Chief Executive Officer, 4imprint Group
Counselor Person of the Year: Kevin Lyons-Tarr - The ASI Show New York 2012
Kevin Lyons-Tarr of 4imprint receives the Counselor Person of the Year award at the Counselor Awards in New York City.
About Kevin Lyons-tarr
In July 2012, Kevin Lyons-Tarr, president of 4imprint, was named Counselor Magazine's Person of the Year at the ASI Show in New York City. The award recognized his leadership in transitioning 4imprint from a catalog-first marketer to a digital platform, a move that coincided with a nearly 300% rise in U.S. online sales over the prior decade. Since Lyons-Tarr became president eight years earlier, the company's sales increased 70% from 2006 to 2010 and an additional 15% in 2011. The magazine also highlighted 4imprint's charity, One by One, which donates $500 worth of promotional products each business day to worthy organizations. Accepting the award, Lyons-Tarr attributed the company's success to his team, stating, "I'm up here because of the success we've had as an organization... it's never about one person. It's always about all kinds of people." He also thanked his family, noting that his wife had undergone two bone marrow transplants and maintained her sense of humor and grace throughout.
Transcript (5 segments)
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Host0:09
Our Counselor Magazine panel devotes much time and contemplation in choosing the annual person of the year. And when it comes down to the final few, you can bet the debates over the winner are pretty rigorous. Personally, I especially enjoy giving this award to someone with the foresight to seize a game-changing trend and the skills to parlay it into a whole new way of doing business. Someone who shot to the top without ever losing sight of his employees, his family, and the importance of giving back. I'm talking this year about Kevin Lyons-Tarr. Kevin is a direct marketing visionary with a personal touch, the president of 4imprint, and Counselor's 2012 Person of the Year. Kevin's become a consistent mainstay on Counselor's Power 50 list for a whole host of reasons, but especially for his revolutionary techy approach to direct marketing, elevating 4imprint from a catalog-first marketer to the first page of the search engine on almost every web search site. It's clear nobody, nobody does the internet better than 4imprint. When you talk to people about Kevin, of course they cite his passion for the industry and the curiosity that drives his incredible ambition. But they also take care to point out that the guy in charge of the largest e-commerce operation in the industry is also a boots-on-the-ground kind of guy. The kind of hands-on manager who chips in right alongside his employees, whether it's to swab the company deck after a flood, or to hammer together some new cubicles for an employee. Says the company's head of HR, "We follow the golden rule here, and Kevin leads by example." When 4imprint couldn't award profit-sharing bonuses to its employees, the company handed out $20 gift cards with an individual, personal, handwritten note from Kevin to each of over 400 employees. Those of you who know Kevin know he's kind of shy and humble, and would much prefer to remain behind the scenes, but not tonight. Take a look.
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Kevin Lyons-Tarr2:36
Hi, I'm Kevin Lyons-Tarr, president of 4imprint.
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Narrator2:38
We're so successful at 4imprint because of Kevin's vision. He's fair, loyal, and extremely bright. He appreciates the team he has around him. In the last decade, online sales in the US have risen nearly 300%. Kevin Lyons-Tarr saw this trend and took 4imprint from catalog first to a direct-market digital platform. SEO experts point out specifics of 4imprint search engine success, like its clean URL structure and product listings on the site. When you search for promotional products on Google, you consistently find 4imprint on the first page. Since Kevin became president 8 years ago, sales have increased 70% from 2006 to 2010 and another 15% in 2011. Kevin's success is not only in numbers, but in heart. Each business day, 4imprint's charity, One by One, donates $500 worth of promotional products to worthy organizations, aiding them in their causes. When you visit 4imprint's website, you find Kevin and his staff on the front lines talking about the products and services. He greatly values his staff of 400 and works with them side by side. Mary Curtain, a long-time 4imprint employee, says, "Kevin is very down-to-earth and doesn't take himself too seriously." Kevin Lyons-Tarr is one of the most influential people in our industry. A master marketer, a technology expert, a true new media visionary, and Counselor's 2012 person of the year.
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Host4:09
Now, please welcome Kevin to the stage.
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Kevin Lyons-Tarr4:35
How uncomfortable is this? Look, I'm up here because of the success we've had as an organization. And you know, it's never about one person. It's always about all kinds of people. You know, our customers have been there to support us the whole way. Without them, there's nothing to celebrate. Suppliers. Many of you in the room tonight, I hope you know that this is all about you as well. I hope you can share in it. You certainly deserve it. I hope you know how much we value our relationships with you. I can't even begin to talk about our team. I mean, I just think they're spectacular. You're never going to meet a more humble, genuine, creative -- they're just wonderful people from every facet of the organization. I'm just very lucky to be on their team. I'll tell you what. And to the extent that I've had any contribution to the mission, then it is fair to thank my family. Certainly because they have been a big supporter of everything that I seem to get myself into. My parents, my son Zach, my daughter Ali, who have grown up to be wonderful people. And of course, my wife Jenny. Here's somebody who's had two bone marrow transplants. She's gone through an incredible medical adventure. And through it all has maintained her sense of humor and grace, and is always more worried about the person next to her than herself. So, I can assure you in the Lyons-Tarr household, there is really only one person of the year. Thank you to ASI. Thank you to Counselor. And thank you to everybody who's been involved in the 4imprint journey so far. Thank you.