For over 60 years, Skidmore Sales & Distributing, a national ingredient distributor, has grown through strong relationships, exceptional service, and a reputation that spreads naturally. But as the company matured and growth became harder to sustain through word of mouth alone, the leadership team recognized it was time to rethink their approach to marketing.
“Our sales team is great at growing existing accounts,” said Ron McMinn, VP of Sales & Marketing. “But we needed to be more proactive about reaching new ones.”
That realization led Skidmore to partner with CMO-OnLoan. The goal was to build a strong marketing foundation that could support long-term growth across the organization and help each business reach its potential.
Turning Insight Into Strategy Across a Growing Enterprise
The marketing tools Skidmore had in place were traditional sales materials and a website built for existing customers, but no clear roadmap for attracting new ones. “We had to start from scratch,” Ron said. “We needed to stop and look at what our unique capabilities are, which markets we hadn’t tapped, and how we talk about what makes us different.”
CMO-OnLoan worked side by side with the team to surface insights they already had and shape them into a strategy they could own. “Skidmore had everything they needed to move forward,” said Amy Connor, Founder & CEO of CMO-OnLoan. “Our job was to help them see it through a strategic lens and structure it in a way that supports the whole enterprise.”
Finding the Right Message for the Right Audience
As the work progressed, the biggest shift came not from deliverables, but from mindset. “We’ve always known our model is unique in the ingredient space,” Ron said. “But we didn’t know how to share that message with food manufacturers who didn’t already know us.”
By developing clear audience segments and aligning messaging to what each group values most, the team gained confidence and clarity. “We can now construct the right message for the right person,” Ron shared. “That’s a big change.”
A Marketing Foundation That Supports Growth Company-Wide
With the new strategy in place, Skidmore was ready to take the next step in hiring a full-time marketing manager. CMO-OnLoan helped onboard the new leader and continued to support her in building a long-term plan.
“From the assessment to onboarding to ongoing support, we were focused on setting them up for long-term success,” Amy said. “It was rewarding to watch their confidence grow and help them move forward at the right pace for each part of the business.”
Built to Keep Growing
Today, Skidmore is operating with more clarity, stronger messaging, and a renewed sense of possibility. “We’re not lacking for campaigns or ideas,” said Ron. “Now we know what to do with them.”
To learn more about Skidmore, visit https://skidmoresales.com/.