Facilisgroup Immersion Program Delivers A Valuable Industry Deep Dive

Three-week learning event provides valuable insight and experience to new-to-industry talent.

SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI, May 28, 2021 – Facilisgroup, a leading software-as-a-service company and partnering platform within the promotional products industry, continues its dedication to industry innovation and community with the recent launch of the Facilisgroup Immersion Program, an experiential learning event designed to indoctrinate new staff members with a comprehensive foundation of the promotional products industry.

Beginning May 6, the three-week program provided 12 new-to-industry Facilisgroup employees an in-depth look into the world of promotional products distributors, suppliers, and technology, while leaving the team with a heightened understanding of the value and services provided to Facilisgroup partners.  The program consisted of a combination of on-site visits, classroom activities and virtual learning, and resulted in all participants receiving their PPAI Trained Advertising Specialist (TAS) certification on top of a treasure chest of beneficial knowledge.

“We feel this program represents a critical path to our future,” said Matthew Lamb, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Facilisgroup. “As we continue to grow, we’re hiring more outside professionals with tremendous skillsets and perspectives that we can now blend with promotional products knowledge in a very effective manner. This is truly giving us the best of both worlds.”

During the program, participants spent time visiting and job shadowing at St. Louis-based distributor, MPGTandem, as well as a road trip to Fredericktown, Missouri for an immersive experience with supplier, Cap America.  Additionally, long-time promotional product executive and acclaimed author, Conrad Franey, spent time with the team at the Facilisgroup headquarters to discuss his valuable history in the industry and how his approach of preparation and perseverance have been vital to achieving maximum results within the industry and beyond.  Additional interactive classroom activities, discussions and individual assignments rounded up the curriculum, providing participants a thorough look into industry from several distinct points-of-view.

“The program wildly exceeded our expectations in terms of participant feedback, engagement and of course, the knowledgebase our new hires were able to build so quickly,” said Lamb. “But the added benefit of helping our people really feel like they’re part of something, and taking that to the next level, was a really positive result as well.”

A great deal of thought and preparation went into this maiden voyage of the triannual Facilisgroup Immersion Program, but how was it received by the participants themselves? 

“Learning the industry from an insider point of view was fantastic,” said Amanda Bujnak, Product Manager at Facilisgroup and participant in the program. “As a Product Manager, part of my job is to

make sure our partners’ needs are represented in the development of software solutions.  By better understanding the problems our industry faces, and developing empathy for those problems, we’ll directly contribute to building a better product.”

The Immersion Program is just one way that Facilisgroup is contributing to the growing need for businesses to invest in the development of their team.

“We never want to take a shortcut on our people, but rather invest in those who want to invest in themselves,” added Lamb. “We feel strongly that this approach is a necessary step to preserve the long-term success of our industry.”

About Facilisgroup

Facilisgroup is dedicated to delivering business growth for supplier and distributor partners by focusing on three distinct principles: community, technology and supply chain. Facilisgroup has become the market-leading business platform and technology services provider, leveraging industry expertise and technology to deliver significantly increased sales and reduced operating expenses while maintaining their partners’ individual brand identities. Facilisgroup is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with offices in Ottawa, Canada.