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 Company: Peleman Industries, Inc.; Alpharetta, Georgia
Company Description: Peleman Industries, Inc. provides binding, laminating and presentation products to a variety of industries and institutions including financial, real estate, photography, government, education, copy and print shops, and large corporations. Its products are distributed on six continents in more than 100 countries.
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Employer of the Year
Nomination Title: Peleman Industries, Inc.
Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated company
during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
Since being founded in the United States in 1998, Peleman Industries has grown
from a company of two people to an office of over 80 employees. Peleman
Industries employs a large number of disabled people who help produce its
products. With its growth, the company moved last year to a 52,000-square-foot
office and distribution center - double the size of its original occupied space.
When U.S. operations first began nine years ago, the company offered a binding
machine widely used in Europe, but rarely known in the Americas. Today, the
company has grown to be a driving force in document production and on-demand
publishing. Peleman Industries provides binding, laminating and presentation
products to a variety of industries and institutions in more than 100 countries
including financial, real estate, photography, government, education, copy and
print shops and large corporations.
Peleman has also increased its number of sales and distribution channels. While
the company continues to maintain a direct sales force focused in the
southeastern U.S., it has also begun selling through distributors, dealers,
Internet, and retail channels. Most of this diversification has occurred in the last two
years.
In 2005, Peleman identified a new trend in the market – photo books. The
proliferation of digital cameras and cheap, high-quality ink-jet printers has
created an enormous opportunity for the firm to work with businesses such as Apple - a
partnership that opened the door for relationships with companies including Kodak,
Fuji, Office Max, Shutterfly, Target, and Best Buy. Targeting this new market
presented new challenges to the company, which has traditionally had a B-to-B
focus.
The transition into photo books was not easy, but the payoff is proving to be very
lucrative. In September 2007, Peleman launched a deal with CVS Pharmacies
nationwide to offer My Books to customers of their photo labs. A similar deal with
Ritz Camera (secured in February 2007) has resulted in the sale of 2.1 million
photo books to both retail chains. This new concept has allowed Peleman to grow
its retail presence in excess of $6 million thus far.
The PhotoBook Creator has received several national awards, including the Digital
Imaging Marketing Association award for "Most Innovative Product in 2006" and
American Photo Magazine's "Editor's Choice for 2006." The product was also
televised last year on programs such as "The Montel Williams Show" and "The
View."
List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/smartcomputing.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/dailyadverstiseronline.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/bestinrealestate.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/DIMAAwardRelease-1.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/DIMAAwardRelease-7.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/abcunibindarticle.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee169/unibind/abc_2.jpg
Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the nominated organization (up to 100 words):
CEO Brigitte Peleman-Vantieghem has over 10 years of management and
entrepreneurial experience.
She was winner of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Pacesetter Award in 2003 and
2004 for leading one of the 50 fastest growing small businesses in Georgia. She
has been actively involved in charities such as Rotary, Cliniclowns, Any Soldier,
and DreamPower, and has also been an active member of the professional
organization Vistage since 1999.
Peleman-Vantieghem is an attorney and holds a masters degree in law from the
University of Brussels and Katholic University Leuven. She and her husband, Bart,
have two sons; Henry, 3, and Nicholas, 1.
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