Business News

Valpak(R) CEO Bill Disbrow Wins Stevie Award for Best Executive in Media & Entertainment Category

Monday 23. June 2008 - David Szen, VP of Sales Training & Development, Finalist in Best Sales Trainer Category

Bill Disbrow, CEO of Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc., a Cox Target Media company, won Best Executive in the Media & Entertainment category at the 6th annual American Business Awards, also known as The Stevie Awards, which were presented June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The Stevie Awards honor companies of all types and sizes, recognizing outstanding performances in business worldwide. More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

“It is an honor and a surprise to receive this award on behalf of Valpak and Cox Target Media,” said Disbrow, who did not realize his staff nominated him for the award.

In addition to the extraordinary growth achieved under Disbrow’s leadership, the nomination also highlighted his commitment to embracing change and making people a priority in business. In the submission form, Disbrow is described as, “a tireless champion of change and innovation, inspiring the organization to constantly evolve to remain an industry leader.”

Disbrow was applauded for his vision to re-engineer the entire Valpak manufacturing process and revolutionize how the company does business – consolidating Valpak’s production plants in Florida and North Carolina into a new $220 million, state-of-the-art, 470,000-square-foot center in St. Petersburg, FL.

While the construction of this new facility posed significant logistical challenges, the humanitarian aspect of the project was outlined in the nomination form. The project included the planned closure of the company’s facility in Elm City, NC, a small community near Raleigh. The potential loss of 400 jobs in this town would have been devastating to the local economy.

Instead of closing the plant and laying off workers, Disbrow commissioned a team to find a buyer to not only purchase the building, but also retain the employees. In the end, an agreement was struck with a Minnesota company that not only bought the facility and employed the workers, but planned to increase staffing at the location by some 100 additional jobs. This contract was completed in December 2007.

Disbrow’s actions are a testament to Valpak’s guiding principles of making a positive impact in the communities it serves and encouraging the success of employees.

In addition, to Disbrow’s award, David Szen, VP of Sales Training & Development, was named a finalist in the Best Sales Trainer Category. Valpak’s award-winning training department is responsible for educating and preparing the nearly 1,200 sales representatives in the Valpak franchise network.