Ricard has been a vice president of marketing for Brown Enterprises, an architectural signing manufacturer, for seven years. She started with the company 11 years ago as an administrative assistant.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Ricard handles sales, signs and project management. “I basically take a project all the way from start to finish. I go out on installs if needed. Since it is a small company, I basically do what I need to do to get the job done by taking it from concept all the way to installation.”
WHAT DOES HER COMPANY DO?
Brown Enterprises began in 1969 and primarily provided engraved products for financial institutions. Through the years, their client base has expanded to include business parks, universities, medical facilities, insurance companies, and manufacturing plants. Brown Enterprises’ manufacturing capabilities include computerized engraving, laser engraving, vinyl plotting, hot stamping, screen-printing, and CNC routing.
HER HISTORY?
After high school, Ricard joined the Navy and was stationed in Hawaii. She lived there for 17 years, seven of which she worked as a yeomen. While there she earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Chaminade University. After she got out of the Navy, she worked in civil service as a management analyst for 10 years. She relocated to Pensacola in 1991 and worked in the front office of a real estate appraisal firm before moving to Jacksonville in 1995.
HOW DID SHE
GET INTO MARKETING?
“When I started with Brown Enterprises, I saw a lot working in the front office. I was handling a lot of the paperwork, shipping and packing, so I became real familiar with what was happening. I started taking on more and more responsibility. It was a natural progression that they realized that I could be more effective for the company if I did something other than the front office work. I started working on some special projects and experimental projects that we were trying to put out there. From there, it just progressed. I started going out on calls with Ed Brown, owner of the company, for three or four months to learn from him. Then I started going out on my own. We don’t do any cold calling. Most of our work comes from referrals.”
TYPE OF CUSTOMERS?
Ricard said she works with interior designers, architects, construction companies and property managers. “They are the ones at the start of the project. If they design the sign along with the project, we like to be able to work with them because sometimes they will want to use materials that aren’t realistic. So, if we can work with them from the initial stages we can help them find alternatives or recommend different things to them.”
BEST MARKETING ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
“Listening to the client is so important. If you don’t listen, you aren’t going to come up with the right product for the customer.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“Even if the customer thinks they know what they want, they don’t always know what they want. They might think they know what they want, but they don’t always know what is available, especially in this industry.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
CREW of Jacksonville.
— by Michele Newbern Gillis