Leon Gorman of L.L.Bean Keynotes During 2007 ACCM

Boston, MA, May 22, 2007 — Leon Gorman was once unable to fish, let alone guide customers interested in purchasing fishing tackle at the store owned by his grandfather, the legendary Leon Leonwood Bean. But Gorman managed to transform himself into an avid outdoorsman and L.L.Bean into a billion-dollar enterprise.

Gorman, who serves as the company’s chairman and is its former president, spoke today at the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) about remaining true to the company’s roots while bringing the nearly-centenarian venture into the multichannel marketing era. ACCM is taking place May 21 – 23 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

This morning, Gorman shared his experiences and the behind-the-scenes struggles that preserved the identity of his grandfather’s company, starting with that first rubber boot topped with stitched leather. From the first mailed brochure touting the Maine Hunting Shoe to the current Web pages boasting pastoral or nautical-themed images, L.L.Bean still guarantees its products provide “perfect satisfaction in every way” or your money back.

After taking over the post of president in 1967, Gorman introduced the "stakeholder concept," which linked the company's success to its customers, employees, stockholders, vendors, communities, and the environment. During the next 30 years, he turned the company into a billion-dollar, multichannel enterprise — and left a significant mark on the conservation community.

In 1992, Gorman was inducted into the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Hall of Fame; his grandfather, who passed away in 1967, was similarly honored in 1982. In 2001, he stepped down from L.L.Bean as president and was named Chairman of the Board.

In his keynote speech and in his newly-released book, L.L.Bean: The Making of an American Icon, Gorman explores his experiences building the family business and bringing it into the 21stcentury.

About the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM)

Co-sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Multichannel Merchant, the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) is the world’s largest and most comprehensive conference for catalog, Internet, and multichannel professionals. The three-day ACCM is being held May 21 – 23 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. For more information, please visit www.accmshow.com.

About Multichannel Merchant

MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT helps executives manage all facets of their businesses by providing superior analysis of successful strategies across all areas of multichannel marketing — print, catalogs, e-commerce, merchandising, operations, retail and more. It’s the one source that helps professionals capitalize on opportunities in their core businesses, and integrate strategies to maximize their successes in each channel. MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT’S franchise includes MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT magazine; the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM); MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT Weekly, List & Data Strategies, and Searchline e-newsletters; www.multichannelmerchant.com; the Annual Multichannel Merchant Awards; and much more.

For more information on the 2007 MCM Awards please visit: www.multichannelmerchant.com/toolbox/awards or contact Heather Retzlaff at 203.358.4233 or heather.retzlaff@penton.com.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2006, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $166.5 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated $1.93 trillion in incremental sales. Last year, direct marketing accounted for 10.3 percent of total US GDP. Also, there are today 1.7 million direct marketing employees in the US alone. Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.8 million other jobs. That accounts for 10.5 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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