[Editor’s note: Following our launch RetailConnect service, we are starting a new segment on our blog featuring some outstanding RetailConnect partners.]

Friday, 28th July – This week we interviewed Dave McCormick – the owner of Pro Kitchen Gear, one of our most impressive RetailConnect partners whose Facebook store just went live earlier this week. You may check their Facebook store right here. Dave started the store just one year ago. Pro Kitchen Gear is a fast growing company with much passion and love for its products. In the interview we asked Dave several questions about his company, social media-driven businesses, and his experience with us! Read more after the jump:

• Hi Dave, could you tell us about Pro Kitchen Gear, and your specific role within the company?

Pro Kitchen Gear was founded in July 2010 on the premise of a pure, unadulterated love for food and cooking.  Moreover, we are passionate about connecting Home Chefs to Professional Chefs by providing the same products a professional would have in their home kitchen.  I founded the company myself with the care, advisement and support of friends, family and cohorts in the food industry; Chefs, other business owners, etc.

• As an online merchant, how important is social media to your business?

Being that we are 100% online, social media is a strategic medium for our business as a connector to our customer not so much to tell them things, but to listen to the things that they have to say.  While we sell products, the conversations we have with our customers are really around cooking: providing tips, how to cook certain things, answering questions, talking about the Next Food Network Star!  The product sales will grow organically from our relationship with the customer which is why we really wanted to provide our social customers – future and current – and simple way to view our products without leaving Facebook.

• What made you decide to set up a Facebook store with us? How has your experience been thus far?

Since the social aspect is so core to who we are and connecting with our customer, it only made sense to have a social store.  We tried several other providers before launching with Wishpond and they all failed.  We couldn’t get products up easily without rewriting our product descriptions or jumping through hoops.  All kidding aside, it took us a few hours to get up and running with Wishpond.  The import and connectivity options are valuable and simple.

• Last but definitely not least, we would like to congratulate you on Pro Kitchen Gear’s 1-year Anniversary! What are your plans for the upcoming year? How do plan on further expanding your business?

Now that we have just celebrated our 1-year anniversary, we are gearing up for the holiday season and expanding our product lines to include a new line of Asian cutlery (Korin), some really knock-your-socks off appliances and expanding the selection on some our current lines.  We have been on the hunt for retail space, so that may be very near in our future as well!  Now, if someone could invent another one of me, I’d be all set!! And there you have it. We would like to thank Dave very much for his time. We wish him and Pro Kitchen Gear the best of luck with their exciting new product lines. You can follow Dave and Pro Kitchen Gear on Twitter @prokitchengear, or on Facebook. Also make sure to check out their incredible Youtube channel. Interested in becoming one of our RetailConnect partners? Contact us at sales@wishpond.com Sarana Sarana@wishpond.com