In Chelsea van der Meer’s clear-eyed vision, creativity, commerce and community coalesce organically to spark success.

What’s especially impressive is that van der Meer has turned her vision into a reality via a business model that’s unique within the promo industry. Through her Indianapolis-based supplier firm Batch (asi/38781), van der Meer partners with a network of artisans who build custom products for end-clients that include Fortune 500 companies.

Batch’s collection of made-to-order goods features leather products, woodwork and pottery. There are also natural apothecary items like candles, body-care offerings, herbs and crystal kits, and even foodie delectables, such as truffles and Prohibition-inspired cocktail kits. “Our artisans create each item from scratch,” says van der Meer. “Some products in our collection came about because a customer had an outside-the-box idea. And, since our items are produced locally, we can typically deliver in seven to 10 business days.”

Batch’s lengthening list of end-clients includes household name brands. For Honey Baked Ham, Batch artisans created candles that smelled just like the food purveyor’s famous glaze. For Salesforce.com, Batch crafted a lead-generation campaign kit. It featured an attractive custom box, six macarons and a fold-out map. Each macaron was imprinted differently to serve as a map marker to guide recipients through an introduction to Salesforce.com’s services. “The campaign,” says van der Meer, “has garnered great follow-ups for their sales teams, and has led to over 12 reorders during the past year.”