HB&G was finding that it couldn’t manage all its literature and samples alone. Sales meetings would pop up, and reps for the porch products manufacturer would deluge the marketing department with requests for materials without knowing how much they could get, if those pieces could be found. And it wasn’t as though the marketing department didn’t have enough on its plate already.

HB&G turned to Davis Direct, already its trusted printer. We’d already shown we could handle producing the company’s sales materials. Now it was time for our comprehensive materials management to get them to the right people at the right time.

To get HB&G sales reps what they needed without having to call marketing, we installed a site where they could order everything from full-color catalogs to small samples and displays. Now when a sales meeting pops up, it’s no problem—their materials get there in three or four days. Marketing can pull reports once or twice a week on inventory quantities, who’s shipped what, and what’s been ordered. The site also sends emails with tracking information, so it’s easy for HB&G to manage the volume of literature sent out while keeping abreast of when to reprint collateral.

Backing up our site, of course, are actual people, always ready to help. “Davis’ customer service is phenomenal, and cuts down on the things we have to do,” says HB&G Marketing Associate Lydia Beumer. “They’re ‘Johnny-on-the-spot’ to get things done, so we don’t need long lead times. Plus Davis’ materials management packaging is great. We have no issues, our samples and displays get there in one piece. And when we need to contact warehouse staff, they’re right there.”

As HB&G’s Vice President of Marketing, Jeff Byers, puts it, “Working with Davis, you see how they gain an inner knowledge of your product, your customers and your business. As a result, things get done faster.”