The company started out as a promotional materials firm, but has evolved in the past two years, adding Web design, marketing and advertising.
The name change grew out of a desire to change the perception of the company as it expanded offerings.
“We all had a different vision for the company, and the name The Wade Co. didn’t provide the shell for what we wanted the company to be. Our goal was to change the perception of our company from a promotional business to a marketing services company,” said Vice President Landon Wade, who is also the founder’s son and his business partner.
In January, Buck Wade added his son and Chief Technical Officer Scott Winkle as co-owners of the business.
The new name, which is also the 53rd element on the periodic table, came from a fictitious company Winkle set up while he developed Kiosk, the proprietary software that has been the major impetus behind the company’s growth.
An idea became reality when, in 2003, the Wade men joined forces and began looking for ways to create a better way for their customers to get what they needed.
“The concept started with Buck’s vision to be able to allow customers to order only what they needed when they needed it instead of bulk ordering,” Winkle said.
Kiosk — an online ordering system that allows companies to establish Web sites used for on-demand ordering of promotional items and office supplies, all featuring a digitized company logo — was launched in August 2006.
Just under half of the company’s customers now use Kiosk, which is the equivalent of about 150 virtual stores.
The key to Kiosk’s success is the back end of the system.
“We have to have things perfect on the back end so it flows seamlessly for our customers,” Buck Wade said.
All of the code was created by Winkle, who continues to develop the concept, integrating customer needs and suggestions.
One client asked about the possibility of establishing individual employee accounts within its Kiosk. Another client needed the option to pay by means other than a credit card.
The trio started talking, and Winkle started coding. Now there is a system that allows customers to set up individual budgets for employees and choose payment options.
“The one thing that’s certain in my mind is that no company of our size should have the capabilities it does, but we do. We have a delivery system that companies need and want — the Kiosk system is at the core of the company’s success,” he said.
Starting with the elder Wade as the only employee, Cerium now has five direct employees and five freelance partnerships, and does what Buck Wade termed an “inordinate amount of dollar volume” for a company of its size.
Last year, the company had its best year ever for revenue, Landon Wade said. The company would not release sales figures. So far this year, they are slightly ahead of that mark, with revenue up 30 percent through Kiosk as opposed to spot purchases.
“We’ve seen decent growth,” the younger Wade said.
While the company has grown in dollar volume and the amount of work, the technology allows them to keep the staff lean.
Freelancers provide Web design, development and graphic design services.
Landon Wade is also seeking partnerships with other local businesses to provide complementary services such as communication strategies and information technology.
“By doing that, we expand the value proposition to our customers. ... To my knowledge, we’re one of the only companies with all of these services under one roof. We want to service the 80 percent of the companies that can’t afford high-dollar services. We still want to give them the high quality and make them feel they’ve gotten a good value for their investment,” he said.
Local businesses are taking notice of the changes at Cerium.
United Way of Clark, Champaign and Madison counties needed to update its current Web site to make it more modern, and wanted to keep the business local.
“Cerium was able to customize our Web site, giving us exactly what we wanted, and stayed within our budget,” said Carah Birch, administrative coordinator.
Rob Rue, co-owner of Littleton and Rue Funeral Home and Crematory has worked with Cerium for about five years and recently became the company’s first full-blown marketing and advertising client.
“We’ve used out-of-area marketing companies that are specific to our business, but as I got to know Landon, his talents and his company’s talents, I knew I could bring that business back home,” Rue said.
Other clients including Gillam Lawn Care, Wittenberg University, Comfort Keepers and Anytime Fitness.
“I’ve never been more confident,” Landon Wade said, “in our ability to compete and offer higher value to our customers for the money they spend with us.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or elroberts@coxohio.com.
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