Front-Runner

So Rick Hodges, president of this family-owned, Portsmouth, R.I.-based B-to-B cataloger of ribbons, rosettes, medals, presentation silver, sashes and buttons, targeted his biggest cost center — postage rates — as the focal point for potential savings.

His goal was to cut costs without reducing the circulation of his catalog, which accounts for more than 70 percent of company sales. His solution: change the catalog’s format to a slim jim, which created cost savings while allowing circ to remain stable. Beginning with its general athletic book this past August, Hodges Badge began mailing slim-jim catalogs.