Greater Pacific has been recognized as the 2022 Supplier of the Year!
Greater Pacific has been recognized as the 2022 Supplier of the Year (class III entity) by the NW Mountain Minority Business Council. In addition, CEO, Ben Zhang, received the John A. Gilmore award, which recognizes organizations and individuals that support and foster the growth of minority-owned businesses. Remarked Zhang during his acceptance, “Some of you may still remember that I first landed on American soil in San Francisco on June 7th, 1989. Thirty-four years ago, to the day, I did not imagine this recognition to come. It is a culmination of teamwork and so much collective effort through the years that have made my American dream possible! “
Congratulations to Greater Pacific, #37 of ASI Counselor Magazine Top Suppliers of the Year!
At the first live Counselor Awards ceremony since 2019 Counselor revealed its annual Top 40 supplier rankings – Greater Pacific was in person to receive honors. Greater Pacific with $45.2 million in sales was 41% higher than its 2019 totals – high enough for the custom products supplier to make its debut on the Top 40 list. “2021 was slow to start but picked up as the year advanced largely due to a resurgence in promotions and events coming back online after the pandemic,” says Mark St. Peter, Marketing Manager. “Some of that pent-up demand drove stronger promo sales in 2021 across most categories.” Greater Pacific’s goal this year is to grow revenue 5%-8% over its 2021 totals and continue its rebound in promo sales.
Top 40 Suppliers 2022: No. 37 Greater Pacific Industries (asicentral.com)
Greater Pacific Industries is proud to be a Top Supplier!
According to Ben Zhang, CEO and president of Greater Pacific Industries, selling PPE was the biggest professional risk he’s ever taken. That risk paid off for Greater Pacific Industries with the supplier reaching $65.5 million in 2020 sales — a 104.69% increase over the prior year. But it wasn’t a quick cash grab. Zhang immediately highlighted the differences between traditional promo and PPE, starting with regulations and requirements.
“[Our management, sales and project management teams] took initiative to learn about the CDC/FDA regulations as we transitioned to these products,” he said. “We had to become the ‘experts’ fast to keep up with the pandemic. To minimize the risk and learn quickly, we retained an experienced FDA attorney to navigate all the regulations, learning and training required. Also, we purchased additional product liability insurance for PPE including recalls. That was both expensive and increased our risk level.”
Zhang said the company’s monumental year also provided the financial resources and confidence his company needed to expand into other sectors, including retail and e-commerce.
Outlook: As Zhang looks to secure his company’s position, he plans to build up the new retail division, Pacific Retail Group, and Greater Pacific E-commerce on both Alibaba and Amazon platforms.
“[I’m paying attention to] licensed branded products for our retail and e-commerce divisions,” Zhang said. “Additionally, we are developing green products, such as solar energy consumer goods, recycled paper bags, etc. These are all trending products and [are] good for our Earth.”
And although PPE demand has since waned, Zhang’s experience will inform his leadership style going forward. He shared what he learned with us.
“Be willing to take a risk and learn to adapt quickly,” Zhang said. “We really had to be nimble as a company to survive and take on a whole new product category virtually overnight. But, in the meantime, it’s very important to make sure your eyes don’t get bigger than your stomach. Know your capacity, your strengths and your limitations as an organization. Always take care of your customers. Don’t over promise, be a good partner and educate your customers as much as you can. I think the companies that took on this mindset will be stronger and more successful.”
“The 2021 Top 65 Supplier:
#17 Overall
#4 in Hard Goods
One of the Fastest Growing Suppliers.”