Watch: Inside Neary Martin, Naperville Promotional Products, with Founder Jim Martin

In this Living in Naperville episode, Dan Firks sits down with Jim Martin, founder of Neary Martin, a Naperville corporate branding and promotional products company. Jim explains what Neary Martin does, its top-selling products, how apparel demand shifts with the seasons, and how bulk pricing works.

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Video Transcript

Dan Firks: So Jim, tell me, what made you decide to start this business, Neary Martin?

Jim Martin: Well Dan, I was in the industry for several years, and I always wanted to start my own business. So back in 2009, I said, let’s do it.

Dan Firks: Thank you for coming in today, Jim, and let’s find out a little bit more about Neary Martin. Tell me a little bit about Neary Martin and what you specialize in.

Jim Martin: So Dan, Neary Martin is a corporate branding company. We help companies through apparel, promotional products, corporate stores, calendars, and fulfillment. We try to help them with anything they’re doing in their marketing world and bring it to life with those types of products. What we really try to do is make sure we protect the company brand and show it in the best light possible.

Dan Firks: So tell me, what is probably your top-selling product, besides shirts?

Jim Martin: Apparel is by far our number one.

Dan Firks: So comfy. I mean, literally the best shirts on the planet.

Jim Martin: Thank you. Yes, it’s our number one seller. Drinkware is probably number two. In the promotional products world, since COVID we’ve really gotten into fulfillment. So instead of pre-COVID, where we were doing 400 shirts to one location for a conference, now we’re doing 400 shirts to 400 locations.

Dan Firks: Jim, tell me, what are the current trends for apparel today?

Jim Martin: What we’re seeing is still casual apparel, so polos and quarter zips for the office. Those are pretty much the trends we see for the office world. Now, those items are usually embroidered. If you’re in a real casual environment, you’re going to see screen-printed items, the t-shirts and hoodies and crew necks and things like that.

Dan Firks: I hear you on that, but I’m assuming you probably do Koozies or cups or coffee cups, those kinds of items as well?

Jim Martin: Yeah, the big thing is travel mugs. Do you remember the Stanley 40 oz that everybody had to have? That travel mug concept is still very high on the list.

Dan Firks: We all know here in Chicagoland that seasons change, so as the seasons change, what kinds of items are more in demand for each season?

Jim Martin: That’s a good question, Dan. Let’s start with January, the beginning of the year. You’re in award season from the prior year, so that’s always a big time. New calendars are all hitting everyone’s desks, and winter apparel is definitely out there.

Dan Firks: I’m assuming you do jackets?

Jim Martin: Oh yeah, we do everything from your low-end nylon jackets all the way up to the Carhartts and Dri Ducks and things to keep you warm on the job. That’s definitely a big market for us. Those orders usually come in in the fall.

Dan Firks: What about spring?

Jim Martin: Spring is definitely getting into golf season. Everybody’s planning their events, so we’re getting into polo gear, quarter zips, sweatshirts, and lighter-weight gear.

Dan Firks: Makes sense. And I’m assuming summer is even lighter?

Jim Martin: Yeah, obviously you’ve got all the t-shirts. That’s where a lot of our retail clients should be looking for their product, because they get busier in the summer months.

Dan Firks: Excellent. What about fall?

Jim Martin: Fall is switching gears. Everybody’s off their vacations, the weather’s starting to change, so they’re all starting to think about heavier sweatshirts and jackets.

Dan Firks: Coffee cups?

Jim Martin: No, coffee cups are really not a big market for us. What happens typically is coffee mugs go up in the corner of the cabinet and they don’t come down. It’s that travel mug that people want.

Dan Firks: Do you guys do pens, even that office kind of stuff, branded office materials?

Jim Martin: Yeah, what we see typically, honestly, is lower-end pens. The key is finding a pen that actually writes, because as soon as it doesn’t write, they throw it out.

Dan Firks: Jim, what does Neary Martin offer for bulk ordering?

Jim Martin: Bulk pricing is the name of the game. It’s all based on value. The more we can keep the machines busy, the more we can save you money. We do everything we can to make sure we’re getting people the best quality, best service, and best price. Sometimes if somebody comes in just below a bracket, we tell them, look, it’s worth your while going up a little bit, you’re going to save money in the long run.

Dan Firks: Understood. Is there any limitation to bulk ordering? Like if I wanted a thousand t-shirts, is that possible?

Jim Martin: Oh, absolutely, we do that. What may change, though, is the way we do the printing. So if you came to me and said, hey, I want just one shirt, I’m not going to print that the same way I would print a thousand.

Dan Firks: Jim, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share with us what Neary Martin does. I really appreciate that.

Jim Martin: Thank you very much, Dan.

Dan Firks: Absolutely. And thank you for tuning in to this episode of Living in Naperville. We’ll see you around town. Be sure to like and subscribe to get updates on our next episode, and for all your real estate needs please visit Naperville.com.

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