Ed Bernard Email and Phone Number

An Apparel Consultancy Firm and Global Brand Accelerator providing management consulting services combined with direct tactical implementation to companies in the fashion, apparel, and retail industries delivering value while bringing deep industry expertise, resources, methodologies, and relationships to help build sustainable brands, improve brand equity, and increase shareholder and stakeholder value.• Offers sales and consulting services within the US and International Fashion Industry; services include but are not limited to U.S/International Department store and Off-Price management/consulting, International Brand launch/increase of business in the U.S Market, Sales Budgeting, Forecasting, Expanding/Training/Mentoring/and Building sales team (outsourcing or in-house), U.S Major and Regional Tradeshow consulting, US Specialty store business expansion assistance and how to prepare for road work, Marketing, Projections, and Sku Count, Trend forecasting, and Pre-lining• Consults with retailers and wholesalers on product development, retail store placement, in-store merchandising, buying the right mix of product, pricing development, website management, balance sheet concerns, hiring practices, the art of negotiation, leasing policies and procedures, trade show techniques, communication with vendors, buyers, and management. • Serves as an advisor to private equity, venture capital, and angel capital to highly differentiated and scalable businesses across the retail and wholesale apparel industry

Founder/President – Wholesale DistributorLaunched and operated one of the largest wholesale distributors of off-price merchandise in the US operating out of a state-of-the-art 150,000 sq foot warehouse and distribution facility which harnessed the best tracking and management system to automate many facets of the business to lower costs and keep control of inventory while maintaining profitability purchasing of off-price merchandise directly from Manufacturers, Wholesalers, Importers and Factories all over the globe and reselling this merchandise directly to Retail Chains. • Established an e-Commerce division selling products on Overstock.com, Sears.com, and Amazon.com, and licensing division to produce outerwear, flannel shirts, and other products that carried the Farmall® and International Harvester® labels• Sourced, negotiated, and managed off-price liquidation transactions domestically and internationally for branded designers and contemporary apparel companies• Created unique off-price solutions in retail and wholesale channels for companies seeking to increase their revenue while maintaining brand integrity• Served an advisor on the sales, production, and merchandising of second-quality diffusion lines and in-season cut-ups for off-price distribution• Traveled extensively in the US and overseas to find product and established a sales office in the Empire State Building in NYC• Sold the company, with a 1.5-year employment contract, to Scope Imports, Houston, TX

Founded and launched at its height 42 retail stores with 450 employees, including Mr. B’s Wearhouse a unisex jean store on the campus of Western Michigan University, 22 Max- 10 family fashion stores, 2 Puff’s family fashion stores, and 2 BW jean stores• Developed and implemented strategic sales plans to meet corporate growth and profitability objectives, including channel distribution strategies to expand the customer base and drive product sales with new business opportunities• Performed market analysis, product merchandising, launches, marketing, advertising, and all aspects of sales management• Established account-specific programs for all new product introductions and promotions, which includes product allocation, door selection, and funding levels• Collaborated cross-functionally with internal/external teams to ensure products met the needs of the retail channels and ensured the supply chain met the retail forecast• Utilized business analytics to measure KPIs and the success of programs• Created budgets and sales forecasts to meet corporate goals and objectives

Developed the concept and launched a traveling show called Designer Warehouse Outlet (DWO); traveled and setup (between 7 and 10 trucks full of product and fixtures and a 30 person staff) for 50 shows in mid-sized cities like Columbus Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Flint, and Lansing, Michigan; rented the largest arena possible, advertised heavily on radio and television offering designer jeans, (i.e., Jordache, Calvins, etc.) that were bought for $19 and selling at $19.99 with all the other off-price merchandise serving as the profit center with sales topping at $600,000-$800,000 in a 4-day weekend

Launched an Advertising Agency in1975 and ran it for about 40 years which lowered the cost of our Bermo Enterprises advertising by 15% across-the-board after re-negotiating the static advertising rates that Bermo had• Produced all radio and television spots; wrote the copy, performed hundreds of recordings, and directed and produced advertising for other retailers

Launched this stand-alone off-price show in Las Vegas for women’s, men’s, kid’s, accessories, boutique, and footwear industries that developed into the largest of its kind attracting every major big-box and retailer in the US, as well as a large base of global retailers/buyers from i.e., Russia, New Zealand, China, Poland, Spain, South Africa, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. The show was sold to Tarsus, a publicly-traded London Stock Exchange tradeshow company, in 1998. Today, the Off-Price show is the largest apparel and footwear Off Price trade show in the world with over 500 vendors and 12,000 retailers attending twice a year in Las Vegas; and after the sale, remained one of the largest vendors in the show and continued to serve as a lead consultant/advisor for Tarsus, who now owns the OFFPrice Show and a large wholesaler in New York City called Authentic Warehouse