Meet Jennifer Arenson of Global Sourcing Connection

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Arenson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jennifer. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After over 7 years as a stay at home mom, with kids off to school, I recognized that it was time to put my professional skills back to work. The question was how to do it?? My background was in fashion and textile development, but I was no longer interested in the travel or the inflexible schedule.

After some exploration of the promotional products industry, I was struck by the lack of unique, interesting products and started sketching some baseball caps and apparel. I showed some of these designs to an acquaintance who worked for a major distributor, who was instantly intrigued. One thing led to another, and Global Sourcing Connection (Gloso) was born.

For the first few years, I was alone in my basement, designing baseball caps and having them produced by overseas factories while learning as much about the promotional products industry as I could. Fast forward 17 years and Gloso has almost 30 employees, offices in the US and Hong Kong, and worldwide distribution for some of the most recognized global brands.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Overall, I would say that the road has been pretty smooth. I attribute that to being flexible and open to changes in direction along the way, rather than being too fixed in my ideas. My company has really grown up with our clients – adding new products and services to our mix has been a direct result of customer requests. Gloso business has increased every year, which I attribute to being responsive, easy to work with, and very customer service oriented.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Global Sourcing Connection – what should we know?
There are so many promotional products companies out there, and most take a cookie cutter approach to business. I always knew I wanted Gloso to be about more than just adding a logo to a product found in a catalogue. I wanted to be about innovation in products, and also about innovation in the way we did business. Although we have access to every catalogue product found in our industry, we are always looking to create something better or do something in a new way.

Our consultative approach to selling means that we take the time to understand each of our clients, and what makes them unique. Every company wants to say something different about themselves, and my salespeople try to tell those stories through promotional products that enhance a marketing message. We provide a comprehensive package of savings and cost efficiencies through state of the art ordering technology, strategic sourcing and a strong focus on a great client experience.

Some of the products I am most proud of actually solve problems for my clients, and make their workplaces better. We work with a lot of companies in the agricultural industry, and after hearing about the hazards associated with detasseling corn (kind of a rite of passage in many farming communities) we developed safety headwear that was so groundbreaking we actually had it patented. We have been told that this headwear has reduced face and eye injuries in the field by over 70%, and is a product anyone would be proud to put their logo on.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There is no doubt that the support and mentorship I received early on from one of my major clients has been a key to the success of Gloso. We actually got off to a rocky start, when he drove up to my house for our first meeting and almost turned around because a sourcing manager for a Fortune 500 company doesn’t expect to hold a meeting in a residential basement. Luckily, he instead felt intrigued, since the quality of my work had been excellent and decided to venture inside. We instantly connected and built a positive rapport, and he decided to help guide and mold me as a supplier.

Our initial bond was based on a mutual commitment to social compliance and product safety. Although these are current buzzwords in the promotional world, it was the basis on which my whole overseas supplier network has been built over the past 17 years. Throughout these years I have learned all about the added value required to be not just a great supplier but a valuable business asset to a Fortune 500 company.

From understanding the importance of cutting-edge technology to key order fill and delivery time metrics and development of innovative proprietary products, we talked through every component that it takes to fully support a corporation of this size. It is undeniable that without this chance he took on me, Gloso would not be in the position it is today.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2610 Lake Cook Road Suite 190
  Riverwoods, IL 60015
• Website: www.gloso.com
• Phone: 847-317-9000
• Email: business@gloso.com
• Facebook: globalsourcingconnection
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/gloso_tweet

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