Bob Souza Email & Phone Number

Bannockburn, Illinois

Racine, Wisconsin, United States

• One of only 2 sales representatives for a leading wholesale plush toy developer and marketer of a 750-SKU line of plush toys, imported from China as finished goods or assembled and packaged in the US.
• Drove sales from $350M to $1MM serving 200 customers in 35 states.
• Increased customer base by 30% by leveraging existing relationships as well as through cold calls, trade shows, email correspondence, and customer visits.
• Actively interact with freight companies to ensure on-time delivery of merchandise.

• Responsible for sales in the midwest region for major marketer of 7,000+ toys and hard goods through direct field sales and a strong online wholesale sales program focused on the amusement industry.
• Grew the territory from $300M to $900M by recovering prior customers while building new relationships with customers through cold calls, visits, email correspondence and tade shows.
• Played key role in selling off $250M of excess and closeout merchandise.

• Short term consulting assignment to jumpstart sales programs after Chapter 11 reogranization, and prior to the company ceasing operatons.
• Rapidly revived relationship with more than 75 former customers based on personal relationship building and solid sales prospecting and onboarding practices.
• Drove increase in Midwest sales by 200% over prior year.
• Realigned product selection of more than 100 SKUs in local warehouse based on customer feedback.

• Responsible for the sale of 175 SKUs of plush toys imported from China, as both finished goods and assembled and packaged in the US.
• Increased sales by 300% to Six Flags Corporation, largest customer in industry.
• Significantly expanded customer base from 25 to 150, a 500% increase, through cold calls and customer visits.
• Reduced customer shipping time by 1-2 days and costs by 30% through establishment of Midwest Distribution Center to serve rapidly-growing customer base.

Cleveland, Ohio

• Responsible for sourcing and managing a comprehensive line of more than 300 SKUs for $8MM plush toy company marketing high quality finished goods imported directly from China.
• Sourced and negotiated new product line through Hong Kong based companies, reducing costs by 7%.
• Lowered overhead expenses by 8% and reduced uncommitted purchases by 35% through innovative Drop Ship Program.
• Helped launch FOB Country of Origin Sales Program which added an additional $200M in sales.
• Created Special Order Program generating an additional $1MM in annual sales.
• Computerized merchandise purchase processing of $2MM -$4 MM of merchandise annually which led to implementation of MRP-based system.

• Responsible for sourcing, logistics, import and inventory control for US toy company marketing US-designed products produced to spec and imported from Korea and China.
• Reduced out of stock situations to less than 5% and reduced costs of the manufacture of $9 MM worth of merchandise by 20% through improved use of 8 sub-contractors throughout the United States to assemble and packaged.
• Coordinated change from Korean suppliers to less expensive Chinese suppliers, reducing average costs by 20%, with no loss in quality.
• Broadened merchandise line through the purchase of $100M of merchandise each year from domestic suppliers.

• Managed 32 arcades and interactive games at leading theme park, responsible for sales, staffing, inventory management, human resources, safety, and all other operational aspects.
• Generated annual gross sales of $7 million, increasing revenue 17% YOY.
• Improved employee performance of 300+ seasonal employees through new specialty training program, mid-season and end-of-season evaluations, and proactive recruiting, coaching and retention programs.
• Reduced staff injury rate to 10% by increased safety awareness within department through work of Safety Committee, employee suggestions and newsletter articles.