Blog/News
We See You …
… and we want you to know we are proud to work with amazing people like you! You inspire us as you continue to support your community as the months pass and the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
In this edition of The Messenger, you will find some news we are excited to share, reopening tips for membership, a case study from one of our incredible clients on recovering from an emergency and more as we all continue to navigate this new normal.
Start reading here.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do – we appreciate all your hard work and dedication to those you serve! If you or your organization need assistance with your fundraising and membership goals, give Kelsey a call at 314.743.5736 or email kelsey.wuertz@gabrielgroup.com today.
Building Out A New Facility and A Bright Future
Even in the midst of a pandemic, Gabriel Group has some great news to share!
As some of you may know, the last few months at GG have been very exciting as we’ve been tearing down walls, building breakrooms and setting up new equipment in a brand-new building! Our newest addition is right next door to our Lakefront facility which has been used as our fulfillment and handwork headquarters over the past few years. While these services will continue, our “buildout” facility will now house an additional 40,000 square feet of production space to complement our existing operations!
On June 10, a small group of masked Gabriel Group team members got together to make it official with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a speech from President, Charlie Pitlyk. While there were many details to celebrate, one addition in particular has been on the wish list of many Gabriel Group associates over the years: a highspeed Ricoh color inkjet printer with dynamic perfing. The many benefits of this well-loved machine include the ability to print variable color in large volumes which eliminates the need for purchasing forms and the ability to perforate anywhere on any form while staying in line with personalization. (Are you swooning too?)
While continuing operations from a digital print and lettershop standpoint, Gabriel Group is also very proud to add additional capabilities to its list of specialties. These services include card affixing, mailing label personalization and production, multiple insert match mail (up to 12 inserts in a mailing package – doubling our former capacity!) and high-speed bindery that will improve our turn times.
This latest adventure has come with plenty of hard work, but also an incredible amount of excitement and anticipation for the future. With our additional capacity, equipment and associates who have joined our team in order to staff the buildout, Gabriel Group has already started to work with new clients, get new projects completed and out the door and translate our one-of-a-kind company culture to a completely new space – all things we are so very proud of.
And we’re not done yet! While we’re nearing the end of this chapter and stage of growth and development, there’s plenty more to come. Stay tuned, world …
A very special thanks goes out to Charlie Pitlyk, Dana Benbenek, Paul Hawkins, William Pingel, Michael Huff, Mark Kayser, Kevin Brennan, Ken Lindsey, Carolyn Bruce, Kim Brown, Joyce Berra, Kelly Murphy, Phyllis O’Gorman, Traci Young, Dave Hawkins, the rest of the Gabriel Group team, in addition to Cyndi Greenglass, Barb Graves and Kathy Marocchi from our sister company Diamond Communication Solutions for your dedication in making this massive undertaking a reality. Your hard work is so very appreciated and valued!
Willing, Ready and Open – Are You Prepared?
Written by Ryan Hartman, Senior Director of Client Strategy & Business Development
As the country gets ready to move into the next stage of life during a pandemic, businesses around the U.S. are scrambling to cover their bases as they get their “Open” signs ready to hang in their windows once again.
Between guaranteeing safe sanitation measures and communicating to your customers the right way, preparing can be daunting. But when it comes to your marketing efforts, we’ve got you covered. Look below at the three major checklist items that need to be on the top of your mind to make you feel willing, ready and able to open your doors.
- Reach out and engage.
While you’ve hopefully maintained communications while you have had to close, it is even more imperative to get in front of your customers now before you invite them back into your building. Let them know about your reopen date, the procedures you are taking to keep them safe and your expectations when it comes to how your business will be run in the future. After you get through all the serious, but necessary, talking points, do not forget to have some fun and celebrate! It’s been a long couple of months in quarantine … make sure and tell your customer base how excited you are to see (or at least interact with) them again!
- Update your COVID-19 policies.
Once you have your action plan in place, make sure you update your website, social media pages and signage. Your customers will be doing plenty of preparation of their own before coming to visit you in person, so ensure that all the information they are seeking is readily available on every one of your marketing platforms. Continue to stay updated on the latest CDC guidelines and best practices here so that you can adjust, if necessary, in the future. And if you do, always send out an email outlining the changes so that your customers have the most up-to-date policy possible.
- Do not stop communicating.
From your announcement of sharing your intention to reopen to posting community-driven messages on Facebook, you simply cannot overcommunicate right now. Uncertainty is still very much in the air, so continue to be a voice of reason and positivity for your customers while we shift into the next stage of non-normalcy. (Let’s be honest, right?) Once you do reopen, do not stop letting your customers know how things are going. Acknowledge that although the insurgence of masks, gloves and social distancing will take some getting used to, you remain thankful to be open again and to have their business.
This next big step towards recovery is an intimidating one – but no doubt an exciting as well. As you prepare to reopen, keep the three ideas listed above in mind and you can’t go wrong. If you need further advice on marketing your company in the best way possible, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at ryan.hartman@gabrielgroup.com or 314.373.6100.
