About Us

Products

All Products

Preferred Suppliers

In House Services

Sewing up the Market

Mark Bond of Sportscan Summit has left no loose threads in helping companies enrich their profile with corporate identification products such as embroidered corporate clothing and sportswear, mugs, pens, glassware, and other promotional materials.

As President of Sportscan Summit Clothing & Embroidery Inc., Mark Bond has a simple philosophy when it comes to corporate clothing and promotional products:

“Never give the client something you wouldn’t want yourself.”
Too often, he says, jackets, golf shirts, hats, pens or cups sporting company logos end up in desk drawers or hidden in closets because they’re outdated or inappropriate for the end-user.

So, given that potential, Bond set out 20 years ago to design a corporate strategy that hits the mark in company promotions. Today, Sportscan Summit is an industry leader, providing a customized solution for each and every client. “It comes down to what is appropriate for the client and their customers. When a promotional program fails to achieve desired results, it’s almost always because someone lost sight of what’s valuable to the end-user.”

“We see it all the time. Someone brings in a yellow golf shirt bearing a multi-coloured crest the size of a hockey puck to be reproduced. We can do it but we’re going to ask questions so the product we produce – its colour, its size and placement of the logo – make the right statement for the client.” When the elements are right, company clients ask for another shirt, mug or “one of those cool hats,” Bond says.

It’s unusual for a Canadian embroidery company with Sportscan Summit’s manufacturing capabilities to deal directly with customers. Typically, similar operations fill orders for wholesalers or retailers who then deal directly with the customer. But Sportscan Summit eliminated the middleman selling corporate identification “packages” directly to the client. Coupled with a rewards program, the packages result in savings totaling thousands of dollars for the client. “Sportscan Summit’s program philosophy rewards clients for doing things right. It’s not our intent to be a price fighter,” says Bond, explaining his company builds relationships with clients who develop promotional programs versus a one-time sale.

Customers receive a five percent discount on cash-and-carry orders. Bulk ordering a variety of products from one supplier yields even greater savings. When beginning work on a logo design for a single product, sales staff promote a multi-size logo design package to accommodate a variety of products. Doing all the design work and digitizing at once is more cost-effective than designing new programs for each order.

Despite supplier objections, Sportscan Summit puts the customer first by offering a variety of brand name garments and giftware products.

“The whole idea is to put all the competing lines together so the client doesn’t have to see 10 salespeople, each with individual lines,” says Bond. “Now they can come to one place without any hassle or a commissioned salesperson hovering over them.”
Sportscan Summit takes a low-pressure sales approach by using “no-dicker” stickers on every item. Prices cover one to 1,000-piece lots in the corporate or cash-and-carry structure. “Customers can shop without having to negotiate price,” Bond says. In addition to a showroom and factory, the company also owns two mobile showrooms; each equipped with sample products that are delivered to the customer’s doorstep.

“Our clients can build a corporate identification program and never step out of the mobile showroom.”
It gives them plenty of uninterrupted time to put a program together. Everything they need – from sales tags, pricing and sales books to product – are in the showroom.”

Customers also have the option of shopping online at www.sportscansummit.com. “The Web site provides information on almost every product we sell,” says Bond. The user-friendly format, equipped with photos, allows clients to compare products and prices from different suppliers. When a client is ready to order, Sportscan Summit spares little expense. On the embroidery front, it has pioneered the use of a front-counter computer design system. Company logo designs are stored on a database and can be called up in colour and in two- or three-dimension formats. Logo color changes and modifications can be made easily. The design system is also available in the mobile showrooms.

The design system allows staff to bridge the gap between what the client has in mind and what is possible. In embroidery, there is no margin for error. Once a job is completed, there’s no chance to make improvements so customer input is critical at all stages. “We have spent a lot more time and money than is common in the industry to ensure clients receive exactly what they want,” Bond says. As a service on factory embroidery orders, Sportscan Summit makes a pre-production sample for the client. “We use the same garment and run it in the same multi-head machine that will be used on the final run. It’s expensive. Production-wise, we lose a bit but it’s the only way to give the client a realistic view of the product prior to running the entire order. The practice eliminates potential problems in advance,” Bond says.

New computer software programs and mechanization has not ensured uniform quality throughout the industry. “What’s lost on a lot of people selling embroidery is the whole idea that this is an art form,” says Bond. “The difference between Sportscan Summit and 80 percent of the embroidery industry is the difference between a professional photograph and a polaroid. Clients are attracted to us, in part, because we have a craftsman or artistic mentality.

Over the years, Sportscan Summit has invested in new direct embroidery technology. It pioneered the multi-head direct embroidery process but retained proven technology to satisfy different needs. Our range of automated equipment yields consistent product and faster turnaround times without sacrificing quality.

“One reason our customers deal with us is because we step in front of any problems with their orders and handle them. Frankly, they should never know there’s a problem.” Ultimately, Sportscan Summit’s aim is to streamline and simplify the purchasing process.

“It’s a people business; that’s why we build relationships with clients rather than just making the sale and watching the bottom line. The software and multi-head machines we use are available to anyone in the industry. So, with enough money, someone could duplicate our operation. What they can’t buy is our experience and our expertise. It’s been our aim, right from the beginning, to put the best of everything together in one package – the best products, the best showrooms, the best technologies and, most importantly, the best people.”

Your Sportscan Summit Service Team

About Us

Products

Preferred Suppliers

Featured Links

In House Services

Sewing up the Market