It can often seem like an overstatement, the impact that college has on a person’s future. For Ged King, however, that influence was undeniable. 

King hopes to replicate the impact he found at State that shaped his career and have a multiplier effect by hiring NC State students and alumni through his company, Sales Factory. 

Harrison Mehr is one of those students.

Mehr said part of what drew him to the company was the way Sales Factory approaches their work, “At Sales Factory, Love to Win isn’t just a slogan — it’s a way of approaching every project with confidence. A strong culture can elevate both people and results.”

“At Sales Factory, Love to Win isn’t just a slogan — it’s a way of approaching every project with confidence.”

King graduated from NC State in 1990 with a B.S. in industrial engineering, and after graduating, he found himself wanting to work in marketing while still utilizing his engineering degree. 

The only company that would hire King after graduation was the business startup Swing-N-Slide, which was founded by an engineer who was instantly attracted to his degree and interest in sales. The competitive nature of the experience had him hooked, and before they knew it, the company went public. 

“My dad started our company. He did not go to college, but had a successful career at Black+Decker, which included inventing the Dustbuster. The idea for the small rechargeable vacuum came from two places,” said King. First, the company needed to commercialize the battery tools they created for the moon landing, and second, by listening to customers. This intersection of business and marketing was the premise of our company.”

Now King is nearing fourteen years as CEO of Sales Factory, an agency intersection between marketing and business. 

Hiring eligible NC State alumni is one of the most important ways King stays connected with his alma mater, allowing talented students the career-boosting opportunity and job security he wished he’d had straight out of college.

“NC State was life-changing for me. The university helped me find my career and led me to meet my wife. Working with State people is a form of paying forward all the wonderful things State has provided me,” said King

“Working with State people is a form of paying forward all the wonderful things State has provided me,” said King.

Internships

Harrison Mehr is an NC State student intern with Sales Factory, currently in his junior year pursuing a business administration degree with a concentration in IT. The company’s mission, which signifies a dedication to fostering a healthy competitive spirit, resonated with Mehr. It showed him how much both Sales Factory and NC State invest in challenging students to succeed and celebrate the Wolfpack community. 

Mehr says, “I’ve learned that winning comes from persistence, collaboration and celebrating progress along the way.”

Mehr is deeply engaged with the Pack. Being part of several NC State organizations has strengthened both his confidence and his resolve in doing what he loves. Mehr said his data science classes gave him the most hands-on experience working with real datasets, as well as gaining technical skills in Tableau. 

”I’ve had to manage different responsibilities and collaborate across groups, which prepared me to thrive in Sales Factory’s fast-paced, competitive culture. Those NC State experiences gave me the confidence to embrace challenges and push for results,” said Mehr. 

”Those NC State experiences gave me the confidence to embrace challenges and push for results,” said Mehr. 

A Community of Alumni

Recent NC State graduate and Sales Factory employee, Louise Adams, graduated in the spring of ’23 with a degree in design studies and a minor in business administration. Her father, an ’83 grad from State’s business school, and King met thanks to a business partnership and shared love of NC State. 

Adams chose to pursue a career with their marketing strategy team, and, after her internship, she was hired full time. 

“NC State prepared me in the best way possible for my transition into full-time work, and my mentors at Sales Factory have done just the same. Problem-solving and loving to learn and grow were at the core of my time at NC State, which I have been able to carry into my career at Sales Factory seamlessly,” said Adams.

“Problem-solving and loving to learn and grow were at the core of my time at NC State, which I have been able to carry into my career at Sales Factory seamlessly,” said Adams.

One of Adams’s proudest accomplishments so far at Sales Factory was planning and executing the 2023 Trade School Trade-Up competition makeover and reveal for their client, CHANNELLOCK®. The competition is part of a larger initiative to help close the national skills gap and support the next generation of tradesmen and women. Adams provided the logistics, strategy and coordination behind the shop reveal for the campaign.

Adams pictures herself one day as a marketing manager and recommends that any student at NC State interested in working with an alumni-owned business should invest the effort into building a solid network. Platforms like LinkedIn and State’s annual career fairs allow for creating those connections and finding companies that prioritize State alumni in their hiring process. 

“The community of NC State alumni is like family. We’re the Red and White from State, and we know we are the best,” Adams said.

To continue paying the Pack forward, the recruiting team at Sales Factory prioritizes attending NC State career fairs, accepting interns in most departments multiple times a year, and occasionally extending those opportunities to full-time employment.

“NC State’s Think and Do theme is real,” said King. “There is a certain toughness that is a part of our students and alumni. Louise is a star, and I firmly believe she can do whatever she wants within our company. Harrison is both brilliant and charismatic, and his curiosity will serve him well both at school and in his future career. We love having interns work with our teams, and we’d always love to have more from NC State.”