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Published: October 12, 2008 6:00 a.m.

Business spotlight

Indiana Stamp Co. Inc.

Address : 1319 Production Road, Fort Wayne

 At a glance : Indiana Stamp Co. Inc. specializes in producing and selling customized marking and identification products, including office stamps, signs, badges and award plaques.

 Employees : 42

 Annual revenue : About $3.5 million last year

 How old is the company : 61 years old

 Biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months : “I think one of the biggest things is adopting some new marketing software and hiring an outside salesperson, which we have never had before,” said John Peirce, vice president of marketing and administration. “We’re really trying to let people know what all we do because the name Indiana Stamp people associate strictly with office stamps. The typical reaction when somebody walks into our showroom is, ‘Wow, I didn’t know you did all this.’ We’re trying to let the community know what ‘all this’ is.”

The showroom displays include signs, customizable award plaques and bronze plaques for building dedications.

 What are the key challenges facing your business or industry : The company is “trying to expand those other product lines that people don’t readily identify with our name and with our heritage,” Peirce said, “and finding more effective ways of marketing to prospects because I think we’re all kind of jaded when it comes to direct mail and offers and things like that. What we’re trying to do as much as possible is create one-to-one relationships where we really understand our customers and their needs.”

 What are your growth projections for the next five years : The company wants to keep growing sales of its current product lines, Peirce said.

“We’d like to increase 5 to 8 percent a year,” he said.

Indiana Stamp plans to expand into online ordering. Peirce said it has taken time for the company to enter the online arena because each product is customized to the customer’s specifications.

 What’s one thing about your business that people may not be aware of : Indiana Stamp exports products to more than 35 countries, Peirce said.

“That’s in a niche product line where we make rubber type for marking date codes on food and beverage packaging, for the most part,” he said. “Some of our customers are Kellogg and Frito-Lay. … And we’re the world leader in that particular product.”

Indiana Stamp also makes the rubber stamps used to mark lumber with its grade and produces small batches of custom labels.

“We’re not a typical stamp company,” Peirce said. “Most stamp companies are relatively small. What we’ve done is find niches … where we can excel in a particular product line.”

Source: John Peirce, vice president of marketing and administration Compiled by Jenni Glenn of The Journal Gazette

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