HIRSCH HAPPENINGS: THE LEGACY OF KAIZEN

There are few bonds as profound as the relationship between a father and son. After 20 years of Peter Hirsch leading the company he founded to tremendous success, it was announced last week that he would pass the baton to his son Paul, who will now lead the promotional products supplier as CEO.

Since the inception of Hirsch Gift in 1999, Paul has been heavily involved in the business. With only 5 employees total, Paul would leave high school to work on the pad press and help with production. As he learned coding in college, he began building the Hirsch Gift website, elements of which remain on the site you see today. When he graduated, he took on the role of vice president and began absorbing the intricate workings of the company like a sponge. 

“As my role has developed over the last 20 years, the weight of decision making rested heavily on my shoulders, however with every obstacle I discovered the resilience and wisdom that my father imparted to me. True leadership isn’t always about knowing all the right answers, it’s about working like my dad always has - by staying humble, staying hungry, and resolving to continuously improve himself and others. I look forward to continuing his legacy of kaizen for many years to come.”

Kaizen - a Japanese word meaning continuous improvement -  is the mantra at the Hirsch headquarters, and is the core value that our current staff of 100+ employees works by. The Hirsch team is excited for Paul’s new C-suite title to match his responsibilities.

“While this promotion was inevitable for Paul, he’s spent the last 20 years gaining the respect of his team, colleagues, and customers through hard work and dedication to the business,” our Director of Sales and Marketing, Brittany Frase, explained. “The title change reflects the work Paul has been doing informally for years, and we are excited for him and our future.”

Casey Seraphin, our Client Services Director continued, “As a company that specializes in technology products, it’s about time the old man handed over the reins. In all seriousness, Paul has been an integral part of the operational structure of the business, and his role is a natural transition for us.”

Other members of the team shared a similar sentiment: that while this is a significant shift in management, the day-to-day operations of Hirsch will stay the same.

So what’s Paul’s first move as the new CEO?  

“As we move into our busiest time of year, my initial focus remains the same as it was in my VP role – ensuring that our value proposition is better than ever.” Paul said, “We must have the right product in our line that resonates with our customers and end users, with the proper infrastructure in place to support quick and efficient turnaround times.”

So we’ll still be producing the same great promo that we’ve become known for, and are looking forward to expanding our reputation as the leading supplier of retail brands in the promo space. We’ll continue to #kaizen at the #samenewhirsch.