VALDOSTA — Joyce Aigen, owner of JL Concepts, celebrates forty years of business and achievements.  

JL Concepts, formerly known as J&L Concepts, is a consultant company that uses Aigen’s creativity to help businesses market their products. 

Aigen’s products include pens, hats, earrings, koozies, bicycle seats, manicure sets, sunglasses, umbrellas, ties, coffee mugs, portable speakers for cell phones, and more. She has more than, “500,000 products that can be imprinted with your company name to help you attract the attention of your customers and prospects,” according to Aigen’s website.

But her success is not just the number of products she has sold. 

Aigen earned her master advertising specialist degree in 1985. At the time she was one of 17 women among 3,500 counselors to receive this designation. 

In 2004, Aigen received the Woman of the Year accolade for her achievements and community work.

She was featured in the business section of Wearables magazine in 2006, the recipient of the 2003 South Georgia Older Worker of the Year award and was featured in the 2004 national Experience Works calendar.

One of Aigen’s biggest achievements is the Addy Award of Distinction for the creation of the IBM Excellence Award, she said. 

She likened the Addy Award of Distinction to an actor winning an Oscar. It “is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting over 40,000 entries every year,” according to the American Advertising Award’s website.

Aigen moved to Valdosta in 1987. She is originally from New York, and her time and experience there helped her work with large companies like Trans World Airline. 

The now-defunct airline was one of her first big contracts, Aigen said. She spoke fondly not only about the company but also the time she worked with them. She has several photos of her and an airplane in a bottle that she had made for TWA.

Her fondness for her clients grew from her philosophy: “I’m not selling, they are buying from me,” she said. “I have clients, then they become friends.”

She has carried this philosophy with her for the past 40 years. It has allowed her to work with companies such as Shell Oil, IBM, CitiCorp and Fresh Beginnings. She has also worked with organizations such as Valdosta State University, the University of Georgia, Moody Air Force Base and the Valdosta Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce.

She has also been involved in the community for the last 30 years. 

She has worked with the Valdosta State University Learning in retirement for 13 years, Business and Professional Women for 25 years, South Georgia Workforce Development program for six years, Advertising Specialty Institute Association for 40 years, Valdosta Rotary Club for 26 years, Valdosta Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce for 29 years, Lowndes/Valdosta Arts Commission for 29 years, YMCA for 10 years, Valdosta State University Scholarship Alliance for five years, Albany Chamber of Commerce for one year, Civic Roundtable for 10 years, Literary Guild for 12 years, Southern Artist League for one year, Stone Creek Ladies Golf Association for one year, Promotional Products International for 40 years, Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity Project for a year and a half, Drugs Don’t Work of Georgia for a year and a half, Reader Review for eight years and Bookfellows at the library for four years.

Being in business for 40 years means Aigen has seen a large amount of change. She said she used to have filing cabinets and catalogues filling her office, but now she has a couple of files and her computer. 

She said because of computers she is able to continue to do business with companies on the other side of the world from her house, which she now uses as her office. 

But time has affected more than just the way she does business. 

Her company name was originally J&L Concepts, but she removed the ampersand because it wasn’t allowed for use in the URL bar, Aigen said. 

JL concepts can be contacted at (229) 247-5731, promo@jlconcepts.com or at its website http://www.jlconcepts.com. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.