National Premium

"Make a Difference. Make It Happen."

Location: Alblasserdam (near Rotterdam)
Activities: European Headquarters, Sales and Marketing
Employees: 3

Started in 1967 by Dick and Kay Schmidt out of their home, National Premium has grown to the top of the promotional products and services business. Today, with more than 17,000 companies in the $18 billion industry, National Premium ranks in the top ½ of 1% in sales, selling $24 million last year. The firm employs almost 100 people and utilizes more than 3,000 suppliers to provide an astounding 800,000 different products.

The privately held company supplies customers of all sizes with branded merchandise and services, as well as employee award and incentive programs. According to Warren Lillund, Vice President of Sales, "We view ourselves as a total solution provider. We work with our customers in the concept, production and marketing aspects of finding the best answers to their business goals."

In addition to its Pewaukee, Wisconsin headquarters, National Premium has sales offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. The latter location opened in February of 2007.

Lillund says that while the company had done business in Europe for a long time, several of their largest customers (including Harley-Davidson and Snap-on Tools) began to urge them to establish a sales base and warehouse on the continent to provide better service. In investigating possible European sites, the company considered the United Kingdom, but decided on the Netherlands for several reasons.

"The Dutch ports and logistics services are tremendous," says Lillund. "The Netherlands is centrally located to serve our customers, and their world view is similar to the United States." According to Lillund, expanding internationally is a logical way to serve its existing customers who have aggressively pursued foreign markets in recent years. "We have received frequent recognition from our largest customers for listening to them and taking the initiative to grow with them as they expand their global footprint."

With three current employees (all Dutch), sales have grown ten-fold in two years. The company plans to add as many as four more workers in 2009, as well as expand their office and warehouse space. The Dutch site serves as a base for all European, Middle East and African operations.

The company's mantra - "Make a Difference. Make It Happen" - is best exemplified by the ingenious solution devised for a pharmaceutical company. When specific bean plants sprout, the drug company's logo appears on the leaf!

December 2008