Class Year and Major: 2010, Marketing
Current position and responsibilities: I’m a field sales manager for OMI Industries’ consumer brand, Fresh Wave Natural Odor Eliminating Products. Nationally, I manage our hardware channel accounts, which include: Ace Hardware, True Value Hardware and Do It Best Hardware. Regionally, I work with the Midwest Whole Foods Markets, and oversee Bed Bath & Beyond in Indiana and Kentucky.
I work with corporate buyers, owners, store managers, and employees to educate and differentiate our product in the market. I also conduct employee seminars, manage inventory levels, pricing, develop, maintain and build relationships. A lot of my job is about educating the customer. I also travel frequently, working several trade shows throughout the year.
Major project/achievement of the past year: I have been working with Frattallone’s Ace Hardware based in Minneapolis, Minn. They have 16 stores throughout the Minneapolis area and I have been working with them on several projects aimed at tripling their 2010 annual Fresh Wave Sales. This effort has resulted in the company increasing their sales by 75 percent for the first half of the year.
Why did you choose marketing? I came to Butler University as pre-physician assistant major. I had an interest in the medical field and in helping others and I thought that was what I was meant to do. Shortly after arriving at Butler, I realized that was not the case.
I became an exploratory studies student my sophomore year to consider alternative majors. I choose marketing because I became very interested in branding, product development, merchandising and corporate communications. Ever since my first marketing class with Professor Kate King, I have taken an interest in the marketing world. Marketing is a fascinating industry because it can create and destroy products, services, people and companies. As a student you have to market yourself on a daily basis. How do you want to be perceived in the classroom or workplace? Your actions and abilities are all about of your product.
How did Butler prepare you for your career path? Butler prepared me extremely well for life after college. My professors, the staff, and administers work tirelessly to ensure you become successful. The skills and experiences I learned in the classroom gave me the opportunities to excel after graduation.
Most memorable experience(s) at Butler? My most memorable experience at Butler is Welcome Week. Any anxiety I felt from being a new student in an unfamiliar environment, dissipated when I got a first look of my class, meet my orientation group, and interacted with my peers at Play Fair. I also enjoyed hanging out with my brothers on the Phi Psi lawn.
