APV Engineered Coatings, Akron, OH, a maker of special coatings and inks for industrial manufacturers, hired consulting firm Pacer Associates, Solon, OH, to evaluate and restructure its sales and marketing processes.
Pacer plans to put together an integrated marketing program for APV, formerly known as Akron Paint and Varnish, that will target makers of durable goods and other products. Andrew Birol, president and founder of Pacer, anticipates business-to-business marketer APV spending a total of about $1 million in sales, marketing and customer service through its work with Pacer.
“We are systematically looking at how this organization should best find and keep and grow its customers, who are manufacturers of durable goods and rubber products,” Birol said. “And we are going to apply the Pacer concept to assure that all of their activities — in sales and marketing and customer service — are coordinated.”
Birol, who has yet to prescribe specific strategy, foresees APV utilizing direct mail, telesales and the Internet in its integrated marketing, in addition to the company's internal sales force.
Pacer's other clients include Actel Cellular, Staples Inc., Specialty Chemical Resources and IBM Corp.
