Carolina Pad

 

In His Own Words: “I remember collecting Blue Horse points coupons from my school supplies when I was a child. You could trade in the coupons and choose from a collection of various prizes. Unfortunately, you ruined the product when you cut the coupons. I never understood why they made the product that way.

 

My daughters anxiously await next year's collections. They truly enjoy being the first to have our newest designs and products. It’s a great way for us to get a read on the most popular collections for the next back-to-school season.”

 

Clay’s Favorite Product: “My personal favorite is the MX personal book. It fits easily in a small briefcase and the quality of the writing paper is superb.” Although the style is simple and doesn’t make the bold fashion statement we would expect from Clay, the function and sturdy construction are perfect for a busy executive who’s always on the go.

 

More About Clay: Clay first heard of Carolina Pad in the mid-90's when he met Joe Hall, the owner, at an industry trade show. Intrigued by the company, he researched its history and was impressed with the great reputation it had in the marketplace. While it was no by means the largest paper supplier, Carolina Pad was known for creative selling and unique product development.

 

In late 1999, he learned that Joe was interested in selling the company and jumped at the chance to discuss the opportunity with him. It was agreed that he would run the company for a couple of years before purchasing majority interest. He became the company’s president in April 2000 and purchased majority interest in October 2003.

 

Under his leadership, Carolina Pad took a new strategic direction, introducing fashion products with bold and innovative designs and growing the company threefold over a six-year period. In addition, Carolina Pad expanded globally, opening offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

 

Clay’s career began in 1979 with Deloitte Haskins and Sells. He worked seven years with the company, spending his first two years in Daharan, Saudi Arabia, and the last five in Deloitte’s Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

 

In 1987, he and his father acquired the Pretty Paper Stationery Company in Cherryville, North Carolina, which they sold in 1994 to Thomas Nelson Publishers in Nashville, Tennessee. He then took on the role of senior vice president of Thomas Nelson’s gift division.

 

Presley has a B.S. in accounting from the University of South Carolina and an MBA from Wake Forest University.