At Edge Plastics I manage a national book of business. I work to develop new business with national big box stores, buying groups and smaller regional retailer, while maintaining relationships and line items at our current account base. I work within the housewares segments, lawn and garden and sporting goods.

In this position, I developed new business opportunities while managing my current account portfolio as a distributor of Italian specialty items with a focus on the casual dining, pizzeria and Italian restaurant segments in the Mid-Ohio Region. With current accounts, my prime objective is to always provide the highest quality customer service by continually assessing and meeting needs, and then seek to enhance it further with increased line-item penetration through dedicated and regular targeting and excellent client follow-up. I've added significant new business by making strategic selections of the most beneficial potential partners, identifying and addressing their largest needs.

In this position, I developed new business opportunities while managing my current account portfolio as a distributor of fresh meats, seafood, imported cheese and specialty imported dry goods in central Ohio. Much of my effort in that regard goes toward negotiating with retail and food service segments such as independent and chain grocers, restaurants, country clubs, hotels, caterers, and colleges and universities.With current accounts, my prime objective is to always provide the highest quality customer service by continually assessing and meeting needs, and then seek to enhance it further with increased line-item presentation through dedicated and regular targeting and excellent client follow-up. I've doubled my sales within six months of my arrival. However, I've also added significant new business by making strategic selections of the most beneficial potential partners, identifying and addressing their largest needs, and then reaching out to them to present our products and negotiating beneficial pricing to attract new clients.

Over the previous seven years, my goal was to seek out new business across a wide array of account types, from independent donut shops to regional foodservice distributors, while maintaining and penetrating current accounts, for the world's largest bakery supply company.While I was at BakeMark, my gross profit increased steadily by each year of employment, most years achieving double-digit growth. I also achieved budget each year I was with the company, and eventually reached $5 million in annual sales, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, I was the only sales representative in my branch to exceed budget in P6 and P7, also landing the second-highest number of new accounts between the 180 North American representatives, and I became a member of the Million Dollar Margin Club in 2019.In the summer of 2018, I was asked to grow sales and new business in the Cleveland-Akron/Canton market, which had been badly underperforming. Within a year, I had grown sales to exceed the territory's budget, but still maintained my previous high level of performance in my home Columbus region. After a short while I was assigned a new representative for the Cincinnati branch, and in a year he was ready to take over the market there.

At this point in my life I wanted to be my own boss, so I got into the real estate speculation business. I started by seeking out and acquiring properties at well below market value; assessed the potential renovation possibilities of each one, established a workable renovation budget, and managed the entire process from acquisition of necessary materials and permits to creating property listings, marketing and negotiating terms of sale.

In transferring from the culinary arts to the food business, I was responsible for business across hundreds of different-sized accounts from two sides: the distribution and end user levels.I was in charge of a large territory that comprised Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky and West Virginia for Joseph's, an internationally-known pasta and sauces provider.In this very busy position, I supervised the entire sales process, including target identification, long-term planning, distribution marketing, product demonstrations, contract negotiations, custom product conception and specifications, distributor stock management and budgeting. I also provided training and sales support to distributor sales teams, and fostered strong relationships with all stakeholders to retain or stimulate business.Over the course of my time at Nestle/Joseph's, I progressively improved growth year-over-year, highlighted by winning the company "Rookie of the Year" award in 2006, and following that up by setting the company record for single year increase in 2007. My total sales increased from $191K in 2005 to $2.6 million in 2009. Other achievements over my career at Nestle include: • Acquisition of lucrative million-dollar Bravo/Brio account by continually adjusting deal particulars to meet client's needs.• Successful placement of Joseph's Gourmet Pasta products outside key customer demographics not usually using the product, like sports bars and Irish pubs.• Introduction of innovations in sales process involving need identification, creating menu items and recipes, tracking costs, and streamlining and training staff on more efficient product preparations.• Named Joseph's Gourmet Pasta Salesperson of the Year 2007.• Winner of Best Food Show Booth at the 2008 and 2009 Pennsylvania Restaurant Association Show in Pittsburgh.In addition, I conducted distributor sales meetings, marketing events, new item presentations and seasonal food shows.