For the 1st edition of Secret Sauce, I chose to interview Craig Dickens from Suntex Industries. I met Craig about 6-7 years ago at a PowerMeeting (I think in Miami). Immediately, I knew he was someone I wanted to know better. Aside from possibly being one the nicest guys in the promotional products industry, his passion for this industry is contagious. When talking with Craig, he won't bore you with the specs of a product, but he will fill you with handy case studies to give you invaluable ideas how to sell his products to your prospects. I appreciate Craig's passion, his endless stream of ideas, his high integrity, and his friendship. If you don't already know Craig, I invite you learn more about him and meet him in person at the next industry event you both attend. - Patrick Black, Perfect Imprints, PromoKitchen Chef.

How did you get started in this industry?  I answered a blind ad in the newspaper 25 years ago. The company was looking for a Manufacturing Manager. Little did I know that Sales Manager was what it would turn into along with many other opportunities within Suntex Industries!

What is the coolest project you ever worked on and why?  Definitely custom patches for a major rock band—a set of 6 in a collectors series. We had strict deadlines to meet in different cities/countries on an almost daily basis. They were all custom packaged and ready for the VIP Ticket holders!

Describe a non-profit or a cause you are passionate about and tell us why.  I have served as a Deacon (Board Member) of New Beginnings Community Church for over 20 years. We have been fortunate to help many people with utility bills, medical bills, and much more. We recently purchased a large piece of property for our Hope Clinic. This has been a vision of our group for several years. We plan on opening a free medical clinic for a rural area of Southwest Virginia, hopefully in late 2020.

Tell us something within our industry you would like to change and why. We have an awesome industry, but in my opinion we are lacking training for new sales people. We are starting to attract younger employees at Suntex, and it’s obvious in sales meetings that the new hires are not well trained. For example, they don’t understand our coded pricing structure or decoration (embroidery vs dye sub print). Most of it is very basic, and I am glad to help where I can, but it takes time!

What in your day-to-day job continues to be a struggle, and what are you doing to overcome that struggle?  Time!  We all have the same amount of it… it’s just how we manage it. I wear many hats, and in this industry you must respond to quotes, virtual samples etc. quickly. All people want is a response, yes-no-maybe… whatever you can do for the customer. A piece of advice I was given many years ago when I first started from one of our multi-line reps, is never say “we can’t do it!” Instead say, “we can’t do it exactly that way, but what about this option?” 99% of the time I can offer something, some way of producing the order without my customer having to look at my competition to handle it.

How do you spend your time when you are not working? Family… nothing beats spending time with my wife, Frankie. We will celebrate 36 years of marriage in 2020, and since I am away a lot during the week, we try and spend Saturdays together exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I also love spending time with my two daughters, Audrey and Morgan, along with the two sons we have gained through marriage to our daughters.

Do you have any wisdom or advice you would you like to pass on to others? 

At 59 years old, the greatest piece of advice I have ever been given is to surround yourself with positive people—people who encourage and lift you up. People who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth in love. I refuse to be surrounded by negativity, life is way too short for this. I am only as good as those who surround me and help me achieve my dreams.

About Craig:

My hometown growing up was (Mayberry) Mt. Airy, N.C., and I went to Surry Community College, and Guilford Tech. I married Frankie Blackburn in 1984, and moved to the small community of Cana, Virginia at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have two daughters, Audrey Edwards who is a Nurse, and Morgan Lineberry who owns a Cross Fit Gym, along with two great sons-in-law. I worked for Sara Lee for 15 years as a Knitting Manger with the Hanes Division, and Suntex Industries for 25 years. I find it very rewarding when I can pull off a miracle at Suntex to help a customer with a unique request or tight in-hands date.

I love helping people, either at the Church where I serve, or on the Virginia Promotional Products (VAPPA) Board. Occasionally, someone from my former days (as a youth leader) who is now married with children, stops me or sends me a message to say, “thanks for that youth trip or thanks for taking us to see a movie, etc. You will never know how important it was to me.” That is incredibly rewarding!

I enjoy vacations with my wife—we love a road trip. In 2019 we traveled by car to Prince Edward Island, Canada. We are looking forward to another adventure traveling across the US in May to Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon.