Technology >> CEO Interviews >> August 9, 1999
ERIC PAULSON is President, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of
Navarre Corporation. He has been in the home entertainment industry for
over 30 years. Mr. Paulson joined Pickwick International in 1973 and ran
their Detroit branch and their St. Louis branch prior to being moved to
Minneapolis as Director of Marketing in 1977. In 1979, Mr. Paulson was
promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager, responsible for
Pickwick's distribution companies. Founding Navarre Corporation in 1983,
Mr. Paulson has grown the company into a leading publisher and
distributor of home entertainment PC software, video games and
accessories, DVD video and music. The company's customers include a wide
spectrum of national and regional retailers. The customer base includes
mass merchants, specialty stores, wholesales, e-tailers, and national
and regional one-stops. Under Mr. Paulson's guidance, the company has
reached international stature and is currently one of the top 40
publicly-traded corporations in the State of Minnesota. Navarre provides
products and services to wholesalers and retailers alike in both the
music and computer software channels. Mr. Paulson has spent over 30
years in the distribution of home entertainment products. During that
time, he has served as Chairman of the Rackjobber's Advisory Committee
from 1980 to 1983 for NARM (National Association of Recording
Merchandisers), as Chairman of the Wholesalers Conference for NARM in
1985, is currently serving as a member of the Independent Distributors
Advisory Committee to NARM, as well as Chairman of the Marketing Action
Committee for NARM, and most recently is serving on the Board of
Directors. Mr. Paulson is also a member of IFP (Independent Feature
Project North), the Council of Growing Companies, the National
Association of Recording Merchandisers, NASD publicly traded companies
and the National Association of Wholesalers. Profile
products, services, customers, those kinds of things.
Mr. Paulson: Navarre Corporation was founded in 1983, and the
