In a just-announced multi-million dollar win that highlights the increasing push from top promotional products distributors to expand their services beyond promo and print, a Proforma (asi/300094) affiliate has earned a $6 million contract to provide a worker training program to a massive utility company’s nuclear power plant employees through the use of cutting-edge virtual reality.

The solution that Rich Mitchell, owner of Proforma ProMediaAspire, is delivering centers on utilizing VR 3D modelling to create virtual rooms and floorplans of nuclear power plants. In these digital rooms, workers will learn to perform plant maintenance and repairs, thereby limiting hours worked inside the nuclear facilities and exposure to radiation. Mitchell’s training will cover the end-client’s 13 nuclear generation stations.

The VR training is decidedly outside the realm of Proforma’s traditional print and promo products business, but that’s emblematic of how the company is evolving to open up new opportunities for its owner-affiliates, Nikki McNeeley told Counselor.

“We do not limit our owners in their offerings to their customers, but support them at all levels with product, service or value-added product offerings to/for their customers,” said McNeeley, Proforma’s public relations manager. “As such, our preferred supplier network includes supplier partners who fall into the digital realm, as well as print, promotional products and packaging.”

In this case, when Mitchell discovered the lucrative potential in virtual nuclear power plant training, he worked with Proforma’s vendor relations team to identify companies that could provide a top-shelf VR solution. Ultimately, the vendor relations crew paired him with a Proforma preferred supplier that boasts a robust background in VR training in the energy, aerospace and military sectors, executives said. Proforma was not releasing the name of the vendor.

“This was a win-win contract that I could have never done without Proforma,” Mitchell said in a statement. “Our ability to use virtual reality in this unique setting will significantly impact nuclear power companies who adopt this technology, minimizing the risk to employees and saving this nuclear power company millions of dollars in operational efficiencies.”

A member of Proforma’s Million & Multi-Million Dollar Club, Mitchell (pictured) received the “Innovator of the Year” award at 2019’s Proforma Annual Convention and Family Reunion for his work on the VR project. “It is exciting to have an owner like Rich on our team,” said Proforma Founder Greg Muzzillo. “I admire his ability to find unique and cutting-edge opportunities, and use our resources to turn those winning opportunities into multi-million dollar successes.”

With reported 2018 North American promotional product of $378.8 million, Proforma ranked sixth on Counselor’s latest list of the largest distributors in the industry.