On December 21, 2018, industry veteran Stan Gallen celebrated his last day at DEBCO (asi/48885) after more than 32 years. He recently shared with ASI Canada his fond memories of his time in the promotional products industry and his plans for retirement.

Q: When did you start your career with DEBCO?

Stan Gallen: I started full-time on September 14, 1986. Six years later, the company became a member of the Promotional Products Association of Canada (PPACanada), which became Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC) in 2007.

Q: How has the industry changed over the years?

SG: With the incredible influx of suppliers following the ease of purchasing from the U.S., products have become much more commoditized. Distributors had their bag supplier, their pen supplier and their mug supplier. Now one supplier carries all of these products. Marketing commodities is far different from marketing when product segmentation existed. Also, email and next-day delivery have created an enhanced sense of urgency for every task. When I started, standard stock delivery time was about two weeks!

Q: What’s your favorite thing about the industry?

SG: Without question, it’s the people I’ve met over my 32-plus years. I took the time to meet distributors face-to-face at their offices. The development of interpersonal relationships is vital in a commodity-based world.

Today is Stan Gallen's last day here at Debco. Today we share stories of a man who has inspired every single one of us at Debco. Please join us in wishing him all the best in his retirement! We will miss you! Read Stan's official retirement announcement => https://t.co/7oi5kNboLC pic.twitter.com/ZqXT6BE8V1

— debco (@debcomarketing) December 21, 2018

Q: What are you most proud of from your time at DEBCO?

SG: My induction into the PPPC Hall of Fame in 2012, being the public face of a firm that won the PPPC Supplier of Year award for an unprecedented 22 of the past 24 years, and being the originator of the hockey game at our annual Winter Promotional Products Show that raised $10,000 for our Canadian military are all up there. But my proudest moment was seeing my son Rob’s growth and development at the company. Early on, he was “Stan’s son.” Later on, I was “Rob’s dad.” This change of phrase was never lost on me.

Q: What are your plans for retirement?

SG: Living a “Debconian” lifestyle for so many years – meaning I left no stone unturned in my attempts to manage client expectations – I clearly lead an unbalanced life. But now I have the opportunity to be a doting grandfather to my seven step-granddaughters and one granddaughter, courtesy of Rob and Julie Gallen. We also bought a condo on São Miguel Island in the Azores, where we’ll entertain friends and family while watching the tides. The island has a population of 137,800 and one bowling alley with just four lanes. As of early January, I had the island’s highest bowling score for the month!