JPMA

Presentation is important, no matter what you’re talking about. As one of the leading manufacturers of retail store fixtures and displays, JPMA understands the value of having high-quality fixtures to display products. As Bobby Ciricillo puts it, even the most desirable products can still benefit from the proper exposition. “Are you going to present a steak on a paper plate? No, you’re going to serve it on a nice ceramic dinner plate,” says the senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Retail displays have become more important than ever, as retailers are constantly looking for ways to make the shopping experience more pleasurable and convenient for consumers. At one time, only high-end fashion retailers paid much attention to store fixtures, but today retailers from cell phone providers to chocolatiers are putting a lot of effort into the look and feel of their locations. With more than 40 years of experience in the marketplace, JPMA has the talent and capability in-house to help customers realize their goals.

The company was founded in 1968 by Joseph Paventi, a welder who continues to lead the company to this day. Serving a broad base of customers throughout North America and the rest of the world, the company operates out of more than 1 million square feet of space in Montreal, with showrooms in New York, Paris and Shanghai.  In every segment it serves, JPMA focuses on manufacturing fixtures that do more than just provide space for displaying products – they also work to make those products more appealing to customers. “We create trendy and fashionable furniture,” Ciricillo says.

In-House Capabilities

JPMA stands apart from the rest of the competition because it provides customers with the complete package. Other providers of retail store fixtures assemble outsourced pieces. With a massive manufacturing facility, JPMA does practically everything for customers themselves. “We do a finished product in-house, whereas other people do bits and pieces,” Ciricillo says.

The capabilities of JPMA’s production facility, puts this company at the front end of the manufacturing industry. For example, the company’s electro-plating tanks are larger than most, enabling JPMA to offer one-piece construction of components. Other manufacturers have to assemble smaller pieces into larger components, resulting in seams and the potential for wear and tear. The company performs all of its veneering in-house and so can guarantee that customers always receive the highest-quality materials. “Price is one thing, but in retail people are looking at quality,” Ciricillo says. “JPMA values the sensitivity of the client’s design needs.”

Ensuring that level of quality means investing in the most advanced manufacturing equipment on the market, Ciricillo says. A top priority is JPMA’s adoption of state-of-the-art equipment that keeps the company on the cutting-edge of manufacturing. “There’s always an evolution in machinery,” Ciricillo says. “We’ve been keeping up with the times as far as what machines are available in the industry.”

Growth Potential

Because JPMA sells its products directly to retailers, it avoids many of the problems facing the store fixture market caused by the economy. “I think the biggest challenge is that the economy is putting a lot of pressure on retailers to get more value out of their money,” Ciricillo says.

Many of JPMA’s competitors are essentially middlemen assembling products sourced from other vendors. Because these competitors are being pressured on price, they often are forced to cut corners and provide retailers with a lower-quality product. JPMA manufactures and sells products directly to retailers, so they can ensure the customers do not receive any surprises along the way.

JPMA has changed a lot since its early days and there are plenty of opportunities for growth in the near future. The use of recycled and repurposed materials is just one of the recent developments JPMA has incorporated into its operations. “We used to make simple metal fixtures and now our products are more complex using a variety of materials,” Ciricillo says.

JPMA expects to remain a highly sought-after provider for retailers, especially since their focus on high-end fixtures complements the retail world’s emphasis on improving the consumer experience. Even though online retailing is a big business, he says, many consumers still prefer to see a product in a physical environment before making a purchase. “The idea is to provide people with an experience that inspires.”