The Top 40 promotional products supplier that’s long been known as BIC Graphic North America (asi/40480) will have a new name effective Jan. 1, 2021.

The Clearwater, FL-based company, which has operated under the BIC name since 1947, announced on Monday, Sept. 28 that its new name will be Koozie Group. CEO David Klatt and Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Ralston discussed the new name in a podcast you can listen to below.

Podcast Chapters
0:38: A new name unveiled.
3:21: Why “Koozie Group”?
8:40: Promoting the new name.
10:22: Service improvements and other customer-focused initiatives are all part of the name change, executives say.
15:23: An intensified focus on corporate social responsibility, sustainability and more.

“This feels like a new start for us,” said Klatt. “We’re really excited about this and feel there’s so much upside for us as we look to the future.”

France-headquartered BIC sold BIC Graphic to Miami-based private equity firm H.I.G. Capital in 2017. As part of that deal, it was determined that BIC Graphic’s name would eventually have to be changed, Klatt explained.

BIC Graphic CEO David Klatt and Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Ralston

Still, there is a greater impetus than just that contractual requirement behind the name change. One factor is that being under the BIC name sometimes “pigeonholed” the company as solely a supplier of pens, when in fact the firm’s portfolio is much broader, executives said.

“We’ve evolved in product selection and what we want to be known for,” said Ralston. “It was a good time for a name change that would reflect that.”

To get the new company name right, BIC Graphic conducted internal surveys, focus groups (internal and customer), and worked with outside branding agencies throughout 2019 to develop a list of more than 800 possibilities.

The company went with Koozie Group because the spirit of the Koozie brand aligns with the supplier’s goal of providing useful solutions that evoke positive vibes and spark lasting memories, executives said. BIC Graphic has owned the Koozie brand since 2009 and has sold the products extensively within promo. Koozies, of course, are fabric or foam sleeves that thermally insulate beverage containers like cans and bottles.

“When a Koozie product is around, people are having a good time,” Ralston said. “We want to provide solutions that leave lasting positive memories.”

As Ralston alludes to, the name change is about more than just a new company title. It also heralds enhancements in service, products and sustainability initiatives. Klatt noted that H.I.G. has provided capital that’s helped BIC make investments that will improve service, such as the deployment of the cloud-based software Salesforce for Service.

“We run 3,000 orders or more per day,” said Klatt. “Every one of them is important, and we have to deliver on every one. We run at a 98% service level, but 2% is an awful lot of mistakes. We need to eradicate those.”

Other upgrades include an already-completed website overhaul, a new and smarter shipping/transportation management system, and a forecasting tool that will help ensure BIC has the right inventory of the right products in place, Klatt said.

As for product improvements, BIC plans to begin treating a range of different products with PrevaGuard, an EPA-registered antimicrobial agent that it currently uses on pens. PrevaGuard has proven especially sought-after during the coronavirus pandemic when hygiene and sanitization have been a sharp focus.

Meanwhile, Ralston said BIC is also stepping up efforts on corporate social responsibility, diversity/inclusion and sustainability. “These are pillars for us that mean something to our customers and their customers,” said Ralston. The elements include a program that enables the supplier to apply an environmental stewardship rating on products it brings in.

With reported 2019 North American promotional product revenue of $310.1 million, BIC ranked 7th on Counselor’s latest list of the largest suppliers in the industry.