Recognition Review, a leading magazine to the Awards and Recognition Association, highlighted Namifiers in a 4-page article for their August Addition.
STAT HIGHLIGHTS:
SPECIALITY: Namifying. We came up with that term because we had grown a little tired of the words “customization” and “personalization.” We decided that what we do is “namify.” If you have a logo or a name, we’ll put it on something.
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PHILOSOPHY: Our philosophy is to namify the world. Our goal is to provide outstanding customer service and be a leader in the industry, especially for efficiency in production.
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FIVE-YEAR BUSINESS GOAL: In 5 years, our current revenue will be seven times higher than what it is now. We’re expanding into a couple more industries; for example, we’ve recently gone into signage and billboards. We are offering more branding and advertising solution. A company with a $20,000 budget can get every single thing it needs for a year-long campaign done here.
RECOGNITION REVIEW SUPPLIER PROFILE BY CATHIE BECK.
‘Namify’ Your Product: Namfiers
Bryan Welton is the father of six children, a political science expert, and a businessman who plans to generate seven times his present gross revenue over the next 5 years. He’s also CEO and founder of Salt Lake City, Utah-based Namifiers, a company serving 78,000 clients and employing 85 workers-no small feat for a man who is just 31 years old.
Namifiers supplies products to the recognition industry that include a wide range of tags and accessories. The company offers competitive pricing and selection for name tag printers, cutters, magnetic clips and other backings, as well as laserable blanks, ID holders and lanyards, IPI Plastic, wholesale printing and embroidery fulfillment.
To read the entire article, be sure to click here. “We consider ourselves to be in the business of brand promotion,” Welton says. “This is different than standard promotion because we manufacture the goods. We have a dozen different product lines, and within those product lines, we offer individualized help to the customer. For example, in a small business start-up, a company needs help getting off the ground. We help them with everything: their logo, embroidery, design, engraving, advertising, and branding. We don’t really offer a big package deal; instead, we cater to each individual client. They might need a banner, name tags, and some t-shirts.”
Although Welton now runs an ambitious and growing recognition business, he came to Namifiers circuitously. Welton studied political science but became interested in ways to infuse technology into businesses. “We began this company in 2001,” he says, “but I came into the industry after working in the search engine optimization (SEO) field. Through a few family members and friends, I learned of a small engraving shop with good equipment doing mostly local business.
“I approached them and offered my SEO services to take their business to the next level online,” he continues. “At that time, people were still scared about doing business online in this industry. The sense was that the customer wanted to touch and feel {the product}. But we launched an agreement with them in 2001, and a few years later we ended up buying the company and acquired a few companies along the way. In 2004 we came to what is now our current force.”
I that relatively short span of time, Welton has seen significant change and contends he came to the industry with a fresh eye, which helps keep his business running strong. “In the beginning, there were name tags, lanyards, and badge holders at the company,” he says. “The other lines, like embroidery and apparel printing, happened here as time went on because of customer needs.”
A Fresh Perspective
“Tripping” into this profession gave Welton a fresh perspective in an industry characterized by many family-run businesses. “A few big players were out there who understood how technology could take [a business] to the next level but mostly it was a few people with a few employees,” he says. “Then I came onboard. I don’t have a technical background. I had a bachelor’s degree in political science; I was getting ready to go to law school. I was around 2000 and about 3 weeks before going, I decided to give it up and I told my wife I’d like to do some freelance things I’d really for a while. I got into this business with that sort of uniqueness. I had fresh eyes, but I had a lot riding on the line. I gave up a lot to do this.”
Digging up business doesn’t seem to be a struggle for Namifiers. Welton says lean production and same-day delivery keep his products services very much in demand. “The thing that helped us grow was that we took the same-day service model and a lean manufacturing approach to several industries,” he says. “Customers who needed 20 plaques usually had to wait 3 days. We found that people don’t want to purchase something and then have to return 3 days later and pick it up. We told them that we could do everything the same day. That’s the main avenue where we gained clients.
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Digging up business doesn’t seem to be a struggle for Namifiers. Welton says lean production and same-day delivery keep his production and same-day delivery keep his products and services very much in demand.
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People were getting things a week or two behind promised delivery dates. Our goal is if you call at 11 am or even 1 pm, we can have a proof in 30 minutes, and everything produced that day. If a customer needs something sent overnight, we can do that.”
Welton is an astute marketer and appreciates the effort it takes to secure and keep a growing clientele. “We invest in marketing and advertising, which includes everything from banner exchanges to Web links to SEO,” he says. “We are vested in all of the major search engines, which have proven to be some of the best channels for reaching new customers. People can download to a Blackberry or IPhone. Our approach is very current.”
Employees Are Key
Employees are also key to Namifiers’ success. Though most of the company’s staff works at a facility located about 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City, the company works on a global level. “We’ve got about 85 employees,” says Welton. “But we also have some affiliate partnerships that are joint ventures overseas for raw goods in China. And we spoil our people. We’ve got an 80,000 square foot space, and 25,000 of that is office space. Everyone has a good sized 15 x 15-ft office. The office space houses our salespeople, marketing team, and graphic designers. People are surprised when they come to our facility.”
Welton plans to bring even more surprises to the industry in the form of product ideas. He sees security and combination applications as the next new movement for the recognition and awards industry. “Things took a major shift in security after 9/11,” he says. As a result, we’ve seen the digital identification industry evolve to smart cards and data-embedded badges. As time goes on, people will put more radio frequency IDs on a name tag. One of the products we’re helping develop makes the name tag more functional. People have traditionally carried an electrical device and then they’re also required to wear an ID badge. We’re looking to marry those ideas. That’s what the future looks like – evolving technology and multiple functionality.”
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