“We all take care of each other and will continue to do so. That is what makes Nashville Wraps different! We have often been told by our customers that we are simply the best company to do business with (for numerous reasons), and to me it feels like we are. That is a blessing and something to be thankful for, and a responsibility to continue for the future.”
The photo at the top right shows Robby when the company was on Woodland Street in East Nashville. Notice the red catalogs laying on the right table. This was taken the week after Thanksgiving in 1988, and he was celebrating 411 orders that week! This was our Black Friday. We are expecting around 10,000 orders for that same week this year! How times have changed.
The People Behind Nashville Wraps
We thought it would be fun to share some of our employees’ thoughts about Nashville Wraps, their favorite products and designs, and a few memories along the way. All of us wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! We are forever grateful for your business.
Kerry Lewis – Purchasing Agent, 34 years (Wow!)
What do you love most about Nashville Wraps? Having my weekends free. I could not tolerate retail hours.
What is your favorite product or design? The timeless design of the Thomas Nast paper shopping bags we used to carry.
Favorite Memory: (Kerry holds the honor of being with Wraps the longest). In the early days on Woodland Street, I was left by myself one Friday while Robby and our only other employee Beverly Lewis went on a church retreat. A full truckload of Rainbow Paper Bags showed up. I started unloading the truck, but had to listen for tires in the gravel parking lot. When a customer showed up, I had to run through the warehouse and greet them at the front. Then I would take their order, type an invoice and collect their payment, pick their order and load it into their car. Then I could go back to the trailer and resume unloading. I wrote my first printed order that day. Fortunately back then, we did not have as much business as we do today.
Harry Marlin – Print Manager, 10 years
Love about Wraps: Representing a company that is design and customer-driven. I truly enjoy working with customers on providing them with a made-to-order product for branding their business.
Favorite Product/Design: Natural Kraft Tint Shopping Bags – the color bags can use so many different hot stamp looks which allows our customers to change bag colors and hot stamp colors for the different holiday seasons.
Connie Ritchie – Credit Manager, 19 years
Love about Wraps: We are family. We are there for our fellow employees when they need us most. I am thankful for Nashville Wraps because I have the privilege to email a daily devotional to our employees. I believe starting your day off with God’s Word makes for a more pleasant day.
Favorite Product/Design: Winter Landscape – I love the snow covered country landscape. It gives you a sense of peace when you look at it.
Beverly Vaughn – Customer Care Supervisor, 18 years
Love about Wraps: We have a beautiful building, sell beautiful products, and work with amazing people. What’s not to love?
Favorite Product/Design: I love printed cello bags for my homemade goodies! They magically turn a couple of cookies or pieces of fudge into a gourmet gift.
Connie Gregory, Assistant Customer Service Manager, 17 years
Love about Wraps: I love the way Nashville Wraps goes out of their way to help those in need – the unselfish acts of generosity that may or may not be seen year after year. Nashville Wraps has always had a giving heart. I think that is one of the reasons why God continues to have his hand on this company.
Favorite Product/Design: I love the Presentation Boxes – my favorite is the Elegant Scroll. I love the chevron print in anything. I also love our tape re-sealable bags and curly bows.
Brenda Coursey, Customer Care Supervisor, 18 years
Love about Wraps: I have seen this happen over and over through the years including to me. When an employee is going through a serious life crisis, Nashville Wraps goes above and beyond to help the employee get through a difficult time.
Favorite Product/Design: Our made in the USA products. I am happy that Nashville Wraps is committed to offering USA products to our customers, which boosts US jobs and manufacturing.
Mike Coursey, Custom Packaging Specialist, 29 years
Love about Wraps: The people I work with are fun and really care about the quality of their work, especially when it comes to our customers.
Favorite Product/Design: Custom printed shopping bags, because we have the chance to help our customers achieve a custom look by making suggestions on color, layout, and overall presentation.
Tracy Rennie, Custom Print Specialist, 21 years
Love about Wraps: We talk to people from all over the world, so it is never boring. I always say, “It’s like a box of chocolates, because you never know what you are going to get!”
Favorite Product/Design: The Holiday Stitches bags with the coordinating ribbons and tissue paper. I love this look and it is perfect for us Southern ladies.
Favorite Memory: A customer called and said his name was Elf Kerry from the North Pole. I immediately thought he was joking. He said “Please don’t hang up, I am for real and this is not a joke!” Several companies he had called had hung up when he told them his name and city. He explained his real name was Elf Kerry from the North Pole. He was ordering gift wrap for presents to give less fortunate children and hosting a parade with all the presents wrapped in his sleigh. He proceeded to place a very large order of gift wrap, tissue and bows. Some time later, we were all thrilled to receive photos of the parade showing dozens of gifts with our wrap.
Patsy Murphy – Print Department Artist, 12 Years
Love about Wraps: My favorite thing about Nashville Wraps is knowing many of the dedicated, caring people who work here. I’ve been working in graphics for 41 years, long before computers, and I still love what I do.
Favorite Product/Design: I see something lovely or fun in most designs. I would think our customers must feel like a kid in a candy store with our assortment of packaging goodies.
Karen Carter – Custom Print Specialist, 19 years
Love about Wraps: We have a lot of great co-workers and caring people that I get the privilege of working with every day. The company is very giving and caring. The people here are like family and have been very kind and good to me.
Favorite Product/Design: I have always liked the Christmas designs. It is one of my favorite times of the year. I especially like the snowmen designs.
Elizabeth Shropshire – Customer Care Agent, 12 years
Love about Wraps: I love the fact that our company does outreach work within the community like Christmas gifts for underprivileged children, serving Thanksgiving dinner to the residents of Hope Lodge who are away from home while undergoing cancer treatments, and giving food and clothes to the Nashville Rescue Mission for the homeless.
Favorite Product/Design: I love the nested box sets for creating gift basket towers. They are a quick and easy way to wrap a gift. Just add your favorite ribbon.
Funny Story: I get amused at how many calls I get throughout the year wanting to hire us to wrap corporate gifts for companies. Some people even call thinking we are in the music industry since we’re in “Music City” and think we are “rappers” – that always brings a big chuckle.
Kevin McLin – Maintenance Supervisor, 12 years
Love about Wraps: We take care of one another, as family.
Favorite Product/Design: Chevron is cool.
Laura Turner – Customer Care Agent, 12 years
Love about Wraps: Working with our customers. Aside from taking orders, I get to work with many of our regular customers. They have become close acquaintances who are willing to take the time to help us become the best we can be with input they give.
Favorite Product/Design: The Woodland Snowman is my favorite Christmas bag because it reminds me of growing up in Illinois. My favorite everyday bag is the Brushed Floral because I love flowers and the bright colors on this bag are eye popping. I love ribbon so ANY of our ribbons interest me because I worked in the floral industry over 20 years!
Patti Plumer – Marketing Assistant, 25 years
Love about Wraps: Getting to meet our customers at the trade shows and the life-long friends I’ve made.
Favorite Product/Design: My favorite design was a few years ago – Confetti Sprinkles Collection. We had just entered the gourmet market and the round nested boxes made me think of cake. And I LOVE cake.
Favorite Memory: When we were still in East Nashville, I would keep my blue jeans in my office so I could help the warehouse when the phones were slow. One particular day, I took the very first 100,000 order. That afternoon while helping in the warehouse, I realized I was pulling that order. Stanley Cummings insisted that I pull it and ship it. I thought that was so cool, and still tell people about it.
Kim Moore – Marketing Assistant, 20 years
Love about Wraps: I am thankful to be a part of a growing company that puts their customers and employees first.
Favorite Product/Design: Snowflake Reindeer & Winter Landscape – simple designs, but so beautiful.
Marty Evans – Art Production Manager, 20 years
Love about Wraps: It is made up of genuinely good people. (Marty is the one responsible for hiding “Pooch” on our catalog covers.)
Favorite Product/Design: I really like the new Blue Indigo line.
Terina Boyd – Graphic Artist/Product Designer/Stylist, 13 Years
Love about Wraps: I love the fact that even though we’ve grown so much through the years, we are still a small family-based business.
Favorite Product/Design: I am a bit partial to our designs. I work with such a wonderful group of people who dedicate their time and talent to make our products look great. Each one is its own work of art!
Stephanie Driver – Drop Ship Coordinator/Customer Care, 11 Years
Love about Wraps: I love the people that I work with. I have co-workers that have become family.
Favorite Product/Design: I love Christmas and all our Christmas products.
Jim Driver – Warehouse Picker, 24 years
Love about Wraps: I am very grateful – the company has been really good to me.
Favorite Product/Design: I love all our traditional Christmas designs.
Selina Craig-Jones – Customer Care Agent, 16 years
Love about Wraps: We have the most caring, kind and generous fellow employees I could hope for, and I get the privilege of working with them every day.
Favorite Product/Design: I love the Chalkboard Snowman Collection because it’s a festive, fun design.
