Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Grande.
Eric, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Imperial Promotions was started over 60 years ago as an embroidery & monogramming company in Boston, MA. I started working there in high school, after I responded to an ad looking for part time shirt folders and machine operators. At the time, I had no idea I was embarking on what would become an almost 20-year career.
I worked at Imperial throughout high school and college, learning about the business from the ground up. When I graduated from college with a degree in finance, I was very eager to continue on an entrepreneurial path as I had already started a number of other companies. As I knew the owner was looking to retire soon, my brother and I approached him with an offer to purchase the business. Now armed with years of knowledge and experience in the industry as well as drive and determination, I had many plans to expand Imperial. The offer was accepted and at the age of 23, I was the President and CEO of my own company.
Over the last decade, we have grown Imperial Promotions from just an embroidery facility to a full service promotional products company. We have increased our service offerings to include: custom logoed apparel, corporate uniform programs & online portals, and branded products such as mugs, water bottles, trade show displays & giveaways, and corporate gifts.
Has it been a smooth road?
We have been very fortunate to have grown every year since we purchased the business. We focus a lot of attention on marketing, finding new business and hiring sales people. While there have been some day-to-day challenges, overall the experience has been positive and the road has been somewhat smooth.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Imperial Promotions story. Tell us more about the business.
Imperial Promotions provides company shirts, promotional products and uniforms to businesses, organizations, and sports teams throughout the New England area and beyond.
We are most proud of the longevity of our client relationships. Many of our clients, which we also consider friends, keep coming back because of great service and a quality product. We are also proud of our state of the art embroidery facility in Boston, MA where we do all of the work from designing logos to embroidery on polo shirts, hates, bags, etc. We pay close attention to detail on our custom logoed apparel. Our customers trust us with their brands and keep coming back for the service.
The attention to detail and time spent with customers is what sets us apart from others. We take the time required by each client to create a work of art for whatever brand, event or company that we are working with. One of the best parts of the job is to work with other business owners and play a role in seeing their dreams become a reality whether it be tote bags for a trade show or company uniforms.
One of the qualities that we are known for is that we are very easy to work with having a laid back attitude but continue to get things done in a timely and professional manner. Due to many years of experience, we are able to be very consultative in client interactions and offer clients advice on what will work best for their brand or logo.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We put a lot of time and resources into developing our online presence and building a website (www.imperialpromotions.com) that showcases all of our products. We have thousands of products that can be customized with your logo and we want potential clients to be able to access these on our website. The industry as a whole is moving toward 100% online where there is no channel to get advice or ask question about your order. It is a cold experience and can be very frustrating to the client to not be able to clarify anything. We are trying to merge a top-notch website with great customer service. We have real people that answer our phones, not machines or robots.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1733 Centre St.
Boston, MA 02132 - Website: www.imperialpromotions.com
- Phone: 617-323-0100
- Email: info@imperialpromotions.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Imperial-Promotional-Embroidery-149921678418805/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ImperialPromote
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/imperial.promotions/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
