Sales and sailing have always been a part of Paul Fleming’s life.
The son of an emigrant who moved from Ireland, Fleming learned to sail at the age of 1 in the Douglaston-Little Neck neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on Long Island.
“My dad loved woodworking and he built a makeshift boathouse on our property with ways to launch wooden boats he built in the boathouse, when the tide was in,” Fleming said.
The tide has seemingly been in for Fleming in the marketing world.
Fleming owns Fleming and Co. in Newport, a full-service marketing communications firm that also designs and sells products. Two of those products are Z Blok sunscreen and Flight Companion, an all-in-one travel kit.
Fleming said Z Blok was born out of the need for a nonstinging sunscreen product, while Flight Companion was based on what was needed for traveling.
“The blueprint for Flight Companion began in 2019, well before the pandemic,” Fleming said. “I wanted to create a one-stop shop for the 85% of travelers who travel infrequently and don’t necessarily have an established packing routine for carry-on items to make trips more comfortable.”
Flight Companion weighs 8 ounces, measures 8 inches by 5 inches by 2 inches, and includes a face mask, eye shade, inflatable neck pillow, ear plugs, ear buds, lip balm, a packet of tissues, and sanitizing wipes. The kit is comprised of a soft, leatherette zip-up case with an exterior outer zip-pocket to secure travel documents, keys, cell phones, chargers, or accessories.
Fleming said Flight Companion retails for $19.95 and has a registered trademark in the luggage category.
Fleming ships his products from his Newport office on Thames Street, which he has operated for more than 28 years. He fell in love with Newport while attending his sister’s graduation from Salve Regina College, now known as Salve Regina University.
Fleming thought Newport was the perfect setting for someone who loved sailing and had followed in his father’s footsteps as a salesman.
After graduating from Boston University with a marketing and management MBA, Fleming worked at men’s shaving product company Gillette, then at New York City advertising firms Benton and Bowles, and Jordan Case Taylor & McGrath, orchestrating product campaigns for Nestlé S.A., The Procter & Gamble Co., and Kraft General Foods Inc.
Not wanting to raise his newborn son in New York City, Fleming consulted with his wife before deciding to set sail for Newport. It was a move that required starting over, while learning about a whole new world.
Shortly thereafter, he landed at the Providence-based advertising agency Duffy & Shanley Inc., where he became a partner and developed relationships while coordinating tourism efforts for the state.
Eight years later, Fleming changed course, navigating some uncharted waters by starting his own firm. That is when Fleming and Co. was born. What began as 18 employees is now down to three, as Fleming said ad agencies have transitioned into online marketing firms due to the influence of the internet.
“I’m sort of a one-man, three-person band now,” he said.
OWNER: Paul Fleming
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Full-service marketing communications firm
LOCATION: 555 Thames St., Newport
EMPLOYEES: Three
YEAR FOUNDED: 1993
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Shuman@PBN.com.
