni Brunner in Poplar, WI; Tony Wynn in Albion, NY; and Jeff Garlock in East Aurora, NY.

To request information about Indoff’s Partner Program and locations, please contact Amanda Goedken, Indoff’s Director of Business Development – Printing, at 314-997-1122 ext. 288 or Amanda.goedken@indoff.com.

Indoff is a $110 million nationwide distributor with five “divisions” including – printing, promotional products, business supplies, commercial furniture and material handling.

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Indoff welcomes 25 new Sales Partners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDOFF WELCOMES 25 SALES PARTNERS TO THE TEAM

ST.LOUIS, MO. – In the first quarter of 2011, Indoff is off to a great start bringing on 25 new Sales Partners.

Each of these Sales Partners is located throughout the nation and represents one of the five divisions: commercial interiors, material handling, promotional products, business products and recently added, commercial printing. Indoff is proud of the new additions and awaits 2011 with high hopes.

 Our Partner Program consists of a nationwide network of hundreds of Sales Partners who combine their knowledge and expertise with our administrative, financial and technological support to provide the widest array of product solutions at competitive pricing backed up by local service.

 Indoff is a nationwide distributor in five broad industries: Material Handling, Commercial Interiors, Business Products, Promotional Products and Commercial Printing. Indoff is headquartered in St. Louis and has 400 Sales Partners located throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Indoff has been serving the needs of both industry and the office for 40 years.

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