Freedom Graphic Systems Named SeQuel’s 2023 David Forster Vendor of the Year
Freedom Graphic Systems has been named SeQuel Response’s eighth-annual David Forster Vendor of the Year, honoring the production partner’s display of concerted effort, integrity, proactivity, creativity, and unselfishness. The award was presented to Freedom Graphic Systems representatives during a luncheon ceremony on March 11th. This is the first time Freedom Graphic Systems has received this recognition from SeQuel.
The award is named for David Forster, who worked with his mother, Sandy, at Little Pepper Promotions – SeQuel’s branded clothing and gifts supplier. In June 2016, David passed away unexpectedly at the age of 27 while training for a marathon. Doctors later discovered that David had myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that was likely caused by an unknown virus. In David’s honor, SeQuel recognizes an outstanding vendor partner each year who demonstrates David’s most admirable qualities.
“Freedom has been a family-owned company since 1986, so it also has a strong family atmosphere, much like SeQuel,” said Paula Phipps, SeQuel’s Director of Production. “Celebrating this honor every year reminds us of David and the qualities that he displayed – effort, integrity, proactivity, creativity, and unselfishness. When we nominate vendors for this award, we are looking for these same qualities. We are encouraged to see the partnership with Freedom continue to grow in the years to come.”
“When we first learned that Freedom had been nominated for vendor of the year, the excitement was shared throughout the company,” said Scott Liebert, SVP of Sales and Marketing. “In Freedom’s Mission Statement, there is a sentence that describes the culture: “Creating Customers for Life”. Freedom recognizes that in today’s fast-changing, competitive business environment, excellent customer service is essential for success and the key to differentiating our business in the marketplace. Thank you again for this award and the recognition on behalf of Freedom.”
As part of the annual award, SeQuel donates in David Forster’s name to a charity of the Forster family’s choosing. Freedom Graphic Systems has generously matched the donation. This year, the gift will go to the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship’s scholarship fund at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.
“Freedom has been performing admirably, with a can-do attitude. They have been on schedule, on budget, with good clarity surrounding costs and planning,” said Erik Koenig, SeQuel’s President. “The quality of their work has been consistent, and their performance has been impressive. We look forward to watching them perform for our clients again in 2024.”