Page 64 - AVN July 2018

FEATURE |
FEATURE | Company Profile
Martin Webster of Pandora’s Boxxx shared his own testimonial:
“After doing business with ECN/IVD for the past 15 years, I can say
without reservation that it has been a pleasure. Any issues that have
arisen were quickly and efficiently resolved. From minor pain-in-ass
questions that we may have had to major rollouts of new product
lines, we’ve always known that ECN has been beside us and willing
to support us in whatever ways we needed. We aren’t the most
advanced operation in existence, and still operate in the dark ages
in a lot of ways, but ECN works with our quirks and when possible
offers suggestions to modernize. Our relationship feels more like
a partnership at times. The knowledge of our specific stores and
operations allows for focused and valuable suggestions from our sales
representative, which eliminates a lot of the ‘noise’ associated with all
of the new shiny products rolled out every year. I’m looking forward to
our continued relationship moving forward and into the future.”
The company offers everything its clients might need: drop shipping,
in-store event support, a manufacturer resource management portal,
and countless educational tools. In the last year, ECN has begun
focusing on educational guides for customers and workshops for
customers who own brick and mortars. One of the directors of
marketing, Peter La Mantia, who is spearheading a lot of customer
education initiatives, says, “In the last year, we have seen a shift
toward education and relationships, which we started being more
cognizant of in early 2017. … For ECN, it’s about being a partner to
our customer, not just their distributor.”
In January of this year, ECN launched a free vendor resource portal,
where customers can access marketing materials from a number of
top manufacturers in the industry. ECN adapts its business model
to the increasingly online world, yet still retains its relationship with
brick and mortars. “If you don’t evolve, in any business, you die off.
Our distribution process is constantly in flux, always adapted to
better accommodate our partners,” says Anthony Pingicer, director of
marketing on the East Coast.
The dedicated staff is another pillar of ECN’s success in the adult
industry. The working environment seems to be a positive one,
considering many staff members have been on board for more than
a decade. The head of human resources has been with the company
since its doors metaphorically opened in 1995. The longest-tenured
salesperson has been with the company for more than 30 years. In
2017, four employees hit the 20-year milestone, adding to the handful
that hit that milestone in years prior.
Not only do employees seem to like ECN, the customers seem to
like the employees. Vice President Lynda Mort received a StorErotica
Award nomination for Executive of the Year in 2018, an award
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designed to honor innovators and leaders in the adult industry. Mort modestly credits the
recognition to being “surrounded by an amazing team, and our growth and success has
everything to do with the collective efforts of all.”
She adds, “In the last few years, ECN has had to grow and adapt new practices and
procedures to meet the demands of the market. Our success always come back to listening and
integrating the needs of our customers. When we can solve their problems before they have
them, we know we are on the right track.”
The staff takes great measures to stay informed about products and trends and they
even host regional training sessions where they invite local retailers and vendors for both
networking and continued education.. The first event of 2018 was held in Austin, Texas, and
was considered a success by the ECN team. Pingicer explains, “We are regularly trained by
manufacturers on the latest and greatest items, and we pass that knowledge to our customers
on a daily basis.” He also says that ECN hosts regional events throughout the year with
trusted vendor partners so retailers can learn about new products and brands in more intimate
settings.
ECN attends a handful of trade shows each year, keeping the crew up-to-date on the newest
products from vendors and manufacturers. The salespeople also accompany customers on the
show floor, listening to their needs and increasing inventory when applicable. ECN regularly
attends the industry’s largest trade shows, everything from the AVN Novelty Expo in Las
Vegas to eroFame in Germany.
Top left, signage at the 2018 Spring Warehouse Show. Above, the East Coast warehouse on the West Coast, one of three in the nation.
Not only does ECN attend trade shows, they throw their own: the IVD|ECN Fall Show.
2018 marks the company’s fourth annual event, with invitations going out to some 60
manufacturers to meet and network with more than 200 retailers, buyers and shop owners.
The three-day expo allows attendees to get one-on-one time with manufacturers and studios,
support from IVD and ECN sales staff, and network with other retailers.
Denise Young of Blush Novelties says that the show helped strengthen her relationships
with partners in the adult novelty business and gain feedback on her own company: “The
IVD|ECN Fall Show provides the perfect space for this.”
Another vendor, Austin Ferdinand of CalExotics, says that attending the Fall Show helped
draw attention to his company. “Being able to showcase our product in the main room
contributed to our success and drew large crowds throughout the entire show,” Ferdinand said.
The last three years the IVD|ECN Fall Show was held in rural Stowe, Vermont. For this
September’s show, ECN will move the event to sunny Orlando, Florida.
Aside from a customer-service-oriented business model and a reward-based working
environment for their staff, ECN also values humanitarian efforts. After Hurricane Harvey
struck the gulf coast, ECN partnered with adult novelty retailers Love Shack to distribute relief
to the area. All three office locations sent over necessary supplies to a Love Shack location in
Lake Charles, Louisiana, to be distributed to East Texas areas that had been affected.
“ECN went above and beyond and provided a trailer full of boxes filled with essentials [that]
will help our Texas friends recover after this tragedy,” a Love Shack rep said. “We couldn’t ask
for a better partner to do this with.”
Frank and Michael understand that with success comes great responsibility. Because of this,
and their own core values, ECN is proud to support many charities at a local and national level,
from cancer research to LGBTQ rights and more.