Valpak: Celebrating 25 Years with the Chamber

By MICHAEL ANDERSON,

Content Development Specialist

For decades, Staten Islanders have cut costs for years by simply checking their mailboxes. That’s where residents find iconic blue Valpak envelopes containing a diverse set of coupons and offers to save money with local merchants.

Valpak -- founded in Florida in the late 1960s -- had a light presence on Staten Island until Sean Conaghan took over local operations 30 years ago.

“It was tough. It was all about the hustle. You had to get up early, stay late, and do things not everyone was prepared to do in terms of just staying busy,” said Conaghan, President of Valpak of Staten Island and Brooklyn Inc. “When I started initially, it was a company of one. Those were some really humble beginnings. 

“I packed a lunch, went to work every day, and hit the streets. It was very raw in the beginning. But you learn a lot in those developmental years, and you impart those experiences to future employees,” he said.

The hustle paid off. In just a few years, Conaghan left his home office for a larger West Brighton headquarters. During the next 22 years, Valpak of Staten Island and Brooklyn Inc. grew and became a trusted outlet for consumers and businesses.

“It was a myriad of things that helped us expand, ranging from entrenching ourselves into the community to receiving quality referrals,” said Conaghan. “Staten Island is a unique borough from the standpoint that the business community will give everybody a chance.

“If you did the right thing, you showed up, and you were making best efforts, they gave you an opportunity to thrive within the business community. I enjoyed that, and I was welcomed with open arms,” he added. “And 30 years later, my employees are still very closely-knit in the business community.” 

While Valpak direct mail still proves to be a highly effective way to market your business, Conaghan recognizes the emergence of digital marketing. 

“We were patient in the beginning.  We watched from the sidelines to see what was happening and, in some cases, what wasn’t happening. What I really wanted to identify was the successful digital media channels, which could positively impact our customers’ sales performance,” he said.          

After analyzing the landscape, Valpak of Staten Island and Brooklyn Inc. jumped into digital marketing with website development, currently managing 600 sites. The company also offers performance tracking solutions and social media marketing. In turn, Conaghan says the company had its best first quarter ever in 2020.

“Ultimately, social media became a channel for advertisers to get messages in front of consumers, which is how they built out the consumer platform,” he said. “We were always acutely aware of what was happening. We just wanted to understand the platform in and of itself and its application towards our customers. And as that channel opened up, we were there to work on our customers’ behalf.”    

This foray into the digital landscape required Valpak of Staten Island and Brooklyn Inc. to relocate to a larger space in Charleston. The new office accommodates 34 locally-employed and 30 external employees.

“This company was built by great people, not one individual, per se.

People who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work tirelessly for the local business community, which is something I enjoy watching on a daily basis,” he said.

One of those people includes his brother, Brian, who has worked at Valpak for 19 years.

“He was a huge catalyst in the evolution of our business, which included the execution, the development, and the vision behind that,” he said.  

Speaking of vision, Conaghan recognized the importance of joining the Chamber 25 years ago to connect Valpak of Staten Island and Brooklyn Inc. with the local business community. 

“You're either in it, or you're not. And I mean that with anything related to business. There are no half commitments,” he said. “The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce has the best concentration of businesses in America. It is the most active. It is the way to network. I attribute a great deal of our success as a company by having a presence with the Chamber of Commerce.”