Rob Chartlon, the co-founder and co-owner of The Next Trend (TNT) Designs Inc., is outgoing, creative, and forward thinking.
He’s also down-to-earth, approachable, and despite the stresses of owning one of Canada’s longstanding promotional product companies, he has always maintained a sense of humour.
Simply put, he’s a natural salesperson with an incredible gift of reading both his customers’ needs as well as the industry as a whole and it’s served him well over the years.
These traits are also among the key reasons why he was nominated for the Advantages 2015 Distributor Sales Rep of the Year Award.
He is now one of only 12 business leaders named as a finalist for this year’s big award. And he’s the only Canadian to make this year’s list of notables.
Advantages is the official publication for the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) – an organization that represents scores of promotional products companies across North America. Promotional products, also known as ad specialties, make up a $20.5-billion industry in the USA and Canada.
So, what motivates Charlton to succeed?
“For many, the motivator in business is often based on money, but for me personally I am driven by the sheer need and desire to build something that will last, even after my time in the industry may be up,” he says during an interview.
He indicates that he gets his inspiration from a variety of popular business tycoons, including the late Steve Jobs.
“He (Jobs) was a man that wasn’t afraid to think outside the box, go against the grain and what was expected of him and despite failures along the way, he never gave up,” says Charlton.
Charlton is also one who never gave up.
The Next Trend (TNT) Designs Inc. is now a widely known promotional product company across North America.
He opened up TNT with his business partner, Janine Taylor, above a pizza shop in Port Credit, ON, in the early 1990’s, and not long after the company’s inception they moved to a large-sized facility only a stone’s throw away for the Toronto Pearson International Airport. After many expansions over the years it’s a locale in Mississauga they still call home today.
Over the last two decades his company – like any other – has experienced many highs and even lows. Despite everything, Charlton’s hard work and dedication to build TNT through direct sales and marketing has paid off in a big way.
This year TNT was named one of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies by Canadian Business and PROFT – two widely popular business magazines in Canada. TNT made the 2015 PROFIT 500 list with a five-year revenue growth of 89%.
TNT was also named by ASI as one of the Fastest Growing Distributors in Canada. TNT has long been a member of ASI since their doors first opened.
Even better is that ASI’s second official trade magazine, The Counselor, which is hailed as a leading trade publication with thousands of readers, named TNT as the Top Best Places to Work for in 2015 in Canada, and TNT was also ranked #11 on the Canada and the USA list of 75 incredible other companies.
While Charlton is both honoured and humbled to be named a top finalist for the Advantages 2015 Distributor Sales Rep of the Year Award, he is quick to credit his entire team for TNT’s success.
“The tireless commitment of our sales representatives and support staff is the reason TNT is being recognized as a leader in the promotional products industry North America wide,” he says.
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“The entire TNT team is loyal as well as driven, and they all recognize the importance of putting our customers first while valuing the relationships with our many suppliers as well,” he adds.
Taylor is thrilled that her business partner has been named a finalist for this year’s award.
“Rob is a remarkable individual and he is truly a gifted visionary as well as a natural salesperson,” says Taylor. “I admire him for how quickly he connects with people and I am always fascinated with his big-thinking approach when it comes to developing his customer accounts. For Rob there are no boundaries in business and what is possible for his clients. He is a one-of-a-kind person and his vision and drive is the reason TNT has grown rapidly over the last two decades.”
Charlton got his start early, when he was 18, during his last year of high school he began selling custom and logo adorned T-shirts which lead to their venture into the promotional marketing industry several years later. And the T-shirt is still his favourite promotional product to this very day.
“Over the years I have been able to utilize the t-shirt, which is a very simple product in countless ways, to build and promote our customers brands,” he says.
While TNT may take up a lot of his time, Charlton has lots of outside hobbies that he enjoys.
He is an avid Neil Diamond fan and loves any music from the 80’s, and he is an active outdoor enthusiast during his weekends away at the cottage in Muskoka – a scenic and popular getaway in Ontario. ATV’ing, boating and wakeboarding mainly occupy his time in the great outdoors.
After many years in the promotional products industry Charlton feels that he has finally discovered a good work-life balance.
“Over the past year I’ve positioned myself in such a way that I now have time carved-out to truly enjoy life, my sons, and family and friends and that has been quite an accomplishment,” he says.
Charlton plans on taking TNT’s success up a few more notches in 2016.
“We have been busy expanding our proprietary line of products for next year,” he explains. “We have also secured patents on several products already and this will allow us to offer our customers something even more unique, often cost effective and only available through our company that will continue to set us apart from the competition,” he says.
He adds, “I’m also working to take the existing sales model that I’ve perfected with my team and duplicate it to other markets,” he says.
The winner for this year’s big award will be announced in January 2016.
About The Next Trend Designs (TNT) Inc.
The Next Trend (TNT) Designs Inc., est. 1992, is a premier full-service promotional products and ad specialty firm. TNT deals with all aspects of branded merchandise, recognition programs and idea creation. TNT has been involved in countless promotional events with customers both in Canada the United States and abroad. The company’s experiences and expertise has allowed them to provide its clients with the best in service and selection. They are leaders in offering custom design of clothing and promotional products, direct imports, complete on-line and in house programs, premiums and incentives, executive gifts, and promotional products for trade shows, annual conferences, and thank-you gifts for clients or staff. TNT’s products are of the finest quality and include all the latest designs and fashions available. But above all else, TNT strives to provide a level of customer service that is second to none.
Advantages’ is the industry’s leading publication for distributor salespeople. Providing tips and tactics for sales success, as well as a unique look at some of the industry’s latest product offerings, Advantages’ content regularly gives distributor salespeople a leg up on their competitors. The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is a for-profit organization serving the advertising specialty industry. Members of ASI include both manufacturers and suppliers of promotional merchandise as well as promotional product distributors.
