Steve Ryan
Midwest Sales Manager
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Judy Machado
Director of Sales
Northern Wicks
Dave Heeman - Sales
Having been with us since February 2002, Dave Heeman is hardly new to VinCenzo, but the most recent addition to the sales department is settling in and hitting his stride.
Dave graduated from Northern Illinois University, where he majored in marketing with an emphasis on sales, after which he went on to work for six years at CDW Computer Centers, most recently as a Senior Account Manager. VinCenzo was one of his accounts. "Dave and I have known each other since we were kids," explains VinCenzo's VP of Sales, Joseph Marlovits. "So I gave him a call when we were looking for computer equipment." Dave was quickly introduced to the happenings at VinCenzo. "Joe was relatively new to VinCenzo at the time, so he'd tell me what was going on," explains Dave. "I'd go to the website and kind of hunt around once in a while. So one day Joe asked if I'd be interested in coming aboard. I wasn't actively looking for a new job, but when the opportunity came up it was interesting enough to me to take a bit of a risk and come over."
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The past year has definitely been a learning experience for Dave. "At CDW I wasn't selling something we were creating, so it's been exciting to be able to sell a product that we're developing ourselves. But it's also been challenging, because to work on a custom project means you have to learn all of the aspects of production... identifying the different features of tins, learning about artwork specs, understanding the international nature of the business. There are many more facets to this position, so you have to know a lot of different things."
Aunt Sadie's Candles... one of Dave's first custom projects.
As Dave's knowledge of the business has grown, he's taken on more custom accounts. "I started out taking over a lot of the stock tin accounts, learning about the business, and trying to look for my own custom projects." Dave's first custom account was a candle manufacturer named Aunt Sadie's. "We designed a completely new tin for them. They've gone into a second tin now, and are looking into other possibilities." Dave also handles the arrangements for all of the North American trade shows. "I'll decide which shows we're going to exhibit at and handle the setup. I'm still working in sales, but it's a lot different from what I was doing before."
Of course, the changes haven't been limited to his duties, but Dave seems to have eased right into life with VinCenzo. "I think it's been great. I think that people working here really have a passion for what they do, and it really is more than just a job. I don't know how to explain it. It's a smaller, tight-knit group of people that's got a family feel to it. CDW is more of the standard corporate sales environment, and VinCenzo is totally opposite of that. Your professional life blends in with your personal life... it's just what you do. If you have a laptop, you're always in business. It's normal to be working on a project at one in the morning, because I know that at four in the morning, somebody's going to get back to me with a response."
Cub Scouts Dave (right) and Joe (left), circa 1984.
That somebody, more often than not, is Joe. The two work closely together, and have known each other for a long time. "Joe and I lived across the street since I was four." In fact, they grew up and went to school together in Naperville. "Joe was a linebacker and I was a defensive lineman for the Waubonsie Valley Warriors," says Dave. Then he adds, under his breath, "Warriors, Warriors, Waubonsie! Joe's mom babysat me for years." Then, remembering Juli Potjeau, VinCenzo's VP of Finance and Joe's older sister, he says, "Actually, Juli used to babysit us. So she's still babysitting us. We're just older now."