In the Beginning
1966; The year EMC was born. Started by Alan and Audrey Soloway in a North London garage, the beginning had exciting prospects. We used a foil stamping machine to imprint a company’s name and phone number onto hexagonal pencils. We then sent a sample in the post. When small companies heard on the grapevine that they could make their very own pencils (and pens later on!) it was a huge revelation. Its fair to say that business grew very quickly, but it didn’t stop there…
Whetstone Calling
After several upgrades - from office to office and factory to factory, the business then moved to Derwent House in Whetstone. This was home to a purpose-built factory, housing 30 machines that allowed us to create promotional gifts at an incredible rate.
The arrival of the internet and easily accessible markets changed the business model. The days of running a set catalogue of goods with high stocks and the occasional ‘special’ were long gone. The opportunity to change the model to offer a more consultative approach sourcing products to order presented itself.
Close Partnerships
The ever-growing range of products led us to a path of finding new partners who specialise in printing focused lines. It was already a surprise to see that the same factory was producing the likes of umbrellas and ceramic mugs, however by working closely together, we gained a mutual understanding of capability and processes.
Go Your Own Way
The advantages in fabrication skills from domestic factories, combined with advantages in Europe and the Far East led the EMC team to start searching further afield for more than the ‘ordinary’ stock.
This has led us to be able to make completely bespoke products- including electronics, from as few as 350 units!
Ranging from products as diverse as wood moisture meters, character mascot soft toys, professional triathlon suits, deck chairs and even bean bags, each project certainly has its challenges, they also have plenty of perks. Plus- we love a challenge!
The Next Generation of EMC
In one of the friendliest ever negotiations (we even used two lawyers from the same company to complete the contracts), Simon and Gina took over the business from the Soloway family. Simon had grown up in the business, and his dad (Audrey’s brother- John) was EMC sales director for most of his childhood.
Gina had worked in the business for over 20 years and co-directed with Simon for the last few.
GeigerBTC Merger
In January 2019 EMC Advertising Gifts joined the largest privately owned promotional gifts group in the United States, Geiger. Merging in the UK with GeigerBTC. More information can be found here
Gina and Simon look forward to taking EMC forward within the GeigerBTC brand.
Looking into the Future
In a world where products can be bought and distributed without much thought, here at EMC we strive to make a difference to the process. We can happily supply your order to your precise specification - but where we can add more value is by working closely with you! We look into your campaign and your message as a whole to create the best possible outcome for you.
Who are you? Who are you trying to engage? What reaction or action do you want to solicit?
With us both working together as a collaboration, we can maximise the impact from your budget. We challenge you to provide us with your brief and give us a go!
Our Impact
While we put you- our customer -at the heart of everything we do, we also believe that community and volunteering is an important part of our beliefs and ethos. We have always supported local, national, and international charities with overstock, discontinued lines, returned samples and, of course, with our time.
For the past couple of years, we have been getting our collection on; gathering clothing, bags, stationary items and much more for refugees at the ‘jungle’ camp in Calais and in the UK. This is a cause very close to our hearts and specially to retired EMC director John Kay who has been coordinating these efforts.
Buy1Give1
Last year, we met a fantastic man called Paul Dunn. Paul blew us away with his passion for a remarkable organisation called buy1give1. As you sell you can give. It’s that simple.
By linking these activities together, it is easy to see a direct result and add an extra purpose to the sales efforts. We were so keen to be a part of this organisation that we have committed to a lifetime membership and our launch is well on the way.
Ever since January 2017 every delivery of branded, promotional gifts by EMC will trigger a donation to the B1G1 projects. Isn’t that great?
We truly believe that by supporting this cause and working together we can work to make a real difference. Want to find out more details of the projects we are currently supporting? Simply click here.
If you have any questions about our charitable activity, or in fact, anything else, please get in touch with Simon.
