Counselor Top 40 distributor The Vernon Company (asi/351700) has launched On-Demand Stores, an e-commerce platform that processes orders automatically.

For account executives like John Sease, the platform saves time and allows space for more strategic initiative.

“The turnaround time and quality have been excellent, and the automation frees me to focus on new opportunities,” Sease said. “This platform gives us a major edge over the competition.”

The launch is part of a larger investment in technology and operations at The Vernon Company. The distributor has also upgraded its order entry system, warehousing, shipping and On-Demand platform using ASI’s ESP+ and B2B e-commerce and order management platform Brikl.

Vernon is the latest distributor to capitalize on the growing trend of print on demand, an emerging production model where items are decorated after an order is placed. Vernon has formed strategic partnerships with leading companies in the print-on-demand subsector.

Vernon built its on-demand platform with distributor-specific challenges in mind, including system limitations and cybersecurity issues, according to Lisa Hubbard, Vernon’s vice president of sales and marketing and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of the most influential people in promo.

“We’ve built a flexible system designed to adapt and scale, and we’re committed to continued investment to ensure our customers and account executives have the best possible experience,” she said. “It is a journey that we happily embrace so we can meet the needs of everyone from simple to the most complex customers.”

The Vernon Company was founded in 1902 as a small graphics agency and has since grown into a Counselor Top 40 distributor serving more than 50,000 customers nationwide. With 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $78.5 million, Vernon ranked 28th on Counselor’s most recent list of the industry’s largest distributors.