The Golden Ticket Prize

Last year, the Jaftex Companies ran a Golden Ticket Promotion. Customers received golden tickets based on the amount of business they wrote with each of the Jaftex companies for 2023. The more business you wrote, the better your chances were of winning. At the end of the year, we randomly picked tickets and ended up with two winners. I know you are going to be super jealous, but I need to tell you about the prizes….it was a trip to say the least. This was not an ordinary prize or trip. For fabric shop owners, this was the creme de la creme of prizes and a very cool trip too.

It all started on March 12, 2024. The crew of people partaking in this special 2-day event all landed at the Greenville, SC (GSP) Airport. It was me, my brother, the two winners, their sales reps, Marcus on video and Nancy who manages FreeSpirit Fabrics.

From the airport, we set sail in two cars. Greg and I each drove a car. Everyone piled in. We don’t often drive or fly together, but that’s another story for another day. Our first stop was at the Fabric Editions office in Greenville, South Carolina. We were welcomed by the entire Jaftex Customer Service Team, the Jaftex Credit Team and the entire Fabric Editions/3 Wishes Team.

At the Fabric Editions office, the winners and their reps got to chat with the customer service and credit teams. I felt it was important for them to have a face-to-face with the people they work with. After that, the Fabric Editions/3 Wishes team provided a very thorough tour of the office and a high-level overview of the business. This included some sneak peeks and insights into future business plans.

After the Greenville Office, we all went for lunch and then set sail for Seneca, SC where we would be staying for the night. Upon arrival, we checked in, relaxed in our rooms, got ready for dinner and headed out to dinner. The dinner was lovely. We enjoyed each other’s company, learning about one another and hearing about everyone’s business among sew much other stuff and stories. I always appreciate some quality one-on-one time with valued customers. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and hit the hay. Everyone would need their sleep as Wednesday was going to be a very busy and exciting day.

The big day had arrived. Wednesday, we met in the lobby and headed for breakfast at this old-school diner-type of restaurant. After breakfast, it was time for the prize. We then headed to the G&S Warehouse where we keep our FreeSpirit, Henry Glass, Studio E, A.E. Nathan & 3 Wishes products.

The winners couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw how massive the warehouse was….oh yeah and how much fabric there was too! After they cooled down, we did the usual stuff that we do on a warehouse tour. We show all the machines being used, the different rooms and the locations of each of the fabrics from each of the brands, the fabrics being packed and shipped and everything in between. Now for the good stuff….the prize.

Aside from all the nice things that happened up until this point being as good as a prize, the time of reckoning was here. As the most important part of “the prize”, the shop owners each got to select a generous number of full bolts of fabric. And let’s just think back to that comment you can often hear me make, “Our prizes are overly generous!” We shipped everything that they picked right to their shops.

It was so great to watch the winners rummaging through the aisles to find the perfect bolt prizes to take back to their shops. It was nice to hear the banter as they chatted with each other and their sales reps. Overall, a great day was had by all…..especially me! Congratulations to all the winners!