Meet Lori, Pacon's Product Manager of Surfaces, which includes construction paper, Fadeless®, Bordette®, Art and Kraft Rolls, Ella Bella®, and Poster and Foam Board.
Q: How long have you been at Pacon / when did you start?
A: I have been with Pacon and Bemiss-Jason since January of 1999. (Pacon acquired Bemiss-Jason in 2002.)
Q; Have you always been a product manager?
A: Yes.
Q: What are some of your day-to-day duties?
A: I manage over 1,450 Pacon products within my categories. I analyze trends in the marketplace, manage products from development through the product lifecyle, and get to work closely with major retailers and distributors of school and art supplies nationwide.
Q; What is your favorite product that is in your category?
A: Art1st® Mixed Media Art Paper is a great surface. It is versatile and can be used with wet or dry media. We listened to Art Teachers at the state art shows and NAEA that were looking for a better quality white sulphite art paper, and now it is in all major school and art supply catalogs.
Q: What is your favorite product overall, if different from above?
A: Fadeless® Paper. It has been fun to be part of the growth of this category. We started with four designs as a test in 2005, and we now have over 30 different designs, as well as Fadeless® Premium Glossy rolls. The Clouds Design was one of the first introduced and it is still our #1 design. Fadeless Paper can be used beyond the bulletin board on doors, walls, file cabinets and more! Teachers can create amazing classroom décor with Fadeless®paper as the inspiration.
Learn more about the history of Fadeless Paper and check out some classroom inspiration in our décor gallery.
Another of my favorite products is the Classroom Keepers® line of storage and organization products. I helped with the development of this product over 10 years ago, and it is fun to see its success and growth. This line was inspired by teachers, who were in need of an inexpensive storage solution for construction paper.
Q: What new products are you most excited about this year?
A: We are working on some fun new Fadeless® Designs. We introduced Shiplap in late 2016 and it has been very popular. We will be introducing a White Shiplap version soon!
Q: What’s your favorite part about your job?
A: Every day is different as a Product Manager at Pacon. From answering product-related questions to developing new line extensions within my categories, and everything in between. It is an interesting and challenging position, and I get to work with many departments that help me do my job such as Cost Accounting, Purchasing, Scheduling and Sales.
I also love to name new colors and designs!