Jones Naturals, LLC, a private equity owned portfolio company located about 90 minutes west of Chicago, offers a well-developed line of natural dog chews and treats that have been in the market for nearly 30 years. Its Jones Natural Chews and Country Butcher brands are sold in retail stores across the US, and all of its products are manufactured at their own facility in the U.S. using all U.S.-raised and sourced ingredients.

ECRM followed up with Joe Wallington, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Jones Naturals to discuss his experience at his first ECRM Pet EPPS, held this past April in Chicago.

ECRM: What drove your decision to attend the ECRM Pet EPPS?
Wallington: I was looking to drive business in alternative channels outside of independent pet stores using our multi-brand strategy. The number of and diversity of the prospective customers and the professional way the ECRM staff marketed the session drew us to sign on.

ECRM: What were your expectations from the session, and how did ECRM meet/exceed them?
Wallington: All of my expectations were met or exceeded. I expected for the meetings to be the right length for a quick “elevator” pitch on our company and products with some time to see if we could meet the needs of the prospective customers. The setting, the people, the process, the venue, the customers were all outstanding. All buyers at the show were legitimately interested and exploring new lines incorporate into their assortment line ups. No telling how long it would have taken to set up and attend that many meetings if I did it on my own.

I also had a great experience with the ECRM staff, including my Account Manager Alex Russo, and the staff on-site. They were all responsive, friendly and helpful, and their service was excellent. It was a fantastic experience working with them.

ECRM: How did you leverage the ECRM Connect App and MarketGate platform to enhance your meeting experience?
Wallington: We found the technology very beneficial. We were able to post information and brochures about our company to attract perspective customers. It was also helpful in preparing for each of the meetings by looking at the buyers’ objectives in advance of each scheduled meeting.

ECRM: Most importantly – what kind of success have you achieved from your EPPS meetings?
Wallington: We had excellent success. We actually received orders from four or five new customers, and have had five follow-up meetings at buyer offices since the EPPS in April. And we’re still actively working very warm leads.

ECRM: What recommendation would you give other suppliers considering attending an ECRM EPPS?
Wallington: If you are trying to grow your company’s business, the ECRM conference is the way to go!!!