Caliendo Savio Enterprises (CSE), a New Berlin-based manufacturer and distributor of promotional products, corporate branded clothing, awards and related products is expanding its 90,000-square-foot facility by 24,000 square feet.
Construction of the expanded space began in mid September, said Mark Ziskind, the company’s chief operating officer. CSE expects to move into the expansion space by March 1, 2009.
"This will give us better efficiency and room for growth," Ziskind said. "We’re very optimistic about the future."
In its New Berlin facility, CSE embroiders shirts, hats, sweatshirts, backpacks and related products for its customers. It also creates custom corporate awards and does contracted "kitting," in which workers assemble related promotional materials and products for new product launches and promotional displays.
The company also has a large warehouse area where it stores thousands of promotional catalog items stocked for corporate clients. Corporate clients regularly order golf balls, coffee cups, polo shirts and other items with their logos on them from CSE in orders ranging from three units to hundreds, Ziskind said.
"We try to be a one stop shop for uniforms, promotional merchandise, assembly, awards and kitting," he said. "We’re here to make (our clients’) lives easier."
CSE expects a slight increase in orders for 2008 over 2007, but believes it will have significant growth in 2009.
"A lot of growth will come through taking care of new customers – purely organic growth," Ziskind said. "This year we just picked up UPS and the Manpower Companies."
CSE is only interested in organic growth and is not interested in growing through acquisition, said Tom Savio, president and CEO of the company.
"I’d rather build it than buy it," he said. "There are too many unknowns (with an acquisition). It’s like a car – when you build it yourself, you know every nut and bolt. And we’ve done that with kitting, awards and uniforms."
CSE’s corporate structure, which stresses communication between all of its 105 employees, has been a key component to its success, Savio said. And the company’s employees will play a key role in its future growth.
"We all have the mindset that we’re not done yet," Savio said. "We have fun in what we do, and we have a mutual trust."
For more, visit www.csepromo.com.
