Company Profile
Freeman
Company Overview
Freeman is the premier provider of integrated marketing solutions for live engagements, including expositions, conventions, corporate events and exhibits across the globe. Founded in 1927, Freeman’s brand purpose remains steadfast: Connecting People in Meaningful Ways.
Under third generation leadership, Freeman has grown into a global brand providing unmatched strategic, creative and logistic services complemented by a breadth and depth of award winning product solutions. Despite the company’s success, Freeman understands that in order to keep pace with the evolving demands of the global economy, ever changing technology and the evolution of how humans communicate, it must be committed to performance excellence and innovation.
We count on and empower our employee-owners to bring this vision to life with every customer, every time. Our values - integrity, empathy, innovation, enthusiasm and performance excellence – define who we are and why we do what we do…we call it True Blue!
Company History
Donald S. “Buck” Freeman, visionary founder of his namesake company, Freeman, began his career while a college student at the University of Iowa. As a pledge for a national fraternity, he discovered that he enjoyed decorating fraternity parties across campus. The success of decorating fraternity and sorority parties led Buck to form the New Idea Service Company in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1923. The “idea” grew and the company expanded to serve larger universities and state schools.
In 1927, Buck opened the first Freeman Decorating Company (FDC) office in Des Moines, Iowa where they began to perform work for fairs and small regional events. As Buck grew to be an entrepreneurial leader in the event industry, he built his successes upon the marketplace’s needs and responded accordingly. During World War II, Buck redirected his work to support the war effort by painting government barracks, hospitals and airport runways. Freeman Contractors, Inc. was formed to handle this special government work, including extensive camouflage work at several training airports in the Midwest. Following the war, Buck continued with his decorating business in the state of Iowa. In 1950, Freeman was asked to build an exhibit at the State Fair of Texas. It was in Dallas that Buck opened an office and warehouse, which eventually became the company’s headquarters in 1974.
Buck laid the path that led to an expansion of FDC with the acquisitions of additional decorating, freight, exhibit and audio visual companies. As the client roster grew, so did Freeman’s service offerings which included corporate events support, creative event design, content, logistics, construction, installation, decor, graphics, staging, a full range of audio visual services, electrical, as well as freight shipping and handling services. In 1985, the Convention Industry Council named Buck Freeman one of the original 11 Industry Hall of Leaders inductees for his major contributions to the growth and professionalism of the meeting and trade show industry. The CIC Hall of Leaders is the highest form of recognition in the hospitality, tourism and event industry for a lifetime of significant achievement.
Notable Products / Brands
Freeman, Freeman Audio Visual Solutions, Alford Media, Stage Rigging, FreemanXP, AVT Event Technologies, and Encore Productions
Notable Clients
Many Fortune 500 Clients
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Freeman and its employees have received numerous awards and recognition for their contributions to the exposition industry and for achievements with clients. The company is represented by five inductees into the prestigious Convention Industry Council Hall of Leaders. Freeman founder Buck Freeman was a charter inductee, and son Don Freeman was inducted in 1993. Freeman is the only company to have five inductees, the most out of any organization represented in the Hall’s fifteen year history. Don Freeman was also inducted into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders in 2011. In January 2012, Don Freeman won the PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) Lifetime Achievement Award.
Among national and international honors, Freeman and its staff have received more than 100 awards for personal and industry achievement, including:
• Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award winners in Southwest Area North for our industry.
• Trade Show Executive Innovation Awards in 2008, 2010 & 2011, and two in 2012
• More than 50 awards for accomplishments in design and technology, including a top 200 ranking from InformationWeek 500 every year since 2010.
• More than 40 awards for client services including Telly Awards (two silvers in 2009, five total in 2010, two silvers in 2011 and one each of silver and bronze in 2012) - all in various event design categories • National Customer Support Center of Excellence certification by J.D. Power and Associates (every year since 2010)
• A top 25 ranking as one of the “Top 100 Places to Work” in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in 2010
• A Well-Managed Family Business Award from Baylor University’s Institute for Family Business in 2011 - See more at: http://jobs.nrf.com/r/company/profile/index.cfm?site_id=15742#sthash.YBv1ATXI.dpuf
Benefits
PTO goes up one day each January 1 you are with the company up to a max of 25 days (10 years)
Private Employee Stock Ownership Plan (after working 1,000 hours)