Business Opportunity

[jeff]

I received the following email today. If any of you are interested in being put in touch with this person, send me a PM with your preferred contact information, and I'll forward to him. I have exchanged email with him and I believe this to be completely legitimate, but you'll have to make your own determination. Looks like a nice opportunity for the right penmaker.

Hello,

My name is Tanner Vickers and I work for Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. We are hoping to institute a new tradition on campus that features the use of customized pens. The pens will be used by students to sign their name as a symbolic agreement to the university's honor code. This will take place during Convocation, which is a longstanding tradition hosted by the university in honor of the beginning of the academic year.

I am in search of a person or organization that could create customized, refillable pens for the university. We would like to incorporate traditional elements of the campus, and perhaps even construct the pens out of wood provided from trees on campus. However, I am not sure where to start or who to contact. I thought that this organization could refer me to someone who could fulfill our request.

Thank you,

Tanner Vickers
Assistant Director of Student Development and Campus Vibrancy

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

With all the members in Florida I would think someone would love it, thinking Bruce119

 

[jeff]

Excellent point Roy. I'm sure they'd love to see the work in-person.

 

[Dalecamino]

Sounds like a great idea to me. Not sure my pens are worthy though. I guess they would tell me.:biggrin:

 

[GaryMGg]

Tanner J. Vickers
(386) 822-8784
tvickers@stetson.edu
Assistant Director for Vibrancy & Traditions,
Student Development and Campus Vibrancy
Carlton Union Building - 212Unit 8416

Stetson has a very good reputation and is a lovely campus in the heart of quaint DeLand, FL.
If memory serves me correctly, it's not too far from Keith's (VisExp) home.

 

[jeff]

I was trying to give the guy a smooth, somewhat organized introduction to some of our penmakers who might be able to help him out.

Now that Gary has posted his info, I guess I'll let you all take it from here.

 

[GaryMGg]

Sorry, all I did was google his position at Stetson; that's from their website.
I should have read your OP more carefully.
Mea culpa. I apologize.

 

[sbell111]

A million years ago, I earned my MBA from Rollins College. At the beginning of my first year, there was a dinner to recognize those of us who wee awarded a scholarship. During which, we were each presented with a wooden pen with the Rollins seal lasered onto it. While I would likely donate similar pens to my alma mater for this use, I have no doubt that they paid far less for those pens than I am willing to sell them for.

I'm highly interested in knowing how this turns out. My guess is that the only way a deal is going to be made for these pens is if a Stetson grad is willing to provide them the pens at or below cost.

 

[randyrls]

Maybe one of our members is a stetson grad?

 

[sbell111]

Maybe one of our members is a stetson grad?

Perhaps.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

First question to ask is how many pens are we talking about each year? This could be a nice gig.

 

[cnirenberg]

Maybe one of our members is a stetson grad?

I threw up on their campus once.....It was another life truly.

 

[Dalecamino]

I wanted to get more information about this, so I sent an email to Mr. Vickers. Got an auto-reply saying he was out of the office, and would reply upon his return. Guess I'll try the phone next.

If anyone has info yet, I'd like to hear about it.

 

[jeff]

I've heard from Mr. Vickers and he's been contacted by plenty of people.

Thanks for the good response.

 

[Dalecamino]

I'm curious... Has anybody heard from Mr. Vickers with a confirmation yet? I would love to see the pens.

 

[DestinTurnings]

Nothing here....and I believe I sent an email out about 15 minutes after this was posted. Never heard a word.

 

[nativewooder]

I heard from Mr. Vickers but I had to say no as he wanted the 4 pens complete by Aug. 14. To design 4 different pens (one for each class), submit the designs to him, and deliver completed pens so soon is not for me.