Big Sandy-based Strategic Fulfillment Group’s growing operations were displayed Monday for a joint meeting of the Big Sandy Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce.

SFG operates from a 140,000-square-foot plant facility in the Big Sandy Industrial Park.

Following lunch in the headquarters office area, those attending were led on a tour of the plant by Tony Pytlak, president and chief operating officer.

He explained that companies such as book and magazine publishers and direct marketers hire fulfillment firms to handle a variety of services, including invoices, new and renewed subscriptions, catalog orders, database management, list processing and more.

When a subscription card drops out of a magazine, there’s a 90 percent chance it was handled by a fulfillment company, Pytlak commented.

SFG is the third largest in the nation, behind companies in Iowa and Florida. But it is exceptional in that it had a good year in 2009 and is currently filling 20 new job vacancies. Total employment today is around 200, including full-time and part-time jobs, he said. Call center and letter shop services also are offered.

Pytlak said the company has the staff and resources to grow, and it is currently working to get better known. Networking is a key in that effort, he added.

A team from the company travels to New York City to network with those in the publishing industry, Pytlak said, and it takes pride in bringing jobs to the Big Sandy community.

Among its current 30 customer “partners” are the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, the Harvard Health Letter and a new magazine, ARTnews.

SFG was formed in 1997 with the merger of the fulfillment operations of two consumer publishing and direct mail companies, Annie’s Attic and The Needlecraft Shop. These once occupied 27 separate houses and other structures in Big Sandy.

The merged operations were moved into a new 60,000 square-foot plant facility that has since more than doubled in size.

Pytlak was assisted in his comments by David McKee, chief executive officer of Dynamic Resource Group of Berne, Ind., which owns SFG.

Due to its success in marketing at the national level, SFG gets job applications from all over the nation, Pytlak noted. The work is seasonal, and January was one of its busiest months, he said. Temporary contract help is used as needed.

Computer power is key to the business, amd SFG’s extensive information systems operate on an IBM eServer i5 Model 520.

Led by Lonnie Murphy, SFG warehouse operations manager, the tour group saw employees involved in a variety of mostly mechanized duties.

One machine encases magazines in plastic. One group of workers was busy packaging books in cardboard for shipping.

All of the SFG mail goes through the Big Sandy Post Office, which makes that office one of the largest in volume in its region, Pytlak pointed out.

Bins strategically located in the buildings collect waste cardboard, which is baled and sent out for recycling, Pytlak said in describing the facility’s “green” operations.

Pytlak said the company needs community support. He challenged local organizations to brainstorm and exercise leadership in bolstering the area’s infrastructure and filling other needs.

Upshur County Economic Development manager Ronnie Morrison led a group attending the event from Gilmer. He said Kilgore College will soon be offering continuing education classes in Gilmer, and it stands ready to tailor job training at work sites.

Accompanying Morrison from Gilmer were David Stevenson, Steve Dean, Raye White, Kelly Stretcher and Sarah Greene.