In addition to his Hall of Fame resume as a director, Karch’s sales experience in adult stretches back to the 1970s selling his own videos and then working in-house and heading up the sales departments for Gourmet Video and Western Visuals.
Karch is referred to as the “original” Roy Karch so as not to be confused with the Empire Video owner of the same name whose company is now defunct.
All Boys President Rob Ragan’s relationship with Karch goes back to 1987 when Karch gave Ragan his first job in sales for Western Visuals.
Karch still directs for numerous companies, but with a production slowdown, he saw an opportunity to expand his horizons and hook up with a growing company — albeit one that specializes in gay erotica — something that’s new to Karch.
“Sales is really all about making the call, making the pitch and creating a relationship with the buyer,” Karch told XBIZ. “So while I’m new to the gay world, the basic sales tools and skills still apply. With so much experience in the straight trade, I’m looking forward to learning about this different market.”
Ragan is thrilled to be working with his old sales mentor. Hiring Karch now frees him up to work on the distributor’s business development plans, which includes having a bigger presence in Europe.
“I needed someone that could take care of my sales, take on 80 percent of my active account base, and open up all of the stores that have wanted to buy directly from me and couldn't, because I simply don't have the time to dedicate myself in handling the special needs of what the smaller chains require,” Ragan said. “All I can say is I'm tickled to death that Roy called me. We have been friends since I was a teenager just starting out in the industry.”
Karch can be reached at (877) 5-ALLBOY, or via email at roy@allboysdist.com.
