Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/999236
28 FEDA News & Views "Other manufacturers and dealers curious about our business have asked us the same question," says Price. "Do we see the catalog being completely replaced by a web focus? ere's still a traditional catalog customer out there who wants to receive it in the mail but we also know, especially within the younger generation, that there is much more of a drive to be more independent and complete the transaction without assistance. So, it's been a balancing act for us as we've moved more heavily into the e-commerce side." at also goes for Dexter Russell's Clark, whose team is called upon to help provide quality content, accurate information, and photos and videos to post online—in addition to off ering product recommendations on the catalog side. "Kevin's been with us since the days that we were primarily catalog-focused," says Price. "And now, while we're still focused on our catalog business, our attention is also very much on the e-commerce side. He has really adapted with us and grown with us as we've seen that transition. ere are some manufacturers out there that still try to work with us the same way they worked with us 15 years ago and that's just not relevant anymore. He's continuously worked to understand our business." So, what makes Central a good partner? " ey're good at what they do, which obviously makes them a good partner," says Clark. " ey're good at warehousing and shipping and, quite frankly, they know their business." Add to that the distributor's willingness to share sales data, like how a manufacturer's product is performing in one channel versus another, or stats associated with a particular type of customer. " ey have a nice reporting system," says Clark. " ey can tell you how many cases you move, and drill down quickly and easily. Any analytical data that a distributor can provide to a manufacturer, or vice versa, is helpful because it helps us identify what's working and what's not working, which leads to a better outcome for the customer. at's the ingredient that you need to make the cake taste good." ■ "Kevin (Clark) works to understand our business and works to make sure that the feedback he is giving us is specifi c to who we are. He's also very honest with where he sees opportunity, so that's a huge benefi t for us." –Elizabeth Price, Central Restaurant Product's Director of Merchandising "Teresa (Asbury) sees the long-term partnership and will step up when we've got challenges. There have been times when we were out of stock on a product and she could have said, 'You guys are the ones who are determining what you need, sorry.' Instead, she makes it right by opening up some of the inventory she has to help us fi ll the order. She really goes above and beyond and looks outside of the transaction." –Elizabeth Price "Central is very good to us. They are trustworthy and I believe that they bring us opportunities when they see them. They're also very open to hearing new ideas and fl exible in the way that they work with us." –Teresa Asbury, The Legacy Companies Vice President WHAT MAKES THEM GREAT PARTNERS