Consultant's Information
Only the Scarboroughs are employees of Vision Alliance Network, Inc. Other consultants are the ones who we know and recommend. Vision Alliance Network is not responsible for the services of consultants other than the Scarborough's, however.
Read a Professional Biography of Rutledge Scarborough
Read Professional Biography on Fran Scarborough
If you are interested in speaking with a consultant, email us regarding your needs, and please make the subject title of your email Pack Ship Consulting. We will forward you information on the consultant who may meet your needs best.
Tom Hinton - Store Build-Outs and Training
Larry Lehman - Store Training
Tom Hinton
I encourage you to read this brief vitae on Tom Hinton to learn how dynamic Tom Hinton is and why he is the first one to whom we refer for store build-outs. We also refer to him to do other training, of course. We have worked with him for twenty years and know the fine quality of his work.
We hired Tom when he still was in high-school to work part-time in our busiest store. Immediately we knew that we had a great employee. There was a noticeable increase in sales in whichever store he worked. Yes, he not only inherently knew packing, but he most definitely is a "people-person." A few years later, we promoted him to be our area manager when Fran went onward to start other businesses in packing, shipping, and exporting. During this time, Rutledge taught him how to build our custom counters, lay slotwall, put up store and window decals professionally, etc. This building came naturally to Tom. Being the entrepreneur that he is, Tom went on his own to build and open two new stores, and he bought two of our stores.
Tom sold two of his stores, since he wanted to allow himself time to satisfy his entrepreneurial and building hunger. He became a licensed building contractor, found a great partner and investors, and proceeded to buy 25 acres of land and homes to build a new development in one of the best income areas in the Southeast. His business expanded. See the quality of his work at www.prismconstructioninc.com. While you're there, look at their Chambery development--10 acres of this development was ours, and of course, we still own a few lots wanting to build a new home there soon. It's fabulous, and again, you can see the quality of Tom's work.
In his spare time to have even more fun, Tom got his pilot's license. He and a friend bought a plane to use for pleasure. The reason I tell you this is so that you will know that Tom is extraordinary. If you hire him to do a store build-out, expect him to give you tips on the industry while he is doing it. He's a lot of fun, and he will tell you if he thinks that you are doing something right or wrong! I suggest that you listen to him. Once I was his teacher, but now the student is teaching the teacher!
Larry Lehman
Larry Lehman is the first to whom we refer when we are not available for telephone or in-store training. He has done the majority of the VAN consulting for the past two years. Besides being a successful packing and shipping mult-store operator for over a decade, he has extensive experience in business training, and he is a certified trainer for some Retail Shipping Associates classes. In addition, he knows PostalMate POS software quite well--they have hired him a few times to help with calls when they do updates. He also has a working knowledge of ShipRite POS software. Larry Lehman has patience and is one fine person with whom to work. Listen to his comments.
Larry’s experience in sales, sales management, and retail sales dates back to when he helped the phone company open retail stores across the state of Arkansas in the early 1980's. He worked as a national account manager handling the General Motors account for a major data communications company.
In 1994 he built, opened, and developed two successful retail packing and shipping stores in the highly competitive market of Dallas, Texas. While operating those stores he wrote three books specifically for the retail shipping industry--books that are used by independent store owners, turnkey developers, and franchise companies. In 2000, Larry began offering consulting services in this industry, and in 2003 he sold his stores to devote more time to his consulting work.
Larry's formal education helps with his consulting services. He teaches logistics and international shipping courses in the local community college system.
Larry received his BA summa cum laude from Golden Gate University, a masters from Southern Methodist University, and currently he is enrolled in a doctorial program at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also a Graduate of the Defense Language Institute – West Coast where the spent a year in an intensive Polish language program. Larry began using computers in business applications in 1982 when he purchased a CPM based portable computer. His were among the first retail shipping stores in the Dallas market to convert to a computer based manifest and point of sale system.
Larry has consulting experience in the following areas:
- Helping people develop business plans to open a retail shipping store
- Assisting in new store designs
- Providing on site training in packaging techniques and store operations
- Helping store owners refine their accounting procedures using QuickBooks software
- Developing effective marketing plans to target specific communities and markets
- Selling existing stores
- Analyzing problem stores and developing turn-around solutions
Contact Vision Alliance Network for more information. |
