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IMC Launches New Digital Innovation Division “IMC_di” to Further Enhance and Extend World-Class Physical Markets in Atlanta, Las Vegas and High Point

Announces Acquisitions of Pharos & RepZio to Fast-Track Creation of Best-in-Class B2B E-commerce Solution for the Gift, Home Furnishings & Apparel Industries

ATLANTA, LAS VEGAS, HIGH POINT, N.C. – (January 15, 2020) – International Market Centers (“IMC”) announced today its launch of IMC_di, a wholly-owned, stand-alone, B2B e-commerce division, which will offer vendors a single integrated digital platform enabling them to reach new buyers, capture leads and grow sales. Building on IMC’s 20 million square feet of physical markets in Atlanta, Las Vegas and High Point, the e-commerce platform will allow buyers to transact – in-person or online through one integrated account – seamlessly bridging physical and digital sales .

 

IMC_di will be created through the concurrent acquisitions of two best-in-class technology companies focused on the gift, home furnishings and apparel industries: Pharos (formerly a division of Whereoware) and RepZio. Pharos is an integrated sales, marketing and commissioning software tailor-made for the gift and home furnishings industry. RepZio is a patented business-to-business sales solution and digital marketplace enabling wholesale vendors and buyers to connect and transact on a B2B basis.

 

“This is a game-changing opportunity for IMC and the industries we serve,” said Bob Maricich, chief executive officer for IMC. “IMC_di’s customer-centric digital tools will connect physical and digital markets and will amplify the business-to-business and person-to-person experiences that make our markets so special.  This new digital platform will enhance and extend IMC’s physical markets –connecting hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers – and will open new business opportunities for customers. We look forward to delivering a seamlessly integrated omni-channel B2B commerce platform to the industry.”

 

To optimize deep industry and technology expertise, IMC_di’s leadership will include principals from both Pharos, RepZio and IMC. Eric Dean, founder of Pharos, will become the president of IMC_di. RepZio founders, Max and Alex Fraser, as well as Brandon Ward, who currently leads digital services at IMC, will serve as senior vice presidents. Together, this combined executive team has more than 75 years of demonstrated experience in wholesale markets, software development, B2B commerce and customer-centric digital innovation.

 

“Our industry is in need of easy-to-access tech solutions that reduce friction, and IMC’s ownership and stewardship will enable us to make that software solution a reality,” said Dean. “IMC’s physical markets and web platforms already deliver a global and highly-engaged audience. After watching this need develop in the industry for more than 20 years, I’m excited to have the talent and resources to realize this vision and fully address the opportunity in the market.”

 

In addition to supplier and buyer benefits, IMC_di’s products will bridge physical and digital sales and work in harmony with multi-line sales agencies to provide for seamless commissioning execution.

 

“Our mother was a sales representative in the decorative home furnishings industry for 20 years, and almost 10 years ago we developed RepZio to help her on the road and at market,” said Alex Fraser. Max Fraser added, “Reps often tell us that we’ve made their work easier and helped them to be more successful. We’re delighted to partner with IMC and are very excited to expand our software tools and solutions at IMC_di.”

 

At closing, the IMC_di team will number 47, including engineers, seasoned developers and marketers of software. Within the 12 months, IMC_di will hire an additional 50-75 full time employees with particular emphasis on solution-based product development, hands-on customer success and on-boarding, and user experience.

 

“Since its founding in 2011, IMC’s mission has been clear and consistent: to provide the most effective, efficient and compelling B2B Marketplace for the industries we serve – for both buyers and sellers,” added Maricich. “IMC_di is the logical next step in our commitment to this mission, making discovery more efficient, relationships more valuable, and our physical markets more effective for our industry.”

 

About International Market Centers: International Market Centers (IMC) is the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for furniture, gift, home décor, rug, and apparel industries. International Market Centers owns and operates nearly 20 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and Atlanta. IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furniture, gift, home décor, rug, and apparel industries. For more information on IMC, visit http://dev-imcenters.pantheonsite.io/.  IMC is a Blackstone and Fireside Investments portfolio company.

 

Press Contacts:

Cathy Steel, (203) 340-9251

csteel@imcenters.com

 

Brandon Ward, (336) 888-3760

bward@imcenters.com

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ATLANTA, HIGH POINT, N.C., LAS VEGAS., (April 2, 2020) – In an effort to address business disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, International Market Centers (IMC) and its digital innovation division IMC_di announced today that free subscriptions and transactions will be offered to customers through year-end on ShopZio, its B2B digital platform that facilitates product and resource discovery as well as e-commerce.

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CHANTILLY, VA., (April 9, 2020) – Adoption of the ShopZio B2B digital platform has surged – with more than 100 new vendor registrations in less than one week – following the recent announcement by International Market Centers (IMC) and its digital innovation division, IMC_di, that free subscriptions and transactions will be offered to IMC customers through year-end. These newcomers, which include top industry brands and broad category representation, nearly double the number of vendors on the discovery and e-commerce platform.

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CHANTILLY, VA., (March 18, 2020) – Signaling its commitment to digital growth, IMC_di, the new digital innovation division of International Market Centers (IMC), announces more than a dozen recent hires including new staff for development, implementation, marketing and customer success. “IMC is not slowing down. We are accelerating our investment in digital,” said Bob Maricich, chief executive officer for IMC. “With COVID-19 causing postponement of our March and April markets in Atlanta and High Point, we are taking aggressive steps to digitally connect buyers and sellers – wherever and whenever they need to meet to do business.” “We are in exponential growth mode during a time of unprecedented global business disruption,” said IMC_di President Eric Dean. “This first wave of new hires – just two months after our launch – puts experienced professionals into key positions and increases our depth of skills across the entire organization.” IMC_di welcomes Marisa Garcia as Senior Director of Customer Success, with responsibility for building and managing a team that delivers a world class customer experience for both sellers and buyers. Garcia brings 10 years of retail engagement and e-commerce strategy experience to her role, most recently working with Scout & Molly’s, a fashion retailer with 50 locations in 19 states, and JOOR, a wholesale platform and data exchange connecting 8,600 fashion, beauty and home brands with 200,000 retailers across 144 countries. Andrew Meeks joins IMC_di as Director of Marketing, with responsibility for developing a strategic vision and marketing plan for the company’s software platforms. Meeks brings 20 years of tactical and strategic marketing experience for a diverse range of regional and national companies including information and medical technology, legal, heavy industrial and telecommunications. Most recently, as Marketing Director of Marketing Help Atlanta, he packaged his marketing and design skill set into a retained services model for regional B2C and B2B companies. In addition to full-time staff, IMC_di has retained retailer Mary S. Moore, owner of the Atlantabased Cook’s Warehouse stores, as a consultant. In this role, Moore will provide executive-level direction and strategic visioning with a specific focus on the retailer experience. With 25+ years retail experience, Moore understands and appreciates the relationship between markets, vendors, sales representatives and retailers. She also has been in e-commerce for more than 13 years and developed an app allowing people to find foods based on diets, allergies and cuisine preferences. Another nine staff will support IMC_di’s programming, development and customer support needs. Working from IMC_di’s office in Juno Beach, FL, newly staffed positions include Back End Developer, Front End Developer, Application Developer, Enterprise Architect, Product Manager, Project Management Office Lead, Tech Lead and Quality Engineer. New hires in IMC_di’s Chantilly, VA, office will increase capacity and capabilities in development, user experience, sales and marketing, customer success and onboarding. With these latest hires, the IMC_di staff now numbers approaches 60. The company will continue to hire aggressively for technology and customer facing positions, with another 30-40 hires planned in the near term. Details about career opportunities in IMC_di’s offices in Juno Beach, FL, and Chantilly, VA, are available online at https://www.andmore.com/careers-at-imc/. About IMC_di: IMC Digital Innovations (IMC_di) is a stand-alone division of International Market Centers (IMC), the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the home furnishings, gift, and apparel industries. Launched in January 2020, IMC_di will build an industry-changing platform including a global B2B e-commerce marketplace, a full suite of integrated marketing and sales automation software and smart showroom tools. With bold people and bold ambitions — and by investing as much as $100 million — IMC_di will change and grow the industries IMC serves. # # # Press Contact: Cathy Steel, (203) 340-9251, cathysteel@cathysteelassociates.com

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2019-12-15