Excellence Marketing Turns 25

The manufacturers' representative firm Excellence Marketing marked its 25th anniversary in September. Founded in 1988, the firm is currently staffed by Paul Cassady, Patrick Gilligan, Mark Mitchell, Ken Simons, and Ann Wickstrom.

In commenting on the milestone, president Ken Simons said, "We are very grateful to our customers and manufacturers for their support. Our 25 successful years comes from meeting their needs." Simons also noted "I am proud to be part of a team that offers a combined 90 years of manufacturers' rep experience. There's no substitute for this level of experience. It's at the core of the value that we add."

Simons acknowledged his mentors at Mel Foster Company, where he was first employed as a field representative and learned the fundamentals of the business. He noted that "being a solid manufacturer's rep firm is based on many principles and subtleties, which I was fortunate to have been taught by Gene Foster and David Voelke. One of the most important concepts they taught me is that the business climate surrounding us is ever-changing with increasing acceleration. Gene Foster ran a very dynamic organization, which constantly adapted to the market's needs, and we have worked to build on that model."

As it enters its 26th year, Excellence Marketing continues to supply quality audio, video, and communications products and services to contractors, integrators, resellers, and distributors in the Upper Midwest.