If you need any type of pipe, valve, or fitting, call The Macomb Group. This growing company has offices spreading from Tennessee to its headquarters in Sterling Heights, Mich. Since the company opened in 1977, the business has transformed and innovated according to market demands. What was once a small, single-location pipe and supply operation has grown into a Top 10 wholesale PVF supplier in the U.S.

A major factor in the success and growth of The Macomb Group is the attention it pays to customers. The sales staff spends countless hours developing relationships through face-to-face sales calls, sporting events, or dinner — anything to strengthen the connection between The Macomb Group and its clients.

While the sales team offers advice to clients for their specific challenges, many of The Macomb Group’s other products, initiatives, and services may go unnoticed. So in addition to these one-on-one efforts, the company knew it needed a way to pull together its communication strategy to reach a broader audience.

Communication gap
The Macomb Group began looking for a consistent, reliable way to share its story with all customers, to continue building its credibility as a top-level distributor, and to spread the word about its specialty products. Luckily, The Macomb Group is a client of AngelVision, an Internet marketing and advertising company. When AngelVision learned about The Macomb Group’s search, they recommended their marketing partner, Proven Systems Corp., to launch an email newsletter program to bridge the communications gap between the company and its customer base.

In addition to informing the readers of all its specialty products and services — like Fire Protection products and services from the Hose Division and Heating Division, for instance — the newsletter gives customers a glimpse of the culture at The Macomb Group.

Jeff Fouchia, CIO of The Macomb Group, says, “The newsletter’s a good way to let customers know you have structure and a good story to tell. The sales team is moving quickly, and they don’t think about the things we do daily for customers. The newsletter is a way for them to show our customers a small snapshot of all the service-oriented things The Macomb Group does on a regular basis.”

Finding the resources to do it right
Fouchia knew the company needed a newsletter, but it wasn’t getting done. He realized that it would be a significant commitment of time and resources, with no guarantee of the quality of the final product. He began considering outsourcing this critical communications piece, but he had some reservations:

1. Would outsourcing still require a lot of his time for editing or gathering information?
2. Would the email be sent from a reputable source to protect against SPAM filters?

After careful consideration and vetting, The Macomb Group began working with Proven Systems to produce its bimonthly newsletter, The Macomb Pipeline. Now, Fouchia can rest easy about the newsletter production.

“Both of my concerns have been addressed. Proven Systems coordinates all the interviews with content experts and then produces well-written articles that require minimal editing. They also have a rigorous process ensuring the integrity of their emails,” Fouchia says.

Now that Fouchia is at ease with the expertise and professionalism of Proven Systems, The Macomb Group enjoys an attractive, effective newsletter published every two months with minimal effort from its personnel.
Fouchia says, “We’re very happy with the partnership we have with Proven Systems. We now have a very professional eNewsletter that is sent out regularly — something that would not occur if we had not outsourced.”