Page 63 - AVN July 2016

2008. So we had a really good relationship. I knew
his capabilities; he knew mine. It was always a
relationship we maintained, and one of trust, and
so when he had found out that I had left CNV, he
approached me. I had had several other job offers, but
for me this was sort of coming full circle, but at the
same time I think this is the greatest challenge. I love
the underdog story, and I do believe we can be what
we were but better and more evolved. So I really like
the idea of the challenge ... and I want to be the leader
of the team that’s made it happen.
What will be your first priority at Topco?
My main focus right now is to get Topco to be what
it once was, but more. Topco has been around since
1972; however, it has gone through a lot of changes.
... My job now is mainly to repair relationships, to
be completely transparent. It’s gone through a lot
of changes so I need to reestablish the brand: the
trust, the integrity and the quality, the delivery and
the relationships—and the innovation again, but
unfortunately that’s on the bottom of the list right
now because all of those other things have to be
fixed internally before we can start worrying about
releasing more products and demanding more sales.
What is really going to be the challenge is changing
the perception within the industry of Topco Sales.
Topco Sales has been silent for so long—they made a
lot of mistakes before and after the new ownership,
and because they’ve been silent there have been a lot
of rumors and misconception that it was a sinking
ship ... so it’s really focusing on having a presence
again, in doing store visits, trade shows, marketing, et
cetera, just really getting the message out there—the
true message—that we are here, that even though
we moved manufacturing to China it’s still quality
product. Because we have a Chinese manufacturing
facility of our own, that gives us a real advantage
over some of the other bigger manufacturers that are
manufacturing outside of the U.S. In addition to that
we still have the FDA-approved lab [in California],
so we still do cosmetics and a lot of private-label
business. We are breaking ground on June 22 to
expand that lab, which will increase the capabilities
that we have. And we haven’t really concentrated
on forming partnerships and offering more private-
label in both the toy sector and the cosmetics, so
that’s going to be another thing I’m really going to
concentrate on. ...
Topco Sales used to have huge manufacturing in
Chatsworth, but once the new ownership came in
they did move that to China. ... So I want to make
sure we don’t shy away from that and instead we
embrace it and really highlight all of our capabilities.
Because we own our own manufacturing facility we
have a lot more control than the other companies
that are just sourcing products and buying them from
Chinese manufacturers. ...
I can’t speak for every company, but being in the
industry as long as I have and knowing most of the
Chinese manufacturing facilities and most of the
companies, I have to say the majority is manufactured
in China. Not lubricants and cosmetics, but again, we
do private label, we’ve done private label for a lot of
the bigger companies and we are unique in that we
are an FDA-approved facility and there aren’t a lot
of those in the adult industry. ... And with the new
regulations coming in with lubricants and a lot of the
companies changing the names from lube to glide
and so forth, we’ll be able to really take advantage of
being one of those that’s licensed to do those types of
products.
For those in the industry who don’t know you,
what would you tell them?
That I’ve been a customer, so I’m very in tune with
what the challenges are that Topco has had, and what
the customers need from Topco. That is something
that I bring to Topco and I’m able to really have an
insight into what needs to be done. People in the
industry who know me, I’m known for my honesty.
I’m very transparent. So I want that to continue. I
think that there has been a lot of damage control
tried at Topco—and again, because it wasn’t really
run as an American company, things happened that
maybe shouldn’t have happened, but not with malice,
not intentionally. It’s just that it was a different
management style.
I really listen. I listen to
my team. And I listen to
the customer.
— Autumn O’Bryan
What are some of the strengths you bring to your
position?
I really listen. I listen to my team. And I listen to the
customers. So not only do I plan on leading Topco,
I’m very good at working with partners—customers,
per se—in building a strategy for growth for both
Topco and them. I’m not going to try and shove
products down their throat just to make sales. Instead
I want to create strategies that will help to grow their
business that in turn will work to grow ours.
As a large manufacturer we definitely concentrate
on the distributors, the big distributors, in Europe,
Russian, Australia, the U.S., and then some of the
larger store chains that buy direct. A lot of people
are fearful of the manufacturers going direct to the
smaller companies and single stores and so forth,
and that’s not our intention. Our intention is to
build back up the relationships we have with the
distributors and the bigger customers and get more
shelf space that we have lost over the years by not
being able to fulfill orders with a lot of the changes
that were going on. And while that was happening, a
lot of the competitors went in and took advantage of
that—which I would have, too—by creating the same
products or similar products, so we lost a lot of that
shelf space and we need to get it back.
I have such strong relationships with almost all
of the distributors and a lot of the big customers. At
CNV I worked with almost all of the big distributors.
... I’ve had a huge outpouring of support since
it’s been released that I’m there. People want to
see Topco Sales succeed, and they want to see me
succeed, and they think that it has real potential with
new leadership. ...
But my first three weeks being [at Topco] my
focus hasn’t been on the customer; instead it’s been
on the processes and procedures internally: figuring
out the team that Topco Sales has and trying to
figure out where everyone fits. And if I do need to do
some restructuring, where the weaknesses are and
who are the people I need to bring in. I’m looking
really closely at the quality of the products, at the
consistency of the message that we’re getting out
there.
Describe your ideal Topco employee.
Enthusiasm and believing in Topco wholeheartedly.
Topco right now is the underdog, and I have this
vision of the phoenix rising from the ashes. I am
extremely excited and enthusiastic and willing to do
whatever needs to be done to get us where we need to
be. So I feel that the team has to have that same drive,
that same enthusiasm. Honesty and integrity is huge
for me. Customer-centric. So, they have to be able
to believe in Topco Sales and communicate that, and
under-promise and over-deliver. ...
We’ve had a lot of turnover and that’s been
unfortunate and it’s been for a variety of reasons. It
hasn’t all been because Topco was a sinking ship, as
a lot of people believe. I just think, again, that even
with me in place there may be some changes and
that’s unfortunate to do to the customers because
they’ve had so many different reps, but I’m hoping to
get the team into place that’s going to grow and stay
there and get us to where we need to be—and that
the customers can rely on. It’s really important to be
customer-centric. The best advertisement is a happy
customer. So that’s what I’m focusing on.
How many people are still at Topco from when
you worked there before?
Only a handful. And it’s interesting because [most]
of the Topco employees that I worked with are all
at other companies, so Topco did breed very, very
talented people, and all of the other manufacturers
and distributors and e-tailers, etcetera, have gained
from what those people bring to the table that they
learned at Topco. So it really was a force within the
industry. And it will be again for sure. ...
Scott, Michael and Marty all supported me and
wished me the best, so that’s really good because I
want to continue their legacy. Topco is going to be a
new company and a different company, but certainly
I want to make them proud and continue that legacy
that they established because I was a part of that and
I have a really warm spot for it. ... There were a lot
of positive things that came out of Topco so I want
to make sure that we definitely grow with that. ...
Marty was the best as far as I’m concerned in product
development, so I learned from the best. And we want
to continue that legacy.
O’Bryan can be reached at autumn@topcosales.us and is
scheduling meetings for the upcoming ANME Founders Show
July 17-19 in Burbank, Calif.
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