Prime Resources continues to use technology to advance its products, services

by Kathryn Dix Reprinted with permission from the December 2001 issue of Corporate Logo

Although initially Prime Resources Corp. was founded so Bob Lederer could realize his dream of owning his own business, staying on top of the industry has always been important to the company.

Lederer had worked for another supplier for 17 years and had a large following he wanted to capitalize on. He began Prime in a one-room office above a restaurant, but outgrew that space and the next three before opening his first factory five years later. Today, Prime employs more than 400 people in a 100,000-square-foot facility in Bridgeport, Conn., and plans are in the works for a new facility next year that will double the available space.

Prime has made its rapid ascent because of a focus on excellent service and innovative products. Its offerings include stress balls, calculators, clocks and robot items, many of which were introduced to the industry by Prime itself.

'The initial interest in promotional products for Bob was the people and relationships he had built,' says Vice President Jeff Lederer. 'Those relationships became a focus for Bob's desire to grow in the industry.'
Over time, Prime expanded its product line by acquiring the Park Sherman retail line, but promotional products are still the main focus. The philosophy of 'The Customer is King' is the driving force behind Prime's employees and their ability to source new, creative products and create industry trends. That way of thinking is evident in Prime's improved website, www.primeworld.com. The recently revamped site has met with rave reviews from clients.

'We are well-known for terrific customer service,' Jeff says. The customer service department has been reorganized into four territory-based teams, which allows several team members to service each distributor. This leads to improved communications, accuracy and timeliness of information. If one employee is unavailable for a customer, another team member can always take care of the client instead.

What sets Prime apart from its competition, Jeff says, is that distributors have become friends. 'Our clients come to us because they trust us and are comfortable with us. They know that with us, there is no such thing as a direct sale. They also know they will always get a straight story from us.'

Another difference is that every member of Prime is available to the clients, including the company president.

A final factor in separating Prime from its competitors is its innovation. Two new innovative products being introduced next year are the Stick-E-Mouse, which connects users automatically to a Web promotion, and a hands-free retractable cell phone headset.

'Of the 300 products in our line, about 75 are totally proprietary,' Jeff says. 'Two hundred others are products we introduced to the industry, and we are flattered by the many companies who have chosen to follow us. There's no pat formula for success. However, time has shown us that smart, innovative and service-oriented companies have what it takes to thrive and succeed both now and in the future. Just be up-front and work together as partners with distributors.'

Asked about changes in the industry, Jeff says, 'The existing distributor-supplier dichotomy is changing and will continue to do so--in ways we can and cannot control, and in some that just evolve into being. The more plausible changes will be the incredible efficiencies created with existing and emerging technologies.'
The Internet and e-Commerce have allowed the distributor-supplier relationship a more seamless transaction, he adds, and has improved upon tools for idea generation and communication.

'We understand the significance of the Internet to the future of our industry, and we want to be on the forefront of business-to-business e-Commerce,' Jeff says. 'This has helped us use the Internet, e-mail, and customized websites to streamline the idea-generating process, order status, etc. If nothing else, the Internet has made the industry more aware of these other tools and technologies--which in the past it was slow to react to.'

The Internet has reinforced Prime's customer-oriented philosophy, Jeff says, 'because when you add value to the sales proposition and truly partner with each other, no existing or emerging technology will completely displace or eliminate any competent company or salesperson in our industry.

'The key to continued success is to be aware of the changes happening around us, and continue to offer high levels of service to the customer, with technology and the personal touch all wrapped up in one.'