Pratt Industries: Modernizing Field Sales to Reach Decision‑Makers Fast

Sustainability is embedded in the DNA of Pratt Industries.

As the world’s largest, privately owned manufacturer of 100% recycled paper packaging, Pratt has become a multi-billion-dollar enterprise by focusing on quality, service, and innovation. Today, some 30 years after its founding, Pratt operates a nationwide network of recycling facilities, paper mills, manufacturing plants, and much more.

The company’s growth is fueled by sales reps like William Bottcher, whose day-to-day work focuses on uncovering new business opportunities and nurturing long-term customer relationships. The team’s approach — infusing traditional techniques with modern Go-to-Market Intelligence — has helped Pratt redefine what it means to prospect effectively in the packaging industry.

When doors are locked, ZoomInfo is huge — you can immediately look people up and find out who you need to call and talk to.

William Bottcher

Sales Representative

Finding a Better Way to Reach Decision Makers

Before adopting ZoomInfo, Pratt Industries relied on a mix of tools, including another data provider to find prospects. But this platform wasn’t cutting it — especially in manufacturing, where many decision-makers are less active on social media, and bad data quickly leads to dead ends.

“Our previous data provider was never updated. The numbers didn’t work and the emails always bounced back,” Bottcher says. 

That all changed when he got a glimpse of ZoomInfo in action through a friend working at a different company. After seeing what it could help do, Bottcher pitched ZoomInfo to his manager and the executive team as a solution that could set Pratt on a quicker path to success. 

Smarter Outreach with ZoomInfo Sales

The case was compelling: better data accuracy, real-time updates, and intelligent features like Advanced Search, Intent, and List Subscriptions.

For Bottcher and his teammates at Pratt, ZoomInfo Sales quickly became integral to the prospecting workflow. Advanced Search helps identify decision-makers. Intent data allows them to warm up cold calls by spotting signals of interest in packaging solutions. And saved lists alert them to timely triggers like executive changes or facility expansions that could spark a buying conversation.

“A part of our industry I don’t think we’ll ever replace is the need to go out and do door-knocking in person. What ZoomInfo has allowed us to do is be super efficient,” Bottcher says. “When doors are locked, ZoomInfo is huge — you can immediately look people up and find out who you need to call and talk to.”

Pratt sellers also use ZoomInfo Intent to find in-market, qualified leads within their territories, warming up the lead lists that fuel a day of otherwise cold selling.

Many customers aren’t yet ready to buy after the first conversation. Saving those customers to a list that alerts them to key changes (like a big merger or new CEO) keeps conversations fresh and timely. 

From Missed Opportunities to Million-Dollar Wins

Since making the switch, Pratt has landed several standout deals, many of which wouldn’t have been possible without ZoomInfo. Even better, many of these deals are in a key area of growth for Pratt: digital printing. 

For example:

• After noticing their products at Costco, Bottcher looked up a brand on ZoomInfo. He found the owner, struck up a conversation, and ultimately closed hundreds of thousands in business over 10 months.
• Bottcher spotted another brand’s boxes at a co-packer’s facility. ZoomInfo helped him identify the buyer and bring their spend back to the U.S., generating several million dollars annually.

ZoomInfo didn’t just help Pratt connect with more prospects — it made the whole process faster. 

“It used to be I would maybe get in through a receptionist or someone in the warehouse stocking racks, and it might take years to get a chance to talk directly to a decision-maker. With ZoomInfo, now I can go directly to that person,” Bottcher says. 

Looking Ahead

Pratt’s approach to sales is classic and old-school, and using technology like ZoomInfo doesn’t aim to replace those functions, but improve them. “Since we started using ZoomInfo at Pratt, I’ve been trying to share with everyone how efficient it can make prospecting with all the information at our fingertips,” Bottcher says. 

For those who are on the fence with ZoomInfo, his advice is simple: “Once you get a win, you’ll see how awesome it is.”

That growth potential is something that leaders at Pratt can see as well.

“I’ve been with Pratt Industries a long time, and since I’ve been here, our revenue has increased substantially in the United States,” says Craig Bagley, a Sales Director at Pratt. “We’re always looking for ways to continue to grow our business. And ZoomInfo is a tool with real potential to take our business even further on that growth journey.”