Meet Edward Fulton | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Edward Fulton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Edward, what do you want people to remember about you?
I would like to be thought of as a person who took the success that came my way and the resources that it generated to help others who were less fortunate. I give alot to children through my sons charter school; sponsoring different events, donating money/resources to the school, taking time out of my day to show up and volunteer, because I know how important it is to give back to the community and for children to see success in action and that someone in the community cares about their future and hopefully inspires them to be better people. My adopted motto is “Non Sibi Sed Aliis- Not for self but for others”

I created a formula for sucess that I share with others – 25% Gods Grace & Mercy + 25% Socialization (education, family, exposure, mentoring, etc.) + 25% Luck + 25% Hardwork.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was fortunate enough to partcipate in Junior Achievement during high school. Junior Achievments focus is to teach financial literacy, career readiness, and foster the entrepreneurial spirit. In Junior Achievment you work with other students and community volunteers from local corporations/businesses to create a company with corporate officers and decide on a product to design, manufacture, promote, and sell to the public. I was fortunate to become President of two companies in my Junior Achievemnt years and to win, twice, the “Outstanding Young Businessman of The Year” award. This experience fostered my desire to become a corporate officer of a major company and my path to acquire a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. After graduating high schhol I entered Morehouse College and then on to Georgia State University where I acquired my business degree. While attending Georgia State I was working full time/part-time at The Coca-Cola Company, Coke, in the mailroom and attending college full-time/part-time. It was hard going at times, but I was determined to succeed; going back to Columbus was not an option for me, as I knew, if I went back I might never leave again. Plus, I had a younger brother and sister at home that my mom was trying to finish raising, so I couldn’t go back to be a burden on her and I never asked her to help me with money or anything. I was determined to do for myself. There were times where I was hungry, evicted, my jalopy car stopped working, and I was on the bus line. But my situation was no different from my college friends, we were all dealing with some of the same things we just bonded, did what we had to do to make it. Many of those college friends remain my truest friends today, 40 years later.

I was always a leader; VP of my high school senior class, president of Junior Achievement, a wining high school debater , a winning team member of Model United Nations, high school graduating commencemnet speaker, and honors graduate of my high school. I took all that confidence with me as a young adult; landing in the mailroom at Coke. While at Coke, I continued to be a leader, speaking up/voicing employee concerns to management; eventuallly becoming a Mail Floor Coordinator, responsible for the delivery of mail/packages and acting as the mailroom liason for employees on several floors within Coke corporate headquarters. Because of my leadership skills and hard work, I became noticed by Coke management and I asked the Manager of Mail Services to become my Mentor. He agreed and we would meet periodically to discuss my longterm career goals, discuss life, and business. I had been at Coke by this time for 5 years; having graduated college and trying to get a job upstairs out ot the mailroom. Several of my coworkers had graduated college and were having the same problems trying to get a job upstairs and becoming frustrated. I just kept working hard at Coke and one day my Mentor and I was talking and I was sharing my frustration with not being able to get a job upstairs at Coke. He said to me ” Edward your a smart capable guy and I know you want to stay here at Coke, but you may need to leave here and go somewhere else and get some management experience and then come back to Coke one day.’ I didn’t want to hear that, but I heard him and started looking for jobs outside of Coke. Then one day, soon thereafter, he called me to his office and said, “I just got off the phone with the Manager of Mail Services at Georgia-Pacific Coprporation here in Atlanta and she’s looking for a Mail Services Supervisor and I told her I have just the person you need.” He gave me her contact information. I called her, interviewed with her, and she hired me. I left Coke and started working at Georgia-Pacific as Mail Services Supervisor; responsible for about 20 employees at 3 satellite mailrooms. While working at Georgia-Pacific, I realized that the Mail Services Manager did not like to do the “Rolling Estimate Report” basically forecasting and managing the department budget on a monthly basis. I told her, I would like to start doing it. She stated, “that was not my job and I didn’t get paid to do it.” I told her, “that’s ok with me I just wanted to learn how to do it.” She taught me and I started managing the department budget and eventually preparing/manging the Annual Department Budget. Eventually, I went from managing the department budget to negotiating vendor contracts for the department; saving Georgia-Pacific thousands of dollars annually for which I eventually received the Georgia-Pacific Chairman’s Award. I was taught growing up that the way to success was to learn as much as you can, because once learned you have the knowledege and it can’t ever be taken away and not to worry about always getting paid immediately for something, just work hard; people notice diligent hard workers, they stand out, and they will eventually receive their reward. You may not get paid immediately, but you’ll get paid eventually. I worked hard and contributed to Georgia-Pacific tremendously for 5 years, but I started to relize that I was not going to become a corporate manager or go much further at Georgia-Pacific; it was just the nature of their corporate environment. There were very few black managers and only 1 in the C Suite with revenue generating responsibilities. Frustration was starting to set in again. as it had done at Coke. I had remained in touch with my Mentor at Coke from time to time and we would see each other at the different mail association meetings in Atlanta. Then one day out of the blue, he called me and stated , “that he was leaving Coke and his job would be open, he had by now been promoted to Manager, Distribution Services at Coke; responsible for Mail Services, Shipping & Receiving, and Reprographic Services. He asked, if I would be interested in the job? Of course, I said , “yes’. He said, “I have one question, do you know how to manage a departmental budget?’ YES I DO! He said well I’ll set a meeting up with the Corporate Services Director. He stated its proforma, she remembers you and thinks highly of you. I went to the meeting and was hired as the Manager, Distribution Service, The Coca-Cola Company. See I didn’t get paid for managing the budget at Georgia-Pacific, but I got paid when going to Coke; doubling my salary over night. I was now responsible for over 70 employees, many of who were once my co-workers in the mailroom, when I was there. I thought, I had finally made it to the top; cherry wood office, secretary outside my door. I was the man; finally receiving my reward for the hardwork I’d put in. Started working hard at Coke, making a diffenece. Then Coke decided to outsource my department responsibilities, we selected a outsource business services company; my position wasn’t affected, as a Coke employee had to manage the outsource services company and that would be me. Many of my direct Coke reports started working for the outsourced services company. I found myself still managing the day to day operations and on behalf of Coke signing off on a $200k+ monthly payment tp the outsource services company. I begin to think from time to time; I have the knowledege, I’m still doing the management work, I can cretae my own outsource services company and get this money. Then Coke was hit with a Class Action Racial Discrimination law suit. We find out that black employees have been unjustly treated because of the color of their skin. As for me, white department managers at Coke with the same education level, same departmental responsibilities, as mine were being paid more and had a higher job grade, so that they could receive “stock options”. Many of the black manager’s job grade was one level less than needed to receive “stock options”. The law suit was settled and I received a payment that supposedly addressed the unfair treatment. I begin to note that no matter how hard I worked at Coke, my annual increase was capped at no higher than 5%. Of course, I always received the max 5% for the 2 years I remained at Coke. Then Coke implodes and the Chairman of Coke is ousted; the company starts to lay people off and consolidate operations. I begin to be micro managed by a manager who doesn’t understand my line of business. I decided to resign and start a outsource services company specializing in mail services, shipping & receiving, and reprographic services with some partners. The business I know. I relate these incidents at Coke, as compounding emphasis of why I needed to go out on my own and become a entrepreneur. I was out on my own for 2 months and contacting my business network to let them know I had started my own company. I would start my dau reading the daily newspaper and one day there was a article about Coke Fountain Divsion splitting off from corporate headquarters and forming their own headquarters division in North Atlanta. Knowing how Coke worked, I knew the decision makers had not thought about the corporate support services; mail, shipping & receiving, copiers, etc., that would be needed at this new headquarters. I called the former Corporate Services Director, who had rehired me at Coke. Sheput me in touch with the planning manager for the new Coke Fountain Headquarters. I knew him, we had worked together in the past and had a good relationship. He said, “Of course we haven’t thought of support services, and we’ve already signed a lease on a building. He requested that I go take a look at the building and present a proposal to establish support operations at the next planning meeting; build out the space, acquire all equipment that would be needed; define personnel needs, and define daily operational parameters. I quickly went to work and presented the proposal and my company was hired to provide outsource support services for Coke Fountain Headquarters. Within 3 months on my own, I had signed a 3 year contract for a significant amount of money. After sucessfully establishing Coke Fountain operations, the Outsource Services contract RFP for Coke Headquarters came on the market. Having previously managed the daily operations and negotiated that contract, I knew the intricate details and my company responded to the RFP and won the business; again with a year I signed a additional contract for a significant amount of money. I was the entrepreneur and corporate President, I had always dreamed of being; just a different path to getting there.

The Outsource Services company I started is stilll in existence today. Due to some partnership differences, I left the company and was looking into purchasing a franchise. Again, out of the blue a person from my business network called me and said, ” I hear you’ve left the company you started, what are you planning?” I told him my franchise plans. He said, “Don’t do that, come work at my company. Me and my wife are getting older and our kids aren’t interested in the business. Come learn this side of the business, the company had a particular niche in the mail business that was profitable, and when we’re ready to sell, we’ll sell it to you. Sounded good to me, so I decided to go to work for them and learn the business. He didn’t tell me that their business had a abysmal reputation in the market. I went to work and within 2 years had changed the company’s reputation in the market, put in place sound operational parameters, and acquired new customers. The owners decided it was time to sell the business. I put together my finance team to acquire the business. On the day were were to deposit the earnest money, the owners decided not to sell; as their son who had shown no true interest in the business, decided he wanted to keep the business in the family and see what he could do with it. Again, I decided I’m making you guys alot of money each year, I can go make this money myself. So I decided to resign. Again, I start planning to open a print & mail company in Savannah, GA. In the midst of planning, another person from my business network, that I would see ocassionaly at different mail association meetings, had been asking people about me; as he thought I was sharp and knew the business and he wanted to expand the commercial side of his print and mail business. He contacted me and we arranged a meeting for 1 hour. We ended up meeting and talking for 4 hours. At the end, we realized we had similar interest an business ideas and we agreed to be business partners. I told him that I would cover my salary for 3 months and that I guaranteed tha I could bring in enough business within those 3 months to cover my salary. The operational facility was not conducive to attract the level of customers we wanted. I told him we needed to reconfigure/renovate the space, purchase new equipment, etc. ” If we build it, they will come”. We spent the first 6 months getting operationally sound. After leaving my former company, customers started contacting me, asking to do business with me, stating, they couldn’t get anything done at the other company, since I had left. I didn’t take the business. I went to the owners at the former company and told them that their customers were not happy and were requesting to come to my new company. I told them , they needed to get their house in order, because, if the customer called me again, I would take the business, as the customer is unhappy and they’re going somewhere eventually; so why not to my new company. Of course, the owners didn’t correct the problems and I eventually acquired several of their customers that I still do business with today, 15 years later.

I’m in a good place now, my business network remains strong, my friendships remain strong, I have a good solid business. I’ve produced a level of wealth for my family that I could not have done by working for others. Entrepreneurship can be the path to a comfortable life. It’s hard work, but you reap the rewards from what you sow. I have other entrepreneur friends and they’ve been able to acquire a level of wealth as well.

I’ve learned that in the end, working hard and keeping the promise is what matters. I tell my employees that there are other companies that do what we do; the only difference is the level of customer service and keeping your word and promise. Once you commit, you have to deliver. There has been a time where I alone worked 48 continous hours to make a delivery to a customer. I made a promise, so there was nothing that would keep me from delivering; my company tag line; “On Time, Every Time”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a foodie and love live music. I’m happy that Atlanta has finally become a culinary destination. We have some really good resturants; we have some Michelin stars. I love sushi, so MF Sushi Bar would be my first destination. Agave, southwest cuisine cusine, is know for its consistent goodness. I would hang out at some of the roof top bars that are popping up. For musice, I love blues, so “Blind Willies” in North Highland area and then TEN a lounge in East Atlanta. Ther’es always something to do in Atlanta. Areas to hang out Colony Square, Ponce City Market, North Highland and experience the Atlanta Beltline, many different bars and restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The community (family, strangers, volunteers, mentors, neighbors, teachers, and community organizations) of Columbus, GA who provided time, resources, etc. to assist in the development of me from a boy to a man and more importantly as a contributing citizen. The business comuunity and my friend/business network here in Atlanta, GA that continue to push me forward every day.

The greatest thing a child needs is “Exposure” to other ideas, opportunities, ways of life, etc. that are not their norm- this can be done through books, activities, people, places, etc. Exposure opens up a world of possibilities outside of a childs everyday realities.

The two most imporatnt people in my journey have been my mother (Dorothy Fulton) and grandmother ( Mattie Laney)- “If it had not been for them, where would I be?”

Website: https://www.dpdgroup.net