SALES & MARKETING – ANTHONY LICATA – Page 3
As I look back to this time last year, we were certainly in quite a tough predicament. The Russia Ukraine war was at its peak, talks about war with China over Taiwan, failing banks, recession, raising interest rates, etc. While we are not quite out of the storm just yet, this year feels a bit different. There is optimism and it seems like we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While the world shifts its attention on the upcoming US presidential elections this year, it seems that people are starting to come to terms with the new reality of home interest rates. In speaking with people in our market, we all seem to be predicting another slower year however not quite as bad as last year. Everyone also seems to think that end of 2024/beginning of 2025 may be the beginning of another record year, similar to post COVID with all the pent up demand from the previous two years. As far as Reebie is concerned, this is probably the most optimistic I have been since taking over sales. Between examining and cutting some of our costs and expenses plus the completion of the storage/housing agreement with All Chicagoland and Good Moves, we have really set ourselves up for success and put ourselves in a good position to soften the blow of economic struggles. Despite AVL COD shipments being slightly below last year, we are up in pretty much every other category compared to last year with a total of +28 shipments YTD (close but still ahead). We did unfortunately suffer a loss with the resigning of Brian Arnold and while we wish him the best and are very appreciative of the work he has done for us, I must say I could not be more proud of the National Account sales team consisting of Angel Burl and Trevor Hewes. Within minutes of Brian’s resignation, a succession plan was set and Trevor, Angel and myself were on the phone with all of our accounts to let them know of the changes. Within 48 hours, we were sitting in the offices of all our major accounts to catch up, get reacquainted and make sure their concerns, if any were addressed. Since then, we have continued business with our accounts without a hitch. As challenges arise, the people at this company never cease to amaze me with what we can accomplish together. Speaking of that, as we all know our very own Bob LoBianco was diagnosed with cancer this past quarter. While this has certainly been a gut check to us, Bob and the NU team have also hit the ground running. Bob has already undergone surgery, a round of chemo and is scheduled with one more surgery and another couple rounds of chemo to make sure the cancer is gone. In speaking with him, he remains positive, strong and optimistic and is still working his accounts, a great reminder of the type of guy Bob is. While we encourage Bob to prioritize his health first, the NU team consisting of Richie Licata, McKayla Morales, as well as Brandon Capshaw have stepped up to take over extra duties to ensure we are properly servicing the NU account. Like I said, the people at this company never cease to amaze me and I am very optimistic for the future ahead of us. I cant believe I am saying this but I am actually looking forward to this upcoming peak season to see what more this company can accomplish. We will see how I feel in my next Reebie wraps article come June LOL!