Catalog Success recognizes three industry professionals named to the top business honors among catalogers and e-merchants.

By Donna Loyle and Matt Griffin

On the following pages you’ll meet the winners of the fourth annual Catalogers of the Year awards. We’re honored to recognize the contributions these three professionals have made to the catalog and e-commerce industries.

This year’s winners exemplify the astounding level of quality in branding, customer service and merchandising this industry enjoys. The winners include:

1. a former museum director who now sells museum shop-quality educational toys to a national audience via her catalog;

2. a transplanted Briton who has built a thriving company selling telephony equipment; and

3. an industry veteran whose reputation as a maverick in branding, direct marketing and channel-integration is unparalleled.

Awards Criteria

Nominees in the Consumer and B-to-B categories were asked to supply business metrics such as growth in their 12-month housefiles, annual revenues and operating profits. They also outlined specific innovations they’ve made in merchandising, marketing, prospecting, fulfillment, customer care, creative and/or production.

Nominees for Lifetime Achievement were judged on the following: their work for local and national trade associations; if they freely share their expertise with fellow catalogers and industry newcomers; and other direct contributions they’ve made that have enabled the catalog and e-commerce industries to thrive.

(Note: This year we did not name an Entrepreneur of the Year because we failed to get enough qualified nominations in that category.)

Methodology

During December and January, nominations were accepted from Catalog Success readers, advertisers and others. Catalog Success editors reviewed each nomination packet for the above-noted criteria, then narrowed each of the award categories to three nominees.

The nomination packets for those selected into the final round were then sent to a panel of three independent judges who named the winners. We thank the following industry professionals for their work on this year’s judging panel:

Bob Allen, former president and CEO of The Vermont Country Store catalog, and the winner of the 2004 Catalog Success Lifetime Achievement Award.