Continuing on our month-long journey of recognizing and celebrating the badass women who have been difference makers in our industry, we have the pleasure of sharing an impactful conversation with had with Tierney Culmer from Culmer Pen. When it comes to those who have helped paved the way for women-led suppliers in our industry, Tierney is right at the forefront.
Stay tuned throughout the month for more showcases and product features from women-owned suppliers!
Can you please tell us about yourself and Culmer Pen
My name is Tierney Culmer, owner of Culmer Pen. We are a Canadian-owned, third-generation family business. Our roots are in the sales and marketing of fine writing instruments. We cover brands in Canada, the likes of Cross, which is 176 years old this year, Sheaffer, which celebrates 110 years old, and we also have our own brand of Culmer Pens, which has 30 years of existence.
My grandparents started the business in the early 1950’s at the retail level in Montreal, Quebec. They transitioned it over to my parents, who began the wholesale distribution arm of the business, and when I took over, more than 30 years ago, I started the promotional side of Culmer Pen, which brings us to where we are today.
Today we are celebrating International Women’s Day. Why is this an important day of recognition?
International Women’s Day is a global and very powerful initiative that recognizes and celebrates women and girls, political, social, cultural, and even economic achievements. I think it is a great day to raise awareness for the progress that has already been made in achieving gender equality, while still focusing light on the work that needs to be done in order to foster positive change in the world ahead of us.
Do you have any female role models that helped shape your personal and professional life?
I am very lucky to be blessed with a long line of very powerful women in my life that have helped me get to where I am today. Starting with my great-grandmother on my paternal side, she raised 17 children during World War 1, almost single-handedly. My grandmother was also instrumental in this business, working it until she was almost 86 years of age, 7 days a week in their retail pen shop in Montreal. She was waxing the floor almost every single day, whether it needed it or not. The transition then, to my parents, with my mom having also a very instrumental role in growing the business, through the economic challenge of the recession or what have you, really brought me to where I am today. I, too, surround myself with a long list of powerful women in the office, on my sales team inside and also on the road.
You are a member of the WBE, Women Business Enterprises Canada, of which Genumark is a corporate sponsor of, could you talk a bit about the organization and its role?
WBE is a Canadian, not-for-profit organization that basically opens doors for women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, by connecting them with corporate supply chains and fostering relationships that drive growth, while enabling women equal opportunity and access to supply chains all while creating a more diverse and inclusive basis in the industry around them.
Why was it important for Culmer Pen to join WBE, and why should other women-owned businesses join?
I thought it was very important for Culmer Pen to join WBE, not only for the obvious business advantages that it allows, but, as a woman and a mother, I feel that it is very important to enable a level playing field, not only for our generation but for generations in the future. Whether conscious or biased, gender inequality does exist in the workplace. It is harder for women to advance themselves, regardless of their qualifications. I think any platform that comes together collectively as a group to foster this change and to encourage gender equity is one that is invaluable to any woman in business.
We are seeing a lot more demand for diversity in supply chains. Can you speak to that and why it is essential for businesses moving forward?
I think if big business can empower women entrepreneurs with business opportunities, it almost plants a generational seed, whereby she is now in a better position to perhaps offer a higher level education to her daughter. That in turn gives industry a richer, deeper, more diverse talent pool for us to draw from.
Moving forward, I think this pandemic has laid the foundation for us to reassess how we live and work. It has given us an amazing opportunity to advance our diversity, our equity, and our inclusion goals. After all, equality drives innovation and growth. It gives people the power to be the best that they can be, both professionally and personally.
We thank Tierney for sitting with us!
Are you a female-owned or led business looking to get into the promotional products supplier space?
