CAAMP INDUSTRY NEWS

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Experienced Sales Leader Beth Belich to Growing Sales Team

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:13:47 GMT

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Experienced Sales Leader Beth Belich to Growing Sales Team

Avenel, New Jersey – Vantage Apparel, a leading manufacturer and decorator of custom-branded apparel, is pleased to welcome Beth Belich as Sales Account Manager, where she will cover Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Beth brings extensive industry experience to Vantage Apparel, with a background spanning both the distributor and supplier sides of the promotional products industry. She began her career with a large retailer before taking time away from the workforce to raise her children. She later returned to the industry part time when her son’s baseball coach, a distributor, invited her to sell for his company. After six years in that role, Beth moved to the supplier side as an Outside Sales Representative for alphabroder.

During her time at alphabroder, Beth managed three different territories and later served as a Strategic Director focused on the print-on-demand industry. Her broad experience, strategic mindset, and passion for helping clients succeed make her a strong addition to the Vantage sales team.

“Vantage has added so many capabilities in the last few years!” said Belich. “I am hoping to introduce Vantage to a wider audience and perhaps re-introduce Vantage to people who think we are just a seller of private branded product, just a contract decorator, or just a webstore company. We can do all those things, and our customers can also mix and match the services they need.”

She added, “I love that businesses in our industry are like snowflakes—no two are exactly alike. There are so many different end-user groups to target and so many ways to do it. It is fun for me to understand the business my clients are in and help them with tools to make their work easier.”

“I am excited to welcome Beth Belich to the Vantage family,” said Sean Macilvain, Vice President of Business Development. “Beth is a strategic sales leader who has dedicated herself to helping customers thrive, and I am eager to have that translate to the Vantage customer base in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Beth’s background and accolades speak for themselves, and we could not be more excited to have her representing the Vantage brand.”

Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Beth enjoys boating on Lake Norman and spending time with her husband and two sons. A self-described history enthusiast, she loves visiting museums and reading every detail she can. Fun fact: She also has a dog named Rocky, named after A$AP Rocky, not the movie Rocky.

For more information, contact Beth Belich at bethb@vantageapparel.com or 908-477-9458.

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility, Redwood Classics™ and Lane Seven Apparel, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 30 years in a row.

Since 2021, Vantage has expanded its geographical reach when it joined forces with Lynka, one of the leading imprinted apparel suppliers in Europe. Learn more about Lynka at www.lynka.eu. A continued ASI’s Top 40 Supplier and PPAI Top 100 Supplier (#14 in 2025), Vantage’s over four-decade experience provides innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers. For more information, visit www.vantageapparel.com.

Since 2021, Vantage has been the industry’s leading single-piece, on-demand apparel supplier and the creator of Swagee, a fully white-label webstore platform built exclusively for distributors. Swagee delivers inventory-free fulfillment, enterprise-grade technology, and global program support. For more information on Vantage’s webstore platform, visit www.vantageapparel.io.

For Media Inquiries, contact:
Donna Krusznis
Senior Director of Marketing, Vantage Apparel
donnak@vantageapparel.com

American Solutions for Business Promotes Becky Thesing to Manger of Vendor Relations

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:28:15 GMT

Glenwood, MN – February 10, 2026 – American Solutions for Business (ASB) is pleased to announce the promotion of Becky Thesing to Manager of Vendor Relations.

In this role, Thesing will guide the Vendor Relations team while continuing to identify opportunities to strengthen communication, collaboration, and operational processes across home office teams, ASB associates, and vendor partners.

"Becky’s tenure and scope of responsibilities within ASB is incredibly admirable," said Taylor Borst, Vice President of Vendor Relations, Marketing & Events. "She has spent that time learning from every role she’s been in and has worked hard to drive process improvements, support new areas of the business, and lead interdepartmental efforts that make a real impact in how we serve our sales associates and vendor partners."

Thesing has supported key initiatives aimed at improving vendor engagement, strengthening internal processes, and expanding ASB’s network of vendor partners.

"After more than 20 years with ASB, including the last nine years in Vendor Relations, I’ve found that this team is truly where I want to be," said Thesing. "I’m excited to step into the Manager of Vendor Relations role and grateful for the opportunity to continue working with such a great team. I look forward to continued growth and collaboration with our home office teams and our valued supply partners.”

"Becky’s deep organizational knowledge and cross‑department experience has strengthened our team," said Ron Robinson, Director of Vendor Relations. "Her initiative, problem‑solving skills, and forward‑thinking approach continue to support both departmental and organizational goals. We are confident she will excel in this leadership role and further advance the growth and success of the Vendor Relations team."

About American Solutions for Business
American was founded in 1981 in Glenwood, Minnesota, and has evolved into a leading distributor, providing our customers with print, promotional products, marketing collateral, fulfillment and more. Despite our growth in technology, resources and sales, we maintain our grassroots attitude by operating as the only large employee-owned distributorship in the industry. This results in a team of personally-invested employees that care for our customers’ branding, spend and creative reach to help achieve their goals.

Vantage Apparel Appoints Chris Alfano to Chief Information & Digital Officer

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 21:39:42 GMT

Vantage Apparel Appoints Chris Alfano to Chief Information & Digital Officer

AVENEL, NJ — December 2, 2025— Vantage Apparel, a leading provider of premium apparel and award-winning decoration services, is proud to announce the appointment of Chris Alfano to Chief Information & Digital Officer (CIDO). In this expanded role, Alfano will lead the company’s enterprise technology strategy, data ecosystem, and digital transformation initiatives — ensuring that Vantage’s systems, data, and digital experiences continue to drive measurable business growth and innovation.

“Chris has been instrumental in modernizing Vantage’s technology infrastructure and accelerating our digital transformation,” said Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel. “His deep understanding of the promotional products industry, digital strategy, and data-driven innovation makes him the ideal leader to guide Vantage into its next phase of growth.”

Over his impressive career, Alfano has distinguished himself as a driving force in the digital transformation and operational system infrastructure. In his initial nine years at Vantage, he served as Chief Technology Officer, where he successfully modernized the company’s ERP system and spearheaded the critical shift toward more efficient, digitally integrated processes. Most recently, he served as Chief Digital Officer, leading initiatives that strengthened Vantage’s digital capabilities, webstore platform implementation and strategic integration partnerships.

In his new role as CIDO, Alfano will define and execute Vantage’s IT and digital roadmap, overseeing enterprise platforms such as ERP, CRM, and PIM, as well as cloud infrastructure, data strategy, and cybersecurity. He will also lead efforts to expand eCommerce capabilities, implement automation and AI-driven insights, and enhance digital integrations for distributors and their customers.

“It’s an incredible moment to be part of the Vantage team as we continue to evolve digitally,” said Chris Alfano, Chief Information & Digital Officer. “Our focus is on empowering our people, strengthening the connections with our partners and distributors, and building digital experiences that make doing business with Vantage even easier. The innovation happening across our teams is inspiring, and I’m proud to help lead this next chapter together.”

This appointment reflects Vantage Apparel’s continued commitment to innovation and digital excellence — advancing technology and infrastructure that empower customers, strengthen partnerships, and fuel growth across the promotional apparel landscape.

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility and Berne®, and Redwood Classics™, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 29 years in a row.

Since 2021, Vantage has expanded its geographical reach when it joined forces with Lynka, one of the leading imprinted apparel suppliers in Europe. Learn more about Lynka at www.lynka.eu. A continued ASI’s Top 40 Supplier and PPAI Top 100 Supplier (#12 in 2024), Vantage’s over four-decade experience provides innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers. For more information, visit www.vantageapparel.com.

Vantage Apparel has been the industry’s leading single-piece, on-demand apparel supplier since 2021, most known for its premier webstore platform that drives significant revenue growth for distributor companies across the United States & Canada. For more information on Vantage’s webstore platform, visit www.vantageapparel.io.

For Media Inquiries, contact:
Donna Krusznis
Senior Director of Marketing, Vantage Apparel
media@vantageapparel.com

Vantage Apparel Triples DTF Capacity with New State-of-the-Art Studio and Coast-to-Coast Availability

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:18:37 GMT

Vantage Apparel Triples DTF Capacity with New State-of-the-Art Studio and Coast-to-Coast Availability

AVENEL, NJ — Vantage Apparel, a leading provider of premium apparel and award-winning decoration services, is proud to announce the expansion of its Direct To Film (DTF) decoration services, tripling capacity with a new, state-of-the-art studio and offering nationwide coverage across all three of its US facilities.

With the addition of an 1,800 sq. ft., temperature-controlled DTF studio at its headquarters in Avenel, NJ, Vantage can now support thousands of placements per day—solidifying its position as a top-tier partner for high-volume and quick-turn apparel decoration. DTF is available across all three Vantage facilities: Avenel, NJ, St. Louis, MO, and Santa Ana, CA, enabling faster delivery and enhanced service nationwide.

In a recent article from PPAI, the rapid advancement of DTF technology has surpassed Direct To Garment (DTG) in both popularity and application. The superior versatility, quality and creative freedom offered by DTF make it a more attractive option for both decorators and distributors. Vantage introduced DTF mid-2023 and quickly became a top deco method. Today, DTF ranks as Vantage’s 3^rd most popular decoration, behind embroidery and screen printing.

“DTF is fast and delivers incredible clarity and color,” said Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel. “By expanding our DTF operations, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to get high-quality, on-demand decoration with quick turn times—whether it’s for one piece or several hundred.”

Offering embroidery, laser etch and DTF on single-piece, on-demand orders, Vantage has become the leading supplier for webstore and program opportunities. Vantage’s nationwide DTF capabilities now give customers a reliable solution for peak periods like holiday ordering, drop ship programs and low minimum webstore fulfillment.

This strategic investment reinforces Vantage’s commitment to delivering the industry’s most expansive decoration options—under one roof, and across the country.

To learn more about Vantage’s Direct To Film capabilities, along with a host of award-winning deco options like embroidery, screen printing, patches and laser applique, contact your Vantage Regional Account Executive or email Sales at sales@vantageapparel.com.

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility and Berne®, and Redwood Classics™, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 29 years in a row.

For Media Inquiries, contact:
Donna Krusznis
Senior Director of Marketing, Vantage Apparel
Donnak@vantageapparel.com

PCNA Releases 2024 Sustainability Report, Surpasses Key Environmental and Social Targets

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:29:09 GMT

PCNA Releases 2024 Sustainability Report, Surpasses Key Environmental and Social Targets

Supplier Integrates Sustainability Into Business Operations, Achieving Measurable Progress in Energy, Emissions, Waste, and Community Impact

Pittsburgh, PA – September 18, 2025 – Polyconcept North America (PCNA), the leading supplier of promotional products, today announced the publication of its 2024 Sustainability Report. The report details how PCNA is embedding sustainability into everyday business decisions and highlights significant progress across environmental targets and social priorities since its 2022 report.

The comprehensive 2024 Sustainability Report emphasizes PCNA’s innovative approach of building sustainability directly into operations — ensuring environmental and social factors are assessed at every business decision point.

Key Achievements in 2024

Energy & Emissions: Reduced energy intensity by 12% compared to 2023, achieving its 2026 target two years early. Scopes 1 & 2 emissions are down 20.5% since 2022, putting PCNA on track to reach its 42% reduction goal ahead of schedule.

Workplace Safety: Achieved a Total Recordable Incidents Rate (TRIR) of 0.87, below the target of less than 1, reflecting the company’s strong safety culture.

Waste Diversion: Increased diversion rates at the Leed’s facility from 76% in 2023 to 83% in 2024, saving more than $110,000 in avoided costs across operations.

Climate Risk Preparedness: Completed comprehensive physical climate risk assessments across eight facilities, analyzing exposure to flooding, wildfires, cyclones, water stress, and heatwaves through 2050.

Social Impact: Donated $1.26 million in 2024 through its 1% for the Planet commitment, bringing total contributions to $3 million. This includes funding 159 new community orchards with nonprofit partner The Giving Grove, projected to provide 20.9 million servings of fresh produce and sequester over 3,300 tons of carbon.

Inclusive Employment: Expanded partnerships with Best Buddies and Hello Neighbor to open doors for communities that face barriers to employment and continued to nurture the Leading Inclusively for Future Talent (LIFT) and Fair Chance Employment internal support programs.

Supply Chain & Regulatory Leadership: Launched a supplier risk-screening program and expanded Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance across multiple states, building resilience in procurement and regulatory readiness.

Product Innovation: Introduced industry-first product lifecycle assessments (LCAs) to guide material substitutions and reduce environmental impact, with case studies showing reductions of up to 88% in cradle-to-gate emissions.

Strategy Rooted in Operational Excellence

In 2022, PCNA completed a materiality assessment to identify the social, environmental, and governance issues most critical to long-term success. Since then, the company has shifted from broad sustainability commitments to building technical competencies in four areas:

Product optimization

Supply chain intelligence

Climate risk management

Governance and regulatory readiness

“Our focus has been on inserting sustainability into the mechanics of how we operate — setting clear targets, tracking progress, and holding ourselves accountable,” said Nick McCulloch, Director of ESG at PCNA. “From cutting energy intensity by double digits to achieving industry-leading waste diversion rates, these measurable results prove that sustainability is not just aspirational, it’s operational — and it drives both environmental benefits and business value.”

Looking Ahead

PCNA is developing science-based emissions targets for Scopes 1, 2, and 3 for submission to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2026. The company is also expanding supplier climate risk assessments to align with California Senate Bill 261 and other emerging regulations, ensuring readiness for future disclosure requirements.

On the product front, PCNA is prioritizing material substitution, durability improvements, and end-of-life design to align with growing customer demand and regulatory scrutiny. By 2026, all product transitions will be supported by lifecycle assessment data.

Commitment to Stakeholders

PCNA’s 2024 Sustainability Report reflects progress toward the company’s ProudPath™ goals, which emphasize environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and local community engagement.

“Sustainability is part of who we are. This report reflects our broader commitment to being a responsible partner to our customers, employees, and communities,” said Neil Ringel, CEO at PCNA. “By weaving environmental and social responsibility into every decision we make, we’re building a stronger, more resilient company that delivers impact well beyond our bottom line.”

The full 2024 Sustainability Report is available at www.pcna.com/proudpath.

Media Contact

Kara Reilly, kreilly@pcna.com

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed’s, Bullet, JournalBooks, ETS Express and Spoke Custom, offering customers the industry’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Mary Bostwick as Regional Account Executive for the Southeast

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:11:58 GMT

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Mary Bostwick as Regional Account Executive for the Southeast

AVENEL, New Jersey – Vantage Apparel, a leading manufacturer and decorator of custom-branded apparel, is proud to announce the addition of Mary Bostwick as the new Regional Account Executive for the Southeast region, covering Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Mary brings more than two decades of experience in the apparel industry, having built a distinguished career at Delta Apparel, where she held various roles in sales and marketing. Throughout her tenure, she focused on building and nurturing long-term relationships across the screen print and promotional products segments—earning a strong reputation for her dedication and client-first approach.

“I’m excited to be working with Vantage, selling not just apparel but also all the decoration methods we offer,” said Bostwick. “I really enjoy being a single source for decoration and fulfillment—it simplifies the process for my customers and helps them bring their brands to life.”

“Mary joins the Vantage family with over two decades of industry apparel experience,” said Sean Macilvain, Vice President of Business Development. “Her energy, experience, and passion for building strong client relationships make her a perfect fit for our culture and goals. I’m excited to see the impact she’ll make!”

Outside of work, Mary enjoys life in the sunshine as a proud Jacksonville Beach native. A true Floridian at heart, she loves spending time with family and friends—and never misses a chance to cheer on college football in the fall.

Mary can be reached at maryb@vantageapparel.com or 732-910-4386.

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility, Berne®, and Redwood Classics™, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 29 years in a row.

Since 2021, Vantage has expanded its geographical reach when it joined forces with Lynka, one of the leading imprinted apparel suppliers in Europe. Learn more about Lynka at www.lynka.eu. A continued ASI’s Top 40 Supplier and PPAI Top 100 Supplier (#12 in 2024), Vantage’s over four-decade experience provides innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers. For more information, visit www.vantageapparel.com.

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Doug Weigman as Upper Midwest Regional Account Executive

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 29 May 2025 21:20:54 GMT

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Doug Weigman as Upper Midwest Regional Account Executive

Avenel, New Jersey – Vantage Apparel, a leading manufacturer and decorator of custom-branded apparel, is pleased to announce the addition of Doug Weigman as the new Upper Midwest Regional Account Executive, serving customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Doug brings over 20 years of experience in the promotional products industry, having worked on both the distributor and supplier sides. His background includes key roles at two family-owned distributorships and as a Field Sales Manager for Trimark Apparel. Doug’s deep industry knowledge, passion for relationship-building, and enthusiasm for branded merchandise makes him a key player on the Vantage team.

“We’re excited to welcome Doug to the Vantage team,” said Sean Macilvain, Vice President of Business Development. “Bringing on an apparel expert like Doug is a strategic move—his deep industry knowledge makes him the perfect partner for building impactful merchandise programs and sharing the latest trends in high-quality decoration.”

“I’m excited to reconnect with industry friends and get back out in the field to build new relationships,” said Doug Weigman. “What really energizes me is the opportunity to introduce customers to Vantage’s standout product lineup and the most innovative decoration techniques across the region.”

Outside of his professional endeavors, Doug is an avid sports fan who proudly supports all his Wisconsin teams. He enjoys watching and playing golf and is a proud father and stepfather who enjoys spending time with his kids.

Doug can be reached at dougw@vantageapparel.com or 732-570-7808. Connect with him on LinkedIn: Doug Weigman.

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility, Berne®, and Redwood Classics™, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 29 years in a row.

Since 2021, Vantage has expanded its geographical reach when it joined forces with Lynka, one of the leading imprinted apparel suppliers in Europe. Learn more about Lynka at www.lynka.eu. A continued ASI’s Top 40 Supplier and PPAI Top 100 Supplier (#12 in 2024), Vantage’s over four-decade experience provides innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers. For more information, visit www.vantageapparel.com.

After Record-Breaking Debut, Maple Ridge Farms Expands Sweeter Cards with New Treats

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 21 May 2025 22:15:50 GMT

“Since acquiring the brand in July 2024, Maple Ridge Farms has seen Sweeter Cards rise rapidly to the top, becoming the company’s #1 selling item,” said Tom Riordan, the company’s president.

Now, Maple Ridge Farms is sweetening the deal by expanding its popular Sweeter Cards line. Initially known for its gourmet chocolate bars tucked inside beautifully designed customized greeting cards, Sweeter Cards now includes chocolate-dipped pretzels, candy-coated chocolates, gummi bears, and an expanded lineup of homestyle cookies.

The goal of the acquisition was clear: take what founder Stacy Stahl built—a creative, thoughtful product with an emotional spark—and grow it. Maple Ridge Farms brought its time-tested 45 years of experience in production, merchandising, and fulfillment to the table while preserving the heart of what made Sweeter Cards beloved from the start.

“Our vision was to keep the ingenuity, storytelling, and giftability of Sweeter Cards intact, while unlocking more possibilities for flavors, occasions, and scalability,” said Jodie Schillinger, Executive Vice President at Maple Ridge Farms. “We’ve done just that, and the market response has been incredible.”

With its expanded treat options and continued commitment to design-forward, brandable packaging, Sweeter Cards is now a go-to for corporate gifting, employee appreciation, client onboarding, and seasonal campaigns.

To view the complete product line, visit:MapleRidge.com/sweeter-cards

About Sweeter Cards: Sweeter Cards is a unique product that combines a greeting card with a gourmet treat. It was initially launched with chocolate and expanded into cookies and other delights. Founded by entrepreneur Stacy Stahl in 2019, Sweeter Cards uses ethically sourced chocolate and recyclable card packaging to bring the innovative concept to life. Sweeter Cards began as a retail brand and gained traction in the promotional products industry in 2022.

About Maple Ridge Farms: Founded in 1979, Maple Ridge Farms, located in Mosinee, WI, is the leading supplier of gourmet food gifts to the promotional products industry. Recognized for its outstanding quality, the line includes a diverse offering of naturally aged cheeses, premium chocolates, fresh-roasted nuts, made-from-scratch baked goods, and smoked meats presented in innovative packaging. To learn more about the company, visit their website at www.mapleridge.com.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Tom Riordan

President
Maple Ridge Farms, Inc.

PPAI 114165, SAGE 57654, ASI 68680
tomr@mapleridge.com
715-693-4346w

Vantage Apparel Welcomes Hamza Ahmed as New Director of Apparel Decoration & Production

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:40:53 GMT

Avenel, New Jersey – Vantage Apparel, a leading promotional apparel company known for its award-winning decoration capabilities, is proud to announce the appointment of Hamza Ahmed as the company’s new Director of Apparel Decoration & Production.

With over a decade of experience in the apparel decoration industry, Hamza brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to Vantage. His career includes operational roles at companies such as Sayre Enterprises, Ira Green Inc., and Rainbow Embroidery. Throughout his journey, Hamza has led daily operations, trained and mentored staff, and overseen decoration processes with a consistent focus on quality, innovation, and efficiency.

Hamza’s portfolio includes work on high-profile projects for

brands and organizations such as HBO, Disney, the NBA, the Department of Defense, and The Institute of Heraldry (TIOH). His deep knowledge of embroidery and other decoration techniques make him a valuable addition to the Vantage team.

“What excites me most about joining Vantage Apparel is the opportunity to contribute to an already impressive legacy while expanding our decoration offerings even further,” said Hamza. “I’m especially passionate about embroidery and eager to help introduce and build out additional techniques that will provide more value and creativity for our clients.”

In his free time, Hamza is an avid world traveler having visited 17 countries, with his favorite trip being a 21-day tour through Spain, Italy, Greece, Amsterdam, and Norway. The farthest destination he's explored? Malaysia. A fun fact about Hamza: he once pursued acting and appeared on shows like 30 Rock (Season 2, Episode 6). He's also a curious learner with a knack for trivia and interesting facts.

“We're excited to welcome Hamza as our new Director of Apparel Decoration and Production,” said Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel. “His expertise and passion for innovation will elevate our decoration capabilities and strengthen Vantage’s position as the top industry decorator.”

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility and Berne®, and Redwood Classics™, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 29 years in a row.

Since 2021, Vantage has expanded its geographical reach when it joined forces with Lynka, one of the leading imprinted apparel suppliers in Europe. Learn more about Lynka at www.lynka.eu. A continued ASI’s Top 40 Supplier and PPAI Top 100 Supplier (#12 in 2024), Vantage’s over four-decade experience provides innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers. For more information, visit www.vantageapparel.com.

New Features Revealed at SAGE Conference

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 15:25:35 GMT

New Features Revealed at SAGE Conference

Plano, Texas (April 16, 2025)–Last week at the largest online conference for the promotional products industry, SAGE Conference, SAGE announced the release of several new features to its industry-leading business management services. These features empower promotional products distributors to take their businesses to the next level by enhancing workflow efficiencies and incorporating new technologies into the company’s flagship product, SAGE Workplace™. Additionally, new features were added to SAGE Websites and SAGE Stores, enabling users to broaden customizations with ease and professionalism.

New features are now live in SAGE Workplace, SAGE Websites, and SAGE Stores, ready for subscribers to explore. These updates enhance a broad range of business management tools—from catalog creation and product search to building presentations and customizing websites.

In the Catalog Studio, where SAGE users can create customized digital and print catalogs, users can now add a sidebar menu in the digital format. The sidebar menu can display contact information, brand elements, calls to action, and other custom functionality, providing a fully customized resource for distributors to share with their customers.

The Presentation Wizard, rolled out as a new feature in the Presentations module back in January, also received some valuable updates. The feature itself, powered by cutting-edge SAGE AI technology, empowers users to enter pertinent information and allows the AI to create a custom presentation tailored to a specific customer. The updates include the ability of the AI to detect and apply price ranges and quantity from the prompts a distributor uses. Additionally, users may filter products by their specific preference groups of suppliers. These enhancements make it even easier to instantly create a professional-looking sales presentation for any situation.

Beyond SAGE Workplace, SAGE Websites and SAGE Stores for distributors received multiple updates, including new widgets for building custom webpages. Users may now include a product spotlight, featured tiles, a blog feed, a newsletter sign-up form, a content slider, testimonials, and an accordion that reveals additional information when visitors click one of the drop-down arrows. These new widgets may be used for any page of a SAGE Website, making every page, including the homepage, fully customizable. These additions emphasize the option users have of designing SAGE Websites and Stores for their specific needs, doing so with ease and professional results.

The AI-powered Image Generator for SAGE Websites and Stores has been upgraded and released as Version 2. The new model works twice as fast and creates more realistic-looking images with file sizes that are 75 percent smaller. The Image Generator can be accessed in the File Library of SAGE Member as well as other modules where images are needed. All images created with the Image Generator belong to the user with no licensing or copyright concerns. This provides instant visual content for blogs and webpages, with endless possibilities for the images that can be created.

SAGE Websites and Stores now include a new favoriting feature, allowing users to easily save products for later. Visitors can simply log in and click the heart icon on any product to add it to their favorites collection, making it easier to revisit items of interest. This information is also visible to the distributor, providing valuable insight into the products clients are engaging with most.

Thanks to the reliable data offered by SAGE, distributors can now pull product ratings from the SAGE database to display with products on their website, helping customers know how others rated those products.

All the new elements were revealed during the SAGE Conference on April 8th. SAGE Conference is the largest online event for businesses in the promotional products industry. Discover the details of these new features as Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO, introduces them at the SAGE Conference here. (SAGE login required)

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Plano, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE Workplace™ product research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, CRM, project management, website and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243

Vantage Apparel Introduces Chenille Patches as New Decoration Method

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 15:47:39 GMT

Vantage Apparel Introduces Chenille Patches as New Decoration Method

AVENEL, NJ — January 29, 2025 — Vantage Apparel, the industry leader in custom logo, branded apparel -- celebrating its 29th consecutive year as the top industry embroiderer, is excited to announce the addition of chenille patches to its extensive lineup of decoration methods. This new offering provides customers with a bold, textured way to showcase logos and designs, combining vintage aesthetics with new vibrant colors and sizes.

Chenille patches are a classic and super-popular decoration method, crafted using a combination of felt and fluffy, tufted yarn to create a three-dimensional effect that is both soft to the touch and visually striking. The bold, eye-catching finish makes them ideal for varsity jackets, team apparel, and fashion-forward pieces.

“Vantage’s chenille patches are available in a wide range of colors, three sizes, and feature two layers of felt for added durability,” said Lauren Monnier, Director of Merchandising at Vantage. “Each patch is securely sewn down, ensuring a premium look and long-lasting wear. Whether celebrating achievements, promoting a brand, or adding a retro flair, chenille patches provide a timeless and stylish solution for customization.”

One of the standout benefits of Vantage’s chenille patch offering is the low minimum order requirement of just 48 pieces. This makes it an accessible and flexible option for college and team sports programs, as well as corporate and retail clients looking to elevate their branded apparel.

The introduction of chenille patches perfectly complements Vantage’s Varsity Collection, which launched in Fall 2024. Designed with team spirit and classic collegiate style in mind, the Varsity Collection pairs seamlessly with this new decoration method, making it an ideal choice for athletic programs and fashion enthusiasts alike.

"Vantage’s reputation for being the leading industry decorator is not just about offering the most decoration methods under one roof – it’s also our commitment to precision," said Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel. "The ability to masterfully execute a wide range of decoration techniques ensures customers receive the best possible results, setting Vantage apart as the industry’s go-to brand for custom-branded apparel solutions.”

Chenille patches are available immediately as part of Vantage Apparel’s commitment to offering the broadest selection of decoration capabilities under one roof. For more information or to explore customization options, visit www.vantageapparel.com or contact the Vantage Sales Team at sales@vantageapparel.com.

About Vantage Apparel:

Vantage Apparel is leading global supplier of custom logo apparel, offering a wide range of high-quality garments and accessories for corporate, promotional, and teamwear needs. As exclusive providers of Greg Norman®, GAP®, Old Navy®, POLO® Ralph Lauren, Xtreme Visibility and Berne®, and Redwood Classics™, Vantage has been the top awarded decorator in the industry 29 years in a row.

Since 2021, Vantage has expanded its geographical reach when it joined forces with Lynka, one of the leading imprinted apparel suppliers in Europe. Learn more about Lynka at www.lynka.eu. A continued ASI’s Top 40 Supplier and PPAI Top 100 Supplier (#12 in 2024), Vantage’s over four-decade experience provides innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers. For more information, visit www.vantageapparel.com.

ORBUS INTRODUCES NEW DISPLAY PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 18:14:04 GMT

ORBUS INTRODUCES NEW DISPLAY PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

Woodridge, IL – June 17, 2024: Orbus® is excited to add an array of new products and solutions to its expansive offering. Orbus® specializes in the design, production, and wholesale trade only distribution of exhibit and display products, graphics and solutions.

Vector Fast Frame™ Collapsible SEG Frames & Light Boxes

This innovative new product line includes a collapsible SEG light box, portable counter and two banners!

• This cool and simple frame system is easy, modern and highly portable.

• Aluminum frames hold easy-to-change silicone edge graphics (SEG) and assemble in seconds without tools!

• Light Box Banner & Counter: Lights are pre-attached to the frame and make your brand glow!

• The Light Box Banner features magnetized sides, making it easy to connect side-by-side to create versatile backwalls and backdrops.

https://www.orbus.com/products-by-category/vector-fast-frame

New Hybrid Pro™ Modular Kits & Counters

The Hybrid Pro Modular line of reconfigurable and modular exhibits and counters continues to evolve and advance! In this launch, Orbus introduces four new counters and four new modular kits – the kits incorporate Blaze™ Light Boxes and MODify™ Merchandising walls in the designs. These new kits are designed to boldly promote and display merchandise. 20ft inline kits reconfigure to smaller, 10ft sizes!

New Economy Banners

Orbus’ line of banner stands expands to include two new economy options – the Synergy 800mm wide retractable banner stand and the Taurus, a versatile Step and Repeat backwall, both ideal for events and promotions.

New Dimensional & Channel Letters

Orbus is excited to introduce dimensional and channel letters as a new formal offering. With remarkable craftsmanship and technology, Orbus produces a variety of different options – materials, finishing, lighting and mounting. Collaborate with us to design and create your ideal dimensional signs. https://www.orbus.com/products-by-category/wall signs-solutions/dimensional-channel-letters

About Orbus: Orbus® specializes in the design, production, and wholesale trade only distribution of exhibit and display products, graphics and solutions. Orbus combines innovative technology with artistry and craftsmanship to provide an unrivaled spectrum of supply, support, and service to its dealer network. Orbus’ endorsed brands include The Exhibitor’s Handbook®, The Promo Handbook™, and SignPro Systems®. Orbus operations reside in Chicago, Las Vegas and Toronto.

Orbus is a proud member of ISA, PRINTING United Alliance, EDPA, ASI, PPAI, UPIC, and SAGE; the company boasts G7 Master IDEAlliance certification and is registered to ISO 9001:2015 for the highest manufacturing quality standards and ISO 14001:2015 for its environmental management system.

Orbus is a part of Orbus Visual Communications® Group, a market-leading group of brands in North America that specialize in the manufacture of visual communications solutions for exhibits/live events, retail and interiors. Brands within the group include Orbus®, Fabric Images®, Nimlok®, SEG Systems®, SEG Services® and CRĒO Industrial Arts.

SAGE® ANNOUNCES NEW FEATURES IN THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:58:34 GMT

SAGE® ANNOUNCES NEW FEATURES IN THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO

Addison, Texas (June 07, 2024) – SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions for the promotional products industry, proudly announces the launch of its latest updates, set to revolutionize the way users design and implement their customer’s branding through the Virtual Design Studio. With a focus on versatility and innovation, these new additions empower users to push the boundaries of their imagination and inspire their customers.

The Virtual Design Studio in SAGE Total Access allows distributor users to create virtual samples for their customers using their brand colors, logo, and messaging. Additionally, distributors with a SAGE Website can offer their clients the same easy-to-use experience, enabling their website visitors to create their own virtual samples.

Distributor users can also utilize the Virtual Design Studio directly on supplier websites if they have a SAGE Website or if they have the sampling tool integrated on their site.

The ability to create custom virtual samples not only allows distributors to help their customer better visualize what their final product will look like, but also to inspire their customers with a visual representation of the numerous promotional opportunities available to them.

One of the most eagerly anticipated updates is the introduction of the new curved text function. Now, users can effortlessly add curved text up to a full circle, opening up a world of possibilities for creating captivating logos and custom designs.

Additionally, the Virtual Design Studio now puts the power of customization directly into the hands of its users with the ability to design their own paths for text. Whether it's following the contours of a logo or creating unique typographic compositions, the ability to apply text to freeform paths and modify their curves enables users to bring their vision to life with unparalleled precision and creativity. The option to save custom shapes for future use further streamlines the design process, ensuring efficiency and flexibility in every project.

In response to user feedback and evolving design trends, SAGE has also introduced the new brand colors feature as part of the color picker in the Virtual Design Studio. This enhancement automatically supplies the brand colors for any logo in addition to the standard color options to pick from when choosing a design color. This feature simplifies the process of matching HEX and PMS colors across products and designs, ensuring consistency and cohesion in user’s branding efforts. With an expanded palette of options at their fingertips, users can effortlessly create visually stunning designs to inspire their customers and show them exactly what their final product will look like.

"We're so excited about these new features in the Virtual Design Studio” said Eric Natinsky, Chief Executive Officer of SAGE. "Being able to add curved text, freeform text, and especially having the brand colors to pick from right in front of you when creating virtual samples for your customers makes the distributor’s job that much easier! It will definitely help create a more successful sales pitch and let end-buyers better visualize their final results.”

These features are available now through the Virtual Design Studio in SAGE Total Access and on SAGE Websites. Experience the future of design and unlock limitless creative possibilities today!

For more information on the Virtual Design Studio, visit www.sageworld.com or contact your Account Advisor.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

AAkron Line Named Exclusive Supplier of A.T. Cross

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:51:17 GMT

AAkron Line Named Exclusive Supplier of A.T. Cross

AAkron Rule Corporation, a pioneering force in the promotional products industry, is pleased to announce that we have been named the key Supplier partner of A.T. Cross Writing Instruments. This strategic collaboration solidifies AAkron’s commitment to providing top-tier offerings in the promotional products sector. While A.T. Cross will continue its in-house decoration processes as well, AAkron will serve as the primary channel for distribution, enhancing accessibility to A.T. Cross writing instruments for businesses in the promotional products market.

Stan Dohan, MAS, MASI, AAkron Executive Vice President adds, “A.T. Cross is an iconic writing instrument brand, and the gold standard in pens for over 150 years. We are so excited to exclusively represent Cross in the promotional products industry. We cannot be more pleased to have the opportunity to add our award-winning, decorating, full color, and laser engraving to deliver a premium, packaged writing instrument line for our valued distributor customers.”

Founded in 1846, Providence, RI based A.T. Cross Company is a global innovator of fine writing instruments. Effective immediately, please find A.T. Cross writing instruments available for laser engraving, full color decoration and one color screen printing available from the AAkron Line: https://www.aakronline.com/en_us/category-product-list/a-t-cross-1

“A.T. Cross is excited to partner with AAkron and their experienced professional team. Our two companies share a common goal in delivering the highest quality products combined with exemplary service,” adds Andrew Boss, A.T. Cross North American Sales Manager.

About AAkron Line

AAkron Line is a leading promotional products supplier and trusted resource for service, quality, and innovation since 1967. We are the Original Home of Mood Products, proud manufacturer of over 350 Made in the USA products, and now, the Retail and Promotional Products Brand Leader. AAkron Line is family-owned and operated with locations in New York, Tennessee, and Texas, which currently employ over 260 people.

Maple Ridge Farms Receives Shining Star Award for 2023 United Way Campaign

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 21:43:13 GMT

Maple Ridge Farms Receives Shining Star Award for 2023 United Way Campaign

January 31, 2024 – Mosinee, WI – United Way of Marathon County has recognized Maple Ridge Farms with a Shining Star award for its 2023 United Way campaign. Shining Stars are awarded to companies whose employees ran campaigns that have shown participation growth, leadership growth, overall dollars raised, corporate gifts, and volunteerism as true advocates for United Way.

Maple Ridge Farms’ 2023 campaign included many different activities in which employees could participate, including a visiting gelato cart, a white elephant sale, and the crowd-pleasing raffle for department-created gift baskets, coveted parking places, and other prizes. The campaign raised a total of $8,911 to benefit United Way of Marathon County, an increase of 5% over 2022’s campaign.

In receiving this award, Maple Ridge Farms campaign manager, Shana Gardner, remarked: “We are proud to partner with United Way of Marathon County. Our dedicated committee is always diligently looking for ways to add opportunities for team members to participate and contribute, and it’s an honor to be recognized for those efforts. We plan to add more events throughout 2024 and are excited to continue to develop and grow our support.”

Located in Mosinee, WI, Maple Ridge Farms, Inc., (ASI 68680, PPAI 114165,

UPIC: MAPLE, SAGE 57654, founded in 1979, is the leading supplier of gourmet gifts to the promotional products industry. Recognized for outstanding freshness, the line includes a complete variety of candies, handmade chocolates, fresh-roasted nuts, baked goods, smoked meats, and naturally aged cheeses presented in innovative gift boxes, gift baskets, gourmet towers, desk accessories, and wooden crates. For more information on the company visit www.mapleridge.co

ORBUS NAMED BEST PLACE TO WORK BY ASI COUNSELOR MAGAZINE

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:57:24 GMT

ORBUS NAMED BEST PLACE TO WORK BY ASI COUNSELOR MAGAZINE

Woodridge, IL – February 1, 2024: Orbus Visual Communications® has been named a 2024 Best Place To Work by ASI Counselor Magazine. Orbus is North America’s largest producer and manufacturer of visual communications solutions for tradeshows and events, retail environments and workplace interiors.

ASI Counselor Magazine identifies itself as “The Voice of the Promo Product Industry.” The Best Places to Work list is a mix of top-rated suppliers and distributors in the promotional products industry throughout the U.S. and Canada. The winners are chosen through in-depth employee surveys that rate the company in categories such as management communication, workplace culture, and work/life balance.

Orbus was named to this list because of its commitment to employee happiness and recognition. Orbus is proud to have built a workplace culture where diversity is fostered, employees feel they are heard, and a work-life balance is of upmost importance. Our employees are our greatest asset and keep our business successful year after year.

“We are honored to be recognized as a 2024 Best Place to Work by ASI Counselor Magazine,”said Todd Papendick, Director of Human Resources at Orbus Visual Communications. “At Orbus, we take pride in creating an environment where creativity and innovation thrives, and where employees feel happy to call it home.”

About Orbus Group

Orbus Visual Communications is a market-leading group of brands in the United States and Canada that specialize in the manufacture and production of portable, modular, and custom displays used in events, exhibits, retail, and workplace interiors. Brands within the group include The Exhibitors’ Handbook®, Promo Handbook™, Nimlok®, Nimlok Canada, Fabric Images®, SEG Systems & Services®, Orbus Visual Communication Canada, and SignPro Systems®.

Orbus Group’s supply and manufacturing operations reside in Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.orbus.com.

ORBUS AWARDED TWO 2024 PPAI PYRAMID AWARDS

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:26:26 GMT

ORBUS AWARDED TWO 2024 PPAI PYRAMID AWARDS

Woodridge, IL – January 17, 2024: Orbus Visual Communications® has been awarded two 2024 PPAI Silver Pyramid Awards – Supplier Decorating. Orbus is North America’s largest producer and manufacturer of visual communications solutions for tradeshows and events, retail environments and workplace interiors.

The PPAI Pyramid Awards is an annual competition that honors outstanding achievements of PPAI member companies. Five specific categories recognize excellence in creativity, service, quality, and craftsmanship. These categories are Supplier Decorating, Client Programs, Marketing, Technology, and the Supplier Star.

Orbus’ first winning submission is for supplier decorating – customized non-catalog was for a 40’ x 50’ trade show booth created for distributor Exhibit Control for Bank of America. Orbus used its impressive capabilities to create a double-decker booth with a giveaway room that incorporates unique and dynamic light features. The care and creativity that went into the design and craftsmanship of this booth is exemplary or Orbus’ manufacturing capabilities.

Orbus’ second winning submission for supplier decorating – large format printing was for a 70’ x 35’ trade show exhibit created for distributor GES for THK. This exhibit featured a 102ft wide by 16ft tall L-shaped backwall. This large graphic wall was a considerable representation of Orbus’ frame manufacturing and wide format graphic printing capabilities.

“We are grateful and honored to receive two Silver Pyramid Awards from PPAI,” said Natalie Whited, Vice President of Marketing for Orbus. “Visually Empowering Brands is what we do. We partner with our distributors to deliver excellence in creativity, service and quality and these awards are a testament of doing so for Bank of American and THK.”

About Orbus Group

Orbus Group’s supply and manufacturing operations reside in Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.orbus.com.

SAGE® UNVEILS NEW FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS FOR 2024

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 18:00:00 GMT

SAGE^® UNVEILS NEW FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS FOR 2024

Addison, Texas (January 11, 2024) – SAGE announces several exciting updates to its flagship service, SAGE Total Access, as well as SAGE Websites and SAGE Company Stores. These brand-new features will allow distributors to access more information about their customers at-a-glance, view in-depth sales reports, automatically track website inventory, easily build custom site pages, plus implement turnkey product collections and starter stores.

“Our development strategy continues to prioritize streamlining the cross-functionality of our services and building new, innovative solutions for our customers to help them stay ahead of trends and maximize their efficiency,” said Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO. “This release is particularly exciting because we’ve introduced several new features that are going to really revolutionize the way our customers do business.”

In the latest release, a notable achievement is the introduction of a CRM Client Overview dashboard in SAGE Online and SAGE Web. This feature utilizes aggregate data from various SAGE Total Access modules, offering distributors high-level insights into each client's order volume rank, sales potential, and recent activity. It also provides a snapshot of interactions, like the number of quotes, presentations, or email campaigns within a specified date range.

Distributors can now create client logins for websites and online stores via the CRM module. The integration of CRM with SAGE Websites enables distributors to effortlessly establish and oversee client access in a centralized location. Additionally, to enhance workflow efficiency through SAGE Total Access, carts from Websites and Company Stores are seamlessly integrated into Order Management.

In addition to the previously announced release of the new SAGE Company Store Standard in Q3 2023, SAGE has introduced even more developments in its Company Store suite. The newest updates incorporate advanced features like the ability to duplicate a store and a new in-depth reporting module to see sales over time, sales by product, showroom or promo code, and sales by client.

Another major update for Company Stores and Websites is the inclusion of inventory management. This new functionality allows distributors to monitor various product variations (size, color, etc.) with distinct inventory levels. Users can efficiently manage bulk inventory through spreadsheets, establish custom thresholds for each item, receive notifications for low stock levels, and enable automatic updates to deduct items during order fulfillment. Inventory management is accessible with SAGE Website Professional or SAGE Company Store Premium and higher tiers.

While a large portion of this latest release focuses on streamlining processes, SAGE has also announced three completely new additions to its Websites and Company Stores that distributors can utilize to drive more traffic to their sites and secure more business.

The introduction of Starter Stores as part of SAGE Company Stores allows users to present fully customizable theme-based stores at no additional charge. This serves as an effective way to illustrate the adaptability of company stores to clients or serves as a quick launchpad for setting up clients' stores.

SAGE Website Professional Plus now incorporates the all-new Curated Product Webpages, featuring theme-based webpages with curated content and products, enhancing SEO and driving website traffic.

And finally, SAGE introduced its revolutionary Page Builder module in SAGE Websites as a way to design pages visually using drag and drop functionality. The Page Builder allows distributors to quickly and easily custom-build a page from scratch with a tailored column layout and widgets such as text blocks and product groups that incorporate featured product selections.

All updates are available now. To learn more about SAGE Total Access, SAGE Websites, or SAGE Company Stores, visit www.sageworld.com or contact your Account Advisor today.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

ORBUS ENHANCES AND EXPANDS PRINT CAPABILITIES

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:28:23 GMT

ORBUS ENHANCES AND EXPANDS PRINT CAPABILITIES

Woodridge, IL – January 9, 2024: Orbus Visual Communications® invests in market-leading, state-of-the-art print equipment to ensure display graphics are the best in the industry. Orbus is North America’s largest producer and manufacturer of visual communications solutions for tradeshows and events, retail environments and workplace interiors.

Newly acquired dye-sublimation and UV print equipment marks a significant improvement in capacity and helps Orbus ensure consistent color and output across facilities.

New equipment increased Orbus’ dye-sub printing capacity by 10%, a remarkable jump from 15,400 sq. ft. per hour to 23,000 sq. ft. per hour. This enhancement is the result of the adoption of four Durst P5 TEX iSub printers, bringing the total count of dye-sub printers from seven to nine.

Orbus increased its UV print capacity by 60% with the addition of a Digitech TruFire UV LT/X2 printer and an EFI VuTek Q5R Ultradrop printer with inline cutting capability. This pushes the hourly output from 9,500 sq. ft. to 15,000 sq. ft. and further distinguishes Orbus from its competitors.

Continued investments in state-of-the-art print and finishing equipment emphasize Orbus’ commitment to providing the highest print quality that exceeds industry standards. Orbus’ print capabilities can be reviewed here: https://www.orbus.com/services/graphic-services/print-capabilities

“The advancements in our printing capabilities reaffirm our dedication to excellence and position Orbus as the place to go superior displays graphics,” said Jaime Herand, Vice President of Graphic Operations at Orbus. “We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in the latest technologies that enable us to offer the best solutions to our clients.”

About Orbus Group

Orbus Group’s supply and manufacturing operations reside in Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.orbus.com.

# # #

SAGE® and PPPC Announce Partnership Renewal

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 21:52:47 GMT

SAGE® and PPPC Announce Partnership Renewal

Addison, Texas – Winnipeg, MB (September 7, 2023) – SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry, and Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC), the not-for-profit association for the Canadian promotional products industry, announces the renewal of the SAGE and PPPC partnership. The SAGE and PPPC partnership provides a comprehensive solution for distributors and suppliers of promotional products in the Canadian marketplace for one low membership price.

With the partnership renewal, PPPC and SAGE will continue to provide the Canadian promotional products industry with the combined benefits of a PPPC membership and SAGE products and services.

New and existing PPPC distributor members receive not only the Canadian organization's extensive benefits but also a SAGE Total Access subscription, one SAGE Total Access additional user, and a PPAI membership.

A SAGE Total Access subscription, with tailor-made features for Canadian distributors, allows distributors to search the industry’s largest promotional products database of Canadian and U.S. suppliers with over 1.2 million verified products.

“PPPC is pleased to renew our strategic partnership with SAGE, as it enables us to continue to provide our members with value and innovative technology solutions to do business more effectively and efficiently to drive sales and grow their businesses and networks,” said Jonathan N. Strauss, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC). “As an association, we’re continually striving to provide members with value-added solutions that are tailor-made for them and our industry to stay top of mind with clients and have a competitive advantage.”

Features specific to the Canadian market include automatically converted pricing to Canadian dollars within the research tool and on distributor company websites. Product searches can be narrowed by postal code, province, or shipping point, while shipping is easily calculated using the shipping estimator to include costs from Canada Post. Product searches can also be filtered for products with specific Canadian compliances such as CCPSA, CUL, CSA, and CFIA approved, or for USMCA-proficient suppliers. Additionally, Canadian distributors can translate sales presentations or their website to French, create Made in Canada e-commerce showrooms on their site, and limit which suppliers’ products are displayed on their site, giving them the ability to better cater to their customers’ needs.

The inclusion of a PPAI membership (Promotional Products Association International), the world’s largest not-for-profit association for the promotional products industry, for Canadian distributors allows PPPC members access to PPAI’s extensive member benefits including professional development and certification, education through safety and compliance programs, participation in The PPAI Expo, the industry’s largest trade show, and more.

PPPC supplier members will receive a SAGE Advantage Membership with their PPPC membership, allowing them the opportunity to connect with Canadian distributors that are looking for their products, break into a new market, and expand their customer base.

"The renewal of the strategic partnership between PPPC and SAGE reinforces our commitment to empowering the Canadian promotional products industry with unmatched technology solutions,” said Blake Bozeman, MAS, Vice President of Sales at SAGE. “Together, we form an unstoppable force, driving business growth, fostering innovation, and championing the industry in Canada for years to come."

For more information on PPPC's member benefits and savings opportunities, call PPPC at 866-450-7722 or visit www.pppc.ca.

For questions regarding SAGE products and services, please call 800-925-7243 or visit www.sageworld.com/canada.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

About PPPC

Founded in 1956, Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC) is the national not-for-profit association of suppliers and distributors of promotional products for business gifts, rewards, incentives, premiums and specialty advertising products. Its mission is to lead, inspire and advance the $1.8 billion industry through the strength of more than 6,000 companies involved in the industry and their 20,000 plus employees across Canada. For more information, please visit www.pppc.ca.

SAGE® UNVEILS ENHANCED COMPANY STORE STANDARD

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 20:28:22 GMT

SAGE^® UNVEILS ENHANCED COMPANY STORE STANDARD

Addison, Texas (August 29, 2023) – SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry, is thrilled to announce the launch of its upgraded SAGE Company Store Standard. This latest release introduces a multitude of features designed to elevate user experience and site functionality to new heights. With these updates, SAGE continues to revolutionize the way distributors manage their online presence.

SAGE Company Store Standard, the introductory company store solution in SAGE’s company store offerings, now includes more of the advanced features and functionality within SAGE’s higher-level company store options, SAGE Company Store Premium and SAGE Company Store Premium Plus.

This all-new, enhanced version has an innovative and fresh user interface. The clean and modern layout seamlessly incorporates distributors’ existing branding, colors, custom navigation, product selection, and settings allowing an effortless transition for their customers while delivering a more visually appealing experience. Moreover, the fully responsive design enables distributor clients to enjoy flawless viewing across all devices, be it desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.

SAGE Company Store Standard continues to include SAGE's trusted web hosting services, promising seamless performance and maximum uptime for distributors' e-commerce stores. To further strengthen site performance and reliability, advanced security updates, including full-site SSL encryption, have been implemented to safeguard sensitive customer data, fostering trust among site visitors.

Another exciting new feature included in the upgraded SAGE Company Store Standard is the addition of a product matrix. This intuitive new component simplifies the process of inputting multiple sizes and colors in an order, eliminates multiple additional steps, and streamlines the ordering experience for distributors and their customers alike.

Another addition to the new SAGE Company Store Standard includes multiple image support. This enables distributors to showcase their offerings from various angles or show multiple color options to help customers better visualize their final product and increase engagement.

The enriched customization options within the new SAGE Company Store Standard allow distributors to create compelling content and promotional offers by adding text, specials, or links, ultimately driving more sales. And with the ability to add multiple auto-rotating and linkable homepage banners, distributors can easily highlight their featured products, seasonal promotions, or any message they wish to convey right at the top of their page.

Plus, distributors can provide their customers with two additional custom webpages. Some great examples of this would be a size chart page or FAQ page. The user-friendly rich text editor empowers distributors to format and style their website content seamlessly, while the expanded file library allows for the storage and management of a greater volume of digital assets, including images, logos, and marketing collateral. Additionally, the new language support toggle supports clients with internationally located employees.

For advanced users seeking even more customization options, SAGE's upgraded Company Store Standard offers JS & CSS support, allowing the addition of their own JavaScript and CSS code to further personalize their e-commerce stores.

“Here at SAGE, our steadfast commitment is to help our customers thrive and provide them with the latest in what SAGE has to offer. And this upgrade is a big step up for our current Company Store Standard customers” said Chris Sumpter, Vice President of Web Development. “We’ve modernized the design, but we’ve also incorporated several customer-requested features to make the site more efficient and effective for both our distributors and their customers.”

The upgraded SAGE Company Store Standard is available now. All existing Company Store Standard customers will be automatically upgraded to the new version prior to September 30, 2023, and will receive an email once the upgrade is complete.

Despite the significant enhancements, SAGE remains committed to delivering value to its clients. Effective October 1, 2023, all new Company Store Standard subscriptions or renewals will be available at the rate of $295 per year or $29 per month.

To learn more about the updated capabilities of SAGE Company Store Standard or to request a free demo store, visit https://www.sageworld.com/companystore-standard/.

To learn more about SAGE Company Store Premium and SAGE Company Store Premium Plus, visit https://www.sageworld.com/launch-company-store.php.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

Fascinating Takeaways Unveiled by SAGE’s Promo Live! Online Event

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:32:52 GMT

Fascinating Takeaways Unveiled by SAGE’s Promo Live! Online Event

Addison, Texas (August 23, 2023) – SAGE, the leading provider of business services in the promotional products industry, has concluded its yearly interactive online promo event, Promo Live! Over the span of two successful days, the event drew the participation of over 1,100 industry professionals, up 20% over last year. This immersive online experience included 69 live and on-demand educational sessions, dynamic product showcases, personalized consultations with SAGE experts, and much more.

Leveraging the cutting-edge SAGE Digital Events platform, Promo Live harnessed SAGE's proprietary technology to deliver an engaging and interactive experience tailored specifically for the promotional products industry.

“Promo Live was a huge success,” said SAGE President David Natinsky, MAS. “It seems like I say this every year, but the accessibility that this platform has brought to the industry is incredible. So many more people can attend and enjoy the benefits of discovering new, trending products, networking, and learning, all from their home or office.”

The event featured an array of live and on-demand educational sessions led by SAGE and leading industry suppliers, garnering a total of 10,127 session views. Distributors gained insights from top industry suppliers, who unveiled new and innovative products, novel sales strategies, and showcased their top-selling items. Additionally, attendees delved into the latest trends in promotional products through interactive industry panel sessions, fostering lively conversations and new connections.

An exclusive industry panel, led by Terri Sparkman, Sales Development Manager at SAGE, Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer at PCNA Global, and Kym Frese, Regional Account Executive at Raining Rose, explored new ways to attract clients for the fourth quarter within the industry.

“Thank you, SAGE, for an excellent opportunity to meet suppliers,” said Nancy Brooks, Owner of Brookside Promotions and Embroidery.

On day two, another specialized industry panel presented by Andy Evans, Corporate Account Manager at SAGE, alongside Lori Lord, Founder and CEO of Promotional Marketing Services, Natalie O'Leary, Director of Business Development at Bamko, and Tricia Williams, Proprietor of My Tribe Print & Promo LLC, discussed expert perspectives on ways to leverage company stores, email campaigns, and social media to boost end-of-the-year sales.

Among other standout elements were the live SAGE Quick Tip Sessions, which offered expert guidance on topics such as new SAGE Company Stores, supplier integrations, SAGE & AI, and advanced product searching.

In addition to these highlights, distributors enjoyed the Supplier Showcase, a hub for video calls, live chats, and access to themed product showrooms, providing an opportunity to explore each suppliers’ latest offerings in promotional items for the upcoming fall and holiday sales season.

"We owe the success of Promo Live to the collective efforts of our distributors, suppliers, and sponsors,” said Natinsky. “The future of the industry is promising, and we eagerly anticipate its evolution."

For more information about Promo Live, visit https://www.sageworld.com/promolive/.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online^™, SAGE Web^™, and SAGE Mobile^™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, project management, website and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-buyer catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association as well as Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC), Canada’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

HPG Hires Alex Symms as Evans Manufacturing’s Director of Sales

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:06:38 GMT

HPG Hires Alex Symms as Evans Manufacturing’s Director of Sales

Braintree, MA. June 1, 2023: Top 8 promotional products supplier HPG announces the onboarding of industry veteran Alex Symms as Director of Sales of their Garden Grove California subsidiary Evans Manufacturing. Symms joins HPG and Evans with a combined twenty year management background with promotional products suppliers such as Chameleon and most recently PowerStick.com.

“I’ve had the good fortune of partnering with all functions of the manufacturing sector throughout my career, including R&D, sales and marketing and leadership and management,” says Symms. “I am excited to join an incredible team of forward-thinking leaders that take corporate branded merchandise to an enhanced level with industry leading products and award-winning service.”

Evans Manufacturing is the latest addition to HPG’s line-up of brands, and Symms plans to incorporate the latest technologies, such as AI, in his sales strategies. “I learned a long time ago that you either adapt to change, or get left behind, and that mindset pushes me to always be aware of new trends and identifying what might be coming up in the future.”

HPG CRO Trina Bicknell says, "I am very excited to add Alex to the HPG award-winning sales team and know that with his vast experience he will lead the Evans sales team to further success!"

Symms, his wife and two sons, nineteen and fifteen years old, are based in the Houston area. “My weekends usually consist of either being on the sideline of a rugby pitch or along a fence line at a baseball tournament as both my sons are very active in sports,” he says. “You can usually find me outdoors enjoying the fresh air. I am always game for a spontaneous adventure!”

About HPG

Founded in 2017, HPG is a Top 10 supplier in the Promotional Products industry with over 15,000 SKUs from 11 leading specialist brands. HPG is the premier destination for award-winning customer service, innovative hard goods, and outstanding sales tools. HPG’s distribution capabilities are unmatched, producing and shipping from nine facilities spanning North America. HPG’s brands include some of the best-known names in the industry, including Hub, Beacon, Best, Debco, BCG Creations, Origaudio, Handstands, Batch & Bodega, Mixie, SugarSpot, and most recently, Evans Manufacturing.

For more information about HPG, visit hpgbrands.com

About Evans

Evans Manufacturing creates products for the promotional industry in categories including Healthcare, Household, Drinkware, Writing Instruments, Pet, Office, Travel, Auto, Golf, and Outdoor. Evans offers a broad array of thoughtfully designed, high value items delivered with consistency and reliability for gifting that leaves a lasting positive impression.

For more information about Evans Manufacturing, visit www.evans-mfg.com

SAGE® ADDS NEW WEB-BASED SUPPLIER CENTER PORTAL

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:10:12 GMT

SAGE^® ADDS NEW WEB-BASED SUPPLIER CENTER PORTAL

Addison, Texas (March 8, 2023) – SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry, announces the addition of a new web-based supplier center portal.

The new SAGE Supplier Center web-based platform has all the same functionality as the current Windows-based Supplier Center with a few exciting additions. Through an easy-to-use interface and access to more statistics than ever before, this new portal makes it easier for supplier Advantage Members, including Mac users, to access and update their product data from any device that connects to the internet.

“Our goal as a technology company has always been to provide solutions. To achieve that, two key factors for distributors and suppliers are ease of use and access to information,” said David Natinsky, President of SAGE. “With this new web-based platform, suppliers can update their product data from anywhere, which helps not only our supplier members but the industry as a whole, making real-time data even more accessible.”

Additionally, suppliers can view live product and advertising-related statistics right from their dashboard, from distributor and end-buyer product views, and profile views, to progress tracking of their monthly advertising budgets. Additionally, in the Performance & Stats area, suppliers can see a detailed breakdown of their product stats, including their most popular products, product engagement, their product category rankings, and profile engagement stats such as website and email clicks through SAGE Total Access. For suppliers participating in digital advertisements, the My Advertisements tab in the Performance & Stats area provides a detailed analysis of each ad’s performance.

Suppliers can also now perform distributor searches through the new Supplier Center portal, providing a quick and easy way for suppliers to verify contact information all in one place.

Another exciting new feature of the Supplier Center portal is the addition of the SAGE Community. SAGE Community has long been available to distributors to network with their industry peers, and it is now open to everyone in the industry. SAGE Community allows suppliers to share industry news, best practices, and connect and engage with other supplier members on hot industry topics.

The SAGE Supplier Center web portal is available now to all supplier Advantage Members at no additional cost. Simply visit www.sagesuppliercenter.com to log in.

To learn more about a SAGE Advantage Membership, visit www.sageworld.com.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

SAGE® Releases SAGE Mobile™11.1

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 14:36:12 GMT

SAGE^® Releases SAGE Mobile™11.1

The promo industry's most popular mobile app has been upgraded to the latest version, SAGE Mobile 11.1. The app now features an assortment of new features and enhancements to provide consistency across all SAGE Total Access platforms.

Addison, Texas (July 19, 2022) – SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry, announces the release of SAGE Mobile 11.1. The app, available for iOS and Android devices, allows industry distributors easy access to all their critical research and business management operations while on the go.

This update introduces several new features and enhancements to product research, project management, file center, and SAGE Chat. SAGE Mobile 11.1 users will see more fields and filters to align with the recently updated capabilities of SAGE Online™ and SAGE Web™, enabling Total Access customers to manage their business across platforms from anywhere, effortlessly.

"We know our industry is always on the go. Because of that, we are committed to providing our customers a seamless experience whether they are using SAGE Online, SAGE Web, or SAGE Mobile to give them the flexibility they need to run their businesses in the most efficient and effective way that works for them," said SAGE President David Natinsky, MAS.

Some of the new features in the SAGE Mobile 11.1 updates include:

Product Research

· Addition of new search fields, including EQP, Social Good, and Compliance

· The product detail screen now includes all additional charge information

· Now includes a new shipping section with an icon linking to the shipping charge estimator

Project Management

· New filter option in Project Management to filter by Project Owner

· More filter options in the activities section, including filtering by workflow steps or notes

· Also, in the activities section, new actions have been added, including copy to clipboard, edit, toggle client visibility, or delete

File Center

· Added functionality to be able to rename, copy, move, see properties, and delete files

SAGE Chat

· Now able to search entire chat threads by word

· Able to save a draft of chats per person

· New action to email, copy or save today's transcript

SAGE Mobile 11.1 is available now. Current SAGE Total Access subscribers can download SAGE Mobile free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or the Amazon App Store. The update will download automatically for users who have their app updates turned on.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE's flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Web™, and SAGE Mobile™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, project management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-buyer catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry's non-profit association, and Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC), Canada's non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

SAGE® Announces Promo Live!

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 19:43:22 GMT

SAGE^® Announces Promo Live!

Addison, Texas (July 18, 2022) – SAGE, the promotional products industry's leading business services provider, announced registration is now open for all verified promotional product distributors to attend Promo Live, a brand-new interactive online event from August 30-31^st, 2022.

Promo Live will be held on the SAGE Digital Events platform, an exclusive digital experience for users to interact one-on-one with other distributors, suppliers, and presenters.

During this new event, attendees will hear from supplier partners on the main stage as they share new products, creative ways to sell their products, and highlight their best sellers for the upcoming holiday season. Plus, attendees will learn about the latest in product trends and much more during the roundtable sessions with distributors and suppliers.

Promo Live includes an interactive main stage with learning sessions, consultations with SAGE experts, on-demand sessions, product pavilions, and supplier rooms with live demonstrations and Q&A with top industry suppliers.

During the live discussions, distributors can contribute and interact with the presenters and fellow attendees to brainstorm ideas, ask questions, and more. Distributors will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with suppliers via chat or video conferencing throughout the event.

"We are thrilled for this new opportunity to help distributors learn, collaborate and connect at our new digital event, Promo Live," said David Natinsky, MAS, President of SAGE. "We look forward to offering this experience for distributors with exclusive content from our experts here at SAGE and top industry leaders nationwide."

Registration is free for all verified promotional product distributors. For more information on SAGE, please visit https://www.sageworld.com/promolive/

About SAGE

Based in Addison, Texas, SAGE is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE's flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website, and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-user catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) members and Promotional Professionals of Canada (PPPC) members. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

STARLINE WELCOMES NEW SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MANAGER - MICHELLE SHERWIN, MAS

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 19:43:49 GMT

STARLINE WELCOMES NEW SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MANAGER -

MICHELLE SHERWIN, MAS

Grand Island, New York; July 5, 2022 – Starline is excited to announce the addition of Michelle Sherwin, MAS, as the new Southeast Regional Manager covering AL, AR, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, and TN.

Michelle comes to Starline with a wealth of experience and relationships, and a ton of energy! Her 30-year career began as a promotional product buyer for Suntrust Bank’s Marketing Team. From there, she worked for 21 years as a distributor/owner of an Adventures in Advertising franchise and as a sales rep for Brown & Bigelow. Her supplier experience started with Vantage Apparel and now continues with Starline. Michelle served on the GAPPP Regional Board for 10 years and currently serves on the PPAI / Regional Association Committee. Her passion and enthusiasm for this industry is evident and her desire to engage, enlighten and educate is felt by her clients.

"We are beyond thrilled to add someone with such amazing industry experience, on both sides of the aisle, to the Starline team,” says Brian Porter, SVP of Sales and Marketing. "Michelle brings years of strong relationships in the territory, now combined with Starline’s award-winning products and service, to a market that has grown exponentially over the past few years, and we see no limit to her potential!”

When she isn’t working, Michelle and her husband love to travel, play pickleball and spend time with family and friends. Michelle is a true Georgia Peach – born and raised in Atlanta, GA.

About Starline | Starline is a top supplier in the Promotional Products Industry specializing in quality, high-end gifts. Starline carries a collection of trusted name brands including uni-ball®, Stanley®, Pelican™, JanSport®, Urban Peak®, and more. It is the home of the patented and award winning TruColor™ digital decoration technique. With locations in Grand Island, NY and Vaughan, Ontario, Starline remains committed to seamlessly servicing the needs of its North American distributor base.

Maple Ridge Farms Donates $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity of Wausau

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:42:55 GMT

Maple Ridge Farms Donates $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity of Wausau

June 20, 2022 – Mosinee, WI – Maple Ridge Farms presented a check for $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity of Wausau. The donation was the result of the company’s “Give Back” program for 2021. In that program, Maple Ridge Farms donates a percentage of the profits from a specially selected line of gifts.

Presenting the check were Jodie Schillinger, Executive Vice President, and Shana Gardner, one of the main architects of the program.

Kim Tallitsch, Operations Director of Habitat for Humanity of Wausau, explained how thrilled they were to receive the contribution: “With continued support from incredible partners like Maple Ridge Farms, Habitat for Humanity of Wausau is currently aiding our 70th family in making their dreams of home ownership a reality. Our important work continues because of their generosity and together we are building homes, communities, and hope!”

Schillinger stated, “Affordable housing and employment are very intertwined. Affordable housing can significantly impact employment opportunities, and in turn has the potential to create sustainability for a family and one’s career path. We are thrilled to partner with Habitat for Humanity.”

For a complete list of charities supported by Maple Ridge Farms, visit the Community Outreach section of their website: https://mapleridge.com/about-us/community-outreach

For more information on the impact of Habitat for Humanity of Wausau, visit habitatwausau.org.

Located in Mosinee, WI, Maple Ridge Farms, Inc., (PPAI 114165, UPIC: MAPLE, SAGE 57654, ASI686800) was founded in 1979 and is the leading supplier of gourmet gifts to the promotional products industry. Recognized for outstanding freshness, the line includes a complete variety of candies, handmade chocolates, fresh-roasted nuts, baked goods, smoked meats and naturally aged cheeses presented in innovative gift boxes, gift baskets, gourmet towers, desk accessories, classic wooden vehicles and wooden collector’s boxes. For more information on the company visit www.MapleRidgeFarms.com

PPEF Awards $299,000 In Scholarships, Passes $3 Million Mark

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 20:00:00 GMT

PPEF Awards $299,000 In Scholarships, Passes $3 Million Mark

IRVING, Texas, (June 15, 2022) – Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF; www.ppef.us), a nonprofit founded to recognize and encourage scholastic excellence and academic performance among promotional products industry employees and their college-aged children, today announced 162 recipients of $299,000 in college scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year, bringing the total amount awarded since PPEF’s founding to more than $3 million.

“With this year’s recipients receiving the most money we’ve ever awarded, $299,000, that takes us over the $3 million mark for total scholarship awards since the inception of PPEF,” said Matt Bertram, chair of the PPEF Board of Trustees. “Continuing to help the next generation is possible due to the generous support of companies and individuals within the industry. Thank you to all of the donors who believe in the power of education and generously support PPEF’s mission.”

This year, PPEF is awarding 130 new and 32 renewal scholarships to selected recipients who have displayed remarkable academic achievement, extracurricular participation and community service. Each will receive between $1,000 and $9,000 to support their college education.

Funded by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) and generous donations from companies and individuals within the promotional products industry, the scholarship program enables youth and professionals to continue their education at the collegiate level. The Association and industry patrons have a long-standing commitment of service to the promotional products industry, and this fund supports those who demonstrate the same commitment.

The list of 2022 scholarship recipients is at www.ppef.us/winners-showcase/.

PPEF Scholarships

To learn more about applying for the 2023 scholarships, applicants are invited to visit www.ppef.us and click on the Scholarships tab. The application deadline for next year is March 15, 2023. Please direct questions to Sara Besly at SaraB@ppai.org. Donations can be made online at www.ppef.us or mailed to PPEF, 3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, Texas 75038.

About PPEF

PPEF is an industry-based non-profit organization that raises money to help students achieve their higher education goals. PPEF was founded to recognize and encourage scholastic ability and academic performance among promotional products industry employees and their children. Since its inception in 1989, PPEF has awarded over $3.02 million in financial assistance to 1,618 recipients.

SAGE ® REACHES 1 MILLION SUPPLIER VERIFIED PRODUCTS

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:33:32 GMT

SAGE ® REACHES 1 MILLION SUPPLIER VERIFIED PRODUCTS

Addison, Texas (June 14, 2022) –SAGE,the leading provider of information, marketing,and business management solutions to the promotional products industry,announcesthe accumulation ofone million verified products in the SAGE Total Accessproduct database.

SAGE has the only Verified by Supplier database in the industry. As a SAGE Advantage Member, suppliers are encouraged to verify product information and pricing throughthe SAGE Supplier Center in real-time.Products can also be verified through SAGE’s Bulk Product Update and real-time APIs. When a distributorsees the Verifiedby Supplier icon, they know they cantrust that the product’sdata and pricing are up-to-date and accurate. Over 80percent of activeproducts in the SAGE database are verified,and many distributors choose to only search for verified products.Additionally, verified products have an increased chance of showing up first in search results.

“With the supply chain issues and market fluctuations we’ve been seeing that are not likely to be resolved in the immediate future, the ability for suppliers to verify their product data and for distributors to be able to rely on that data’s accuracy for their customers is paramount for our industry,” said David Natinsky, President of SAGE.“We are thrilled to have reached a million verified products in our database,and we will continue to work with our suppliers to ensure that as many products in our database as possible remain verified.”

Distributors can limit searches to onlyverified products in SAGE Online,SAGE Web, or SAGE Mobileby going into the product search tab and selecting the VERIFIED checkbox inthe “Other FilterOptions” at the bottom of the search screen. Within search results, verified products display a red checkmark in the right top cornerofthe tile view. To see if a product is verified, locate the red verified logo next to the product’s pricing table. To view the most recent date ofverification, hover over the verified logo.

To learn more about SAGETotal Access,visit www.sageworld.com.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing,and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Mobile™, and SAGE Web™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, website,and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-usercatalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshowmanagement services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association. Formore information, please visit www.sageworld.comor call 800.925.7243.

PCNA Pledges Financial Support for Ukrainian Refugees

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 15:48:56 GMT

PCNA Pledges Financial Support for Ukrainian Refugees

Leading Supplier Commits Portion of March 2022 Sales Revenue to Relief Efforts

Pittsburgh, PA – March 7, 2022 – Polyconcept North America (PCNA) is proud to announce financial support for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. PCNA will donate up to one percent of March sales revenue to humanitarian relief efforts benefiting Ukrainian refugees in Poland, where the company’s European counterpart, PF Concept, has operations.

“We recognize the plight of the Ukrainian people and are eager to lend our support. Amongst the more than one million people already displaced, as well as all those who remain in Ukraine, are the friends and families of our teammates in Eastern Europe. This is our way of showing solidarity,” says Neil Ringel, Chief Executive Officer of Polyconcept, parent company to both PCNA and PF Concept. “Similar to our partnership with 1% For The Planet, which directs one percent of eco-product sales to environmental nonprofits, this allows us to use our business to help those in need.”

PF Concept operates throughout Europe, including Poland, where the company’s Poznan production facility is located. In addition to financial support for relief efforts, PF Concept continues to donate products including blankets, clothing and power banks for those in need.

PCNA welcomes participation in this effort by all North American distributors and their customers simply through the course of normal business. Direct financial contributions can be sent to Red Cross Poland. “The humanitarian crisis is unimaginable,” Ringel says. “The Ukrainian people need and deserve our support right now.”

# # #

About PCNA PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

CONTACT

Alicia Kauffman

Marketing Specialist

akauffman@pcna.com

Eight-Legged Media Announces New Promo Industry Holiday!

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 22:30:44 GMT

Eight-Legged Media Announces New Promo Industry Holiday!

National Catalog Day is Coming January 4^th!

Park Ridge, IL— December 1, 2021 — Through social media and email, Eight-Legged Media has announced the first ever National Catalog Day set for January 4^th, 2022, enabling Promo Manufacturers and Suppliers the opportunity to digitize, host, and release their catalogs through the DASH platform for free.

“DASH is the easiest and fastest way to digitize your .pdf files and turn them instantaneously into searchable flip-through catalogs that are hosted for free.” Dustin Harris, Principal Eight-Legged Media.

A Friendly Reminder

There are already 100’s of promotional catalogs hosted on DASH; both general and seasonal. Eight-Legged Media has been digitizing and hosting catalogs for free since its inception in 2007.

With three clicks you can go from static PDF to an interactive, page turning, searchable digital catalog. When asked for a comment, Bryan Hernandez, Director of Marketing at Logomark Inc. said “We will be uploading all of this year’s catalogs, and future ones moving forward.”

National Catalog Day / Free Catalogs

National Catalog Day was driven by customer feedback and is part of Eight-Legged Media’s commitment to deliver the latest products, solutions, and innovations all in one, easy to use platform. Free catalog uploads and hosting for National Catalog Day.media/national-catalog-day/.

2007, Eight-Legged Media is the Promotional Product’s leader in email and digital marketing. help Manufacturers, Suppliers, and Distributors simplify and automate their marketing efforts.

Eight-Legged Media, DASH, and National Catalog Day Eight-Legged Media

Dustin Harris

877.485.6332

dustin@8lmedia.com

National Catalog Day:

https://dash.eightlegged.media/national-catalog-day/

CAAMP Announces the Election of Four New Members to its Board of Directors (2022-2024).

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:40:55 GMT

CAAMP Announces the Election of Four New Members to its Board of Directors (2022-2024).

Carolinas Association of Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAAMP) is pleased to announce the newly elected Board members (2022-2024).

They are Shannon Butkus I Goldner Associates I National Account Manager I Distributor Member, Erin Burgess I Identify Yourself I Brand Manager I Distributor Member, Jennifer Walker I Koozie Group I Regional Account Manager I Supplier Member, Mark Thieleke I Showdown Displays | Territory Sales Manager Mid Atlantic I Supplier Member.

CAAMP’s President, Lisa Parker, MAS, MASI stated, “I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the candidates that participated in the election process for the 2022 CAAMP board of directors.

The CAAMP Board of Directors demonstrates leadership characteristics and inspires teams to excel to their potential. These members are meaningful, inspirational and communicate specific leadership characteristics that are important to CAAMPs success. We are extremely excited to welcome these new elected leaders to the CAAMP board of Directors."

ZOOMcatalog Adds Jessica Gibbons-Rauch as Marketing Manager.

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 20:57:51 GMT

ZOOMcatalog Adds Jessica Gibbons-Rauch as Marketing Manager.

Boulder, CO, October 11, 2021 – Jessica Gibbons-Rauch has been hired as the Marketing Manager for ZOOMcatalog; the industry’s leader in digital marketing technologies. Gibbons-Rauch will lead the strategic marketing direction for the brand and work with Bryony Zasman and Donna Lomazini to align product messaging with application. Gibbons-Rauch comes with robust experience in the promotional products market on both the distributor side and the service provider side of the industry.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring JGR onto our team. Her experience in the promotional products industry as a distributor and with digital marketing is the perfect balance for ZOOMcatalog.” – Bryony Zasman, Co-Founder.

Gibbons-Rauch, based in Chicago, has spent 16 years in the promotional products industry in positions with Top 40 distributors as an account manager, director of key accounts, and director of program development, merchandising, marketing, and vendor relations. She has served on the board and been the RAC delegate for PPAChicago, a PromoKitchen Chef, and was a 2014 PPB Rising Star. She has her MBA with a focus on strategic marketing from Northern Illinois University and has been a part of their Digital Marketing Board of Directors and an adjunct professor for the Digital Marketing Program. Recently, Gibbons-Rauch has been an independent consultant, working with distributors to build their operations, marketing, and merchandising programs. This year she has been a presenter at the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference, SAGE Show, Shirt Lab, and Promotional Products Association Canada Conference. She has also been a guest on podcasts such as Tacos with Jay and Jeff, Promo Insider, Delivering Marketing Joy, PromoEQP Got Your Back, CommonSKU Skucast, and Order My Gear.

“I have always admired the team at ZOOMcatalog and their amazing ability to solve industry problems with a modern, cutting edge digital solution. I am so excited to be a part of their future and be able to help communicate their robust product offering," Gibbons-Rauch said.

About ZOOMcatalog

ZOOMcatalog is a leading technology provider to the promotional products industry, helping suppliers and distributors create, search, customize, and share powerful digital marketing materials.

PCNA Partners With JanSport®

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 19:02:21 GMT

PCNA Partners With JanSport®

Supplier adds eco-friendly styles from popular bag brand to retail brand portfolio

Pittsburgh, PA – October 4, 2021 – PCNA is once again expanding their family of brands with the addition of their newest retail partner, JanSport®. The backpack brand joins an already impressive family of brands in not only the bags category but also among the eco-friendly styles carried by the supplier since the majority of JanSport packs available at PCNA will be made in part with recycled materials.

When asked about the new partnership, Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA says, “JanSport is a brand whose legacy precedes them. They represent a feeling of nostalgia for so many people and we are thrilled to add them to our impressive portfolio of retail brand partners.” Haesler continues, “As a leader in the bags category, we take great pride in making sure we provide our distributor partners with the best selection of quality, on-trend pieces. Not only does JanSport offer a great selection of packs made in part with recycled fabrics, but their packs are designed to last and come with a limited lifetime warranty, minimizing the brand’s waste and environmental impact – so with every sale, we are one step closer to protecting our environment.”

PCNA is launching the brand with a JanSport backpack style and more bags will be added by the end of the year and into 2022. By housing JanSport inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip® service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

JanSport is available through PCNA in the U.S. and can be found at PCNA.com.

# # #

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

About JanSport^®
JanSport, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC., was founded in 1967 in Seattle, WA, by three pioneers in the outdoor industry. Though the brand began by manufacturing and marketing world-class outdoor backpacks, today the product offering includes backpacks, bags and accessories sold on www.jansport.com, department stores, and specialty and boutique retail locations throughout the world. All JanSport packs are backed by a lifetime warranty to guarantee they stand by customers through their life's adventures.

An Opportunity To Grow

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 23:00:00 GMT

Dale Denham, MAS+, constantly reminds himself that, in matters of both business and life, it’s all about perspective. No two people will ever see a situation in the exact same way, he says, and therefore, it’s all a matter of how you choose to, or are able to, receive it.

In his 30 years of experience, Denham has learned the importance of not resting on his laurels but to stretch, grow and evolve as needed—even if it’s uncomfortable. Entering into this high-profile leadership role after key positions with major industry companies, most recently as senior vice president and chief information officer of Lewiston, Maine, distributor Geiger, Denham sees his new journey with PPAI as a way to continue to drive “meaningful change.”

“Good leaders are constantly looking at the environment around us and where it is going to lead, and while you don’t have a clear roadmap, the more you are listening to experts, both in and out of the industry, the more prepared you are for the need to change, either when that time comes or before it,” he says. “So, the way I’m preparing right now is a lot of reading, listening and observing, and trying to understand where the market will go and what people need from us. This is the job of a leader. The problems and the challenges have changed, but the role of the president and CEO is to be constantly looking to where we need to go and to prepare the team to execute on that.”

Denham wasn’t looking for a change when he was approached about the top leadership spot at PPAI. He was content in his position at Geiger, where he’d been for more than a decade. But in considering the role with PPAI, he realized that the rich experiences and skillset he had honed while working with one of the industry’s largest distributors had also prepared him for the role.

“I’ve been in multiple businesses in the industry, and at each one I’ve been able to drive meaningful change,” he says, adding that Geiger, which focuses on giving back to its community and reinvesting in the business, shares cultural similarities to PPAI. “It’s been an established company since 1878; so much like PPAI, it has been around for a long time and is well-respected, also much like PPAI is. One of the benefits of working at Geiger is that I have been in the role and seen the day-to-day of what the majority of our members go through. Even as large as Geiger is, the company is made up of 400-plus salespeople and all the individuals and systems that support them.”

Geiger is considered a large distributor, but Denham says that it deals with the same challenges as most other PPAI member companies, including vendor relations, sales and technology challenges. “Since I was responsible for vendor relations, my work at Geiger gave me real insight on what to look for when working with suppliers. It also gave me a whole new respect for the importance and value of each person’s role in the supply chain,” he says.

Denham’s area of expertise is leveraging technology to solve business problems and he enjoys exploring the potential that innovative solutions can bring to the promo space. After graduating from University of South Florida, Denham became a partner and director of a consulting group, and later was general manager of a large semiconductor and electronic component distributor. He entered the promotional products industry in 1995 as president of Impact, a small Florida-based firm that provided numerous resources to the industry, before joining Advertising Specialty Institute in 2000, where he was senior vice president.

Over the years, Denham has been an active volunteer for his regional association, many industry groups and PPAI. He was chair of PPAI’s Technology Committee from 2013-2015, served four years on the PPAI Board of Directors, and was board chair in 2018-2019—all experiences that, although he was unaware at the time, helped prepare him even more for his new, internal role with PPAI.

“It’s a huge head start for me,” he says of his volunteerism with PPAI, “even though being on the board you don’t know as much about the day-to-day operations. I’ve had the opportunity to have relationships with most of the staff and look forward to developing those relationships further in the years ahead. Becoming a board member and seeing things from a board perspective, and then going back to becoming a PPAI member only, really helps too, to know how differently you view things when you’re on the inside of an organization versus on the outside. Having both perspectives is immensely useful.”

But it wasn’t only industry-related scenarios that guided Denham on how to serve as an effective and thoughtful leader. As a lover of world travel, a few years ago, he visited the Ryan-ji Temple Rock Garden in Kyoto, Japan. The majestic garden belonging to the Zen temple features 15 boulders, which visitors observe as they take in their surroundings. However, no matter where a visitor stands in the garden, it’s only possible to see 14 of the 15 boulders at once, and tradition says that it’s only possible to see all 15 after reaching enlightenment. “Whoever made this garden, part of their thinking, they say, is for you to realize that no person is perfect because we all have limited perspective,” he says.

From this, Denham gathers that no matter how much experience you may have, or where you are standing (both physically and mentally), there is always something left to learn, someone left to understand and another way to grow.

“I would say that being on the board helped me see more ‘rocks,’ and being on the inside has helped me see even more. And by being able to see the rocks from different perspectives, I’ll be able to adjust and say, ‘from this perspective it looks this way and we can do this,’ and vice versa. Our suppliers and distributors face this same choice, because what looks good to one of our members may not look as good from the other perspective.”

Outside of the industry, Denham keeps busy (and keeps his perspective) as the father of four—two sons, ages 18 and 17, and twin daughters, age 12. Married to his high school sweetheart, their clan also includes a five-year-old Goldendoodle.

As someone who has commuted and traveled for his job more than 50 percent of the time since the mid-’90s, Denham relies on a tightknit network of family and friends to lend a hand if needed. “I had already figured out that work-life balance, giving my family what they need and getting enough family time, and being able to invest in them and them in me when I’m around.” But the coronavirus pandemic, and the slowdown it required, he says, allowed him and his family time to spend together that was truly cherished. “We have a great sort of tradition where, if we’re home, our dinners are a lot of fun, and out of all the things we’re going to miss, it’s having as many dinners as we had during the past year and a half.”

Moving forward, Denham says his focus over the next six months will be on “listening and engaging with the PPAI team, the active volunteers and greater membership.” He says, “While I like moving quickly to add value, I’m not going to move too quickly overall because, again, I need perspective. So, internally it’s important to figure out what’s really going on and where I can contribute, while also understanding the team we have and need, and what our members need in the long-term. What we needed five years ago or even two years ago isn’t what we need today,” he says. “Beyond that, I think I’ll know more around day 90 or 100 about what we’ll be doing in the next year and beyond.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB.

PCNA Expands ‘Home’ Collection With New Categories

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 20:15:52 GMT

PCNA Expands ‘Home’ Collection With New Categories

Supplier Capitalizes On Global Trends By Adding Candles, Plants And More

Pittsburgh, PA – August 16, 2021 – PCNA has expanded its line of housewares with the addition of new categories, including candles, plants and more. This move strengthens the supplier’s position as an industry leader in identifying and adopting global trends.

“We couldn’t be more excited to expand our collection of housewares,” says Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA. “The home improvement movement isn’t new, but its popularity has grown wildly over the last 18 months, and we see a lot of potential for this to be a hit within the promotional products industry as well. People are spending more time at home, and lots of companies are letting employees continue to work remotely, so gifts that spruce up the home are in high demand,” Haesler continues. “Our product development experts pay close attention to trends, making sure we’re providing the most sought-after items. When you look at all our products for the home, you’ll see a curated assortment based on the research we’ve done. It’s not just about what’s new here – it’s about expanding on a category with which we’re already seeing great success. It’s always our goal at PCNA to offer the industry’s best product selection.”

New brands like EKOBO, Good & Well Supply Co. and Sprigbox are already gaining popularity on PCNA.com, and the supplier will continue to add to its housewares collection with future product launches. “We’re never satisfied. We’re always looking for room to grow, and this is just the next step forward for PCNA,” added Haesler.

In addition to candles, grow kits and eco-friendly kitchenware, PCNA offers wine and cheese sets, insulated drinkware, blankets and more. To see the entire assortment, go to PCNA.com.

# # #

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

PCNA Partners With Top Mobile Power Brand mophie

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 03:38:28 GMT

PCNA Partners With Top Mobile Power Brand mophie

mophie is a global leader in portable power and mobile charging technology

Pittsburgh, PA – August 9, 2021 – PCNA is thrilled to announce that they’ve expanded their family of brands with the addition of their newest retail partner, mophie®, a global leader in mobile charging technology. This partnership significantly strengthens PCNA’s position as an industry leader in tech.

When asked about the new partnership, Liz Haesler, chief merchandising officer for PCNA says, “We are ecstatic to add mophie to the PCNA brand family with the launch of seven new power banks and wireless charging pads. We’re always looking to bring popular products into promo at the same time they’re getting hot in retail. And mophie is such a huge name in charging technology, so we couldn’t wait to bring them on board. It comes at a great time, too. With travel restrictions winding down, people are getting out and exploring more than ever, creating tons of demand for portable charging technology.” Haesler continues, “As a tech leader in promo, it’s important for us to offer the best selection in the industry. We want our customers to feel that they can rely on us to fulfill their needs, and mophie helps make our assortment that much better. We’re elated to offer mophie products as part of our tech selection.”

“At mophie, we see ourselves as the leader in portable power and mobile charging technology, and we know PCNA is recognized as a tech leader within the promotional products industry,” said Chris Ahern, chief executive officer for mophie. “We’re excited to partner with such a world-class team in our pursuit of solving the need for power.”

By housing mophie inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip® service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

“We’re also excited to add mophie products to our Perfectly Packaged™ program,” Haisler mentions. “Mobile charging tech makes a great gift for anyone, especially when it’s a popular brand like mophie. And now we can take it a step further by giving customers the option to combine mophie products with other PCNA items for a custom gift box that can be drop shipped directly to people’s homes or offices. It’s a game-changer for gifting.”

PCNA currently has an assortment of seven mophie power banks and wireless charge pads, all of which are sold decorated. You can view the entire mophie collection at PCNA.com.

# # #

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

PCNA Introduces New Vice President of Sales

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 19:02:10 GMT

PCNA Introduces New Vice President of Sales

Veteran Sales Executive Bill Peterson Brings 30+ Years of Experience to Promotional Products Leader

PITTSBURGH, PA — July 15, 2021 — PCNA announced today that Bill Peterson has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. With more than 30 years of sales experience, Peterson comes to the promotional products supplier from Direct Sourcing Solutions, where he was Vice President of Sales and Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing sales in both North America and the European Union.

“We are thrilled to add Bill to our team,” said Holly Brown, Chief Revenue Officer. “With his customer-centric approach, Bill is laser focused on making things easier and delivering real value for our distributor partners. He’s an outstanding leader whose experience and expertise will be an immense benefit to both our organization and the customers we serve.”

Having spent much of his career with Staples, Peterson brings a long track record of success to PCNA, leading new business development and account management in the United States and Canada. He takes over as Vice President of Sales for David Grobisen, who spent 16 years with PCNA.

# # #

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

CONTACT:

Kara Reilly

Marketing Specialist

kreilly@pcna.com

PCNA LAUNCHES CAMELBAK® TRITAN™ RENEW DRINKWARE STYLES

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 13:32:02 GMT

PCNA LAUNCHES CAMELBAK® TRITAN™ RENEW DRINKWARE STYLES

Supplier To Offer Bottles Made From 50% Recycled Material

PCNA is excited to announce the launch of four CamelBak Tritan Renew water bottles. The new Tritan Renew styles are made from 50% recycled material, supporting the company’s focus on bringing more sustainable styles to the promotional products market.

Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA says, “We are extremely fortunate that we have a brand partner like CamelBak who is continuously looking to improve their eco footprint. We have had huge success with our CamelBak drinkware line and know this shift toward sustainable styles will only continue to drive demand,” continues Haesler. “These new pieces have the same style and durability that our customers love about CamelBak which is why we’ve made a conscious shift to only offer the Tritan Renew styles as part of our CamelBak plastic bottle collection.”

“We have seen the shift that PCNA has made toward sustainability, so we couldn’t think of a better company to offer our Tritan Renew styles,” says Phil Notheis, Director of Product Management for CamelBak. “The call to climate action asks for continued innovation and unique sustainable solutions. We will continue to evolve our most sustainable products, knowing we can always do better,” continues Notheis. “Introducing a 50% recycled material in our best-selling bottles while maintaining durable integrity is something we are thrilled to bring to the promotional products marketplace.”

PCNA will be replacing their Chute and Eddy®+ styles with new Tritan Renew pieces. The Tritan Renew styles are highly durable, dishwasher safe and free of BPA, BPS and BPF chemicals. All four styles will be sold in the U.S. and Canada and are available now at PCNA.com.

# # #

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

About CamelBak

Founded in 1989, CamelBak invented the hands-free hydration category and is the global leader in personal hydration gear. CamelBak is achieving its mission to continually reinvent and forever change the way people hydrate and perform by offering a mix of award-winning products that include everything from technical hydration packs to reusable bottles. For more information, go to www.camelbak.com.

CONTACT:

Kara Reilly

Marketing Specialist

kreilly@pcna.com

PCNA EXPANDS TECHNOLOGY LINEUP BY LAUNCHING BOSE PRODUCTS

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 24 May 2021 14:07:45 GMT

PCNA EXPANDS TECHNOLOGY LINEUP BY LAUNCHING BOSE PRODUCTS

Company to offer selection of speakers from corporate gifting powerhouse

PITTSBURGH, PA —May 24, 2021— PCNA is excited to announce the addition of Bose, the leaders of sound innovation, to their industry-leading technology lineup. PCNA now offer select Bluetooth® speakers, which are stocked in-house at PCNA’s Pittsburgh warehouse and are available for quick turn through the company’s SureShip® service.

When asked about their newest retail brand, Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA explains, “This is about more than just offering products from one of the greatest sound companies in the world, it’s about making sure our customers can rely on PCNA for all their needs. Bose is a brand known around the globe for their unmatched sound quality and PCNA is known in the industry for our dedication to technology and product safety, with an entire team in place who works solely on this product category,” Haesler continues. “We are extremely honored to offer Bose products as part of our tech assortment.”

“It gives us great pleasure to align with PCNA to bring a selection of Bose speakers to the promotional products market,” according to a representative of Bose’s authorized distributor for corporate gifts and incentives. “We are a company that prides ourselves on representing Bose for corporate gifts, incentives and rewards. In talking with the PCNA tech team, we understand that they share those same values through both product development and decoration. We have full trust in them to bring these products to promo.”

By housing Bose inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

“We have also received feedback from customers that a brand like Bose would be a great addition to our Perfectly Packaged™ offering,” Haesler mentions. “A brand as recognizable and sought after as Bose makes a great gift on its own but we love that we can take it one step further by having an option to pair a Bose speaker with other PCNA items for a custom gift set that can be drop shipped right to people’s homes.”

PCNA currently has two Bose Bluetooth® speaker styles available, the Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth® Speaker and the Bose Soundlink Revolve II Bluetooth® Speaker, with plans to expand the product selection in the future. Both speakers are sold decorated. You can view the Bose collection at PCNA.com.

# # #

About PCNA

PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

CONTACT:

Kara Reilly

Marketing Specialist

kreilly@pcna.com

PPAI Opposes Threat To Independent Contractor Model

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 21:01:01 GMT

PPAI Opposes Threat To Independent Contractor Model

New legislation has been proposed in Congress that would effectively ban independent contractor classifications under federal labor law. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, H.R. 842, amends the National Labor Relations Act to establish a new definition of employees which expressly eliminates independent contractors in the U.S. The new legislation makes a broad presumption that all workers in the U.S. are employees unless each element of a newly established “ABC” test can be demonstrated. PPAI is opposed to the PRO Act because, if signed into law, it would significantly change how thousands of promotional products companies interact with each other, and it will eliminate jobs in our industry.

Specifically, the PRO Act would eliminate independent contractor agreements, enforce government control over private employment contracts and significantly broaden risk exposure to joint employer liability.

The legislation also sets new criteria for determining occupational status as an independent contractor instead of an employee. The proposed new criteria entail a three-pronged test for which each of the requirements must be proven if an independent contractor wants to retain his or her status under federal labor law.

The House is expected to consider H.R. 842 during the week of March 8, with a possible vote happening by the end of the week.

Please click here to email and call members of Congress to educate them about why independent contractors in the promotional products industry do not want to be forced to reclassify as employees.

Read more about this developing story in Thursday’s PPB Newslink. For this and more industry news, click here.

Used with permission from PPAI Publications

Towel Specialties wins Counselor Magazine Distributor Choice Awards in two categories

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 16:22:08 GMT

Towel Specialties wins Counselor Magazine Distributor Choice Awards in two categories

(Baltimore, MD) For the 15^th consecutive year, Towel Specialties was awarded the Counselor Magazine Distributor Choice Award by ASI on January 21^st as the “Best Towel and Robe Supplier.” Additionally, at the same event, Towel Specialties/ Cobblestone Mills was also recognized as the ‘Best Blanket Supplier” for the second time in three years.

“Given everything that our industry went through in 2020,” said Shawn Kanak, the recently promoted president at Towel Specialties, “this meant more to us than ever before. Competing with the pandemic, trying to stay safe, and striving to provide outstanding service to our customers was a challenge, but we’re happy that our efforts were recognized among voters in the industry.”

Towel Specialties has been selected as the ‘Best Towel and Robe Supplier” every year since 2007. They introduced the Xpress Towels line in 2014 and Cobblestone Mills in 2016. In 2018, Towel Specialties was selected as the ASI Supplier of the Year.

1200 67^th Street Baltimore Maryland 21237

800-938-6935 410-525-1900 Fax. 410-525-2222 www.towelspecialties.com ASI 91605 PPAI 113150

CONTACT: MURRAY SIEGEL

800-938-6935 I murray@towelspecialties.com

The PPEF applications for college scholarships are now open!

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 02:25:49 GMT

The PPEF applications for college scholarships are now open!

PPEF is an educational, charitable, nonprofit organization that awards college scholarships to students who have a parent working in the promotional products industry or who are working for a company in the industry. Since 1989, PPEF has awarded $2,448,000 in college scholarships to 1,358 students.

In 2021, $278,750 will be awarded in college scholarships. 33 recipients will receive renewal payments on scholarships awarded in previous years. 127 new scholarships will be awarded: 10 Four-Year College Scholarships, 2 Chairman's Scholarships, 114 One-Year College Scholarships, including the Named Scholarships listed below, and 1 Friends of PPMN Scholarship.

PPEF is proud to award the following Named Scholarships: Vincent J. Arena Scholarship, Stanley L. Breckenridge Scholarship, Castelli North America Scholarship, four Almand "Bo" Carroll Leadership Awards, Robert D. Davis Scholarship, Ted E. Dennison, MAS Scholarship, Maureen and Thomas Dugan Scholarship, Jayne Emoff Miller Scholarship, Fran Ford Scholarship, Lorraine Hempen Scholarship, Glen Holt Scholarship, Helen and Al Mackler and Joseph Alexander Scholarship, George C. Matteson, Jr. Scholarship, Jack and Marty Nadel Scholarship, Janelle Nevins Scholarship, NWPMA Success Scholarship, H. Ted Olson Scholarship, PMANC Campbell M. Brown Memorial Scholarship, PPAChicago Scholarship, PPAS Scholarship, Reciprocity Road Roadie Scholarship, Sam Rosenblum Scholarship, Bill Schmidt, Sr. Scholarship, David Lawrence Sharp Scholarship, Paul E. Smith Scholarship, The UMAPP Collegiate Scholarship, William F. "Bill" Vernon Scholarship and David Woods Family Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who meet all requirements for the One-Year Scholarships. Please complete the application for the Four-Year Scholarships (high school seniors) or One-Year Scholarships (current college students) to be considered for the Named Scholarships.

PPEF's scholarship awards are determined through a competitive application process with the recipients being announced at the end of May each year.

General requirements for all college scholarships:

Scholarships are available to full-time promotional products industry employees or their dependent children.
Scholarships are available for undergraduate education only except for the Friends of PPMN Scholarship which may be used for undergraduate or graduate level coursework.
Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply.
Applicants may apply for more than one scholarship if all requirements are met. Special note: The Four-Year College Scholarships will be awarded first. Applicants not receiving a Four-Year College Scholarship will be automatically considered for the One-Year College Scholarships and Named Scholarships so a separate application is not required.
To be considered for the need-based scholarships, PPEF must receive a copy of the Student Aid Report that a student receives after filing the FAFSA.
Application deadline is March 15 at Midnight Central Time.

Please review the application forms for more specific guidelines and requirements.

The scholarship applications for 2021 are now open! The application deadline is March 15, 2021. Click on the application links below to apply.

https://www.ppef.us/college-scholarships/

PPAI Announces Departure Of President/CEO

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 19:01:18 GMT

PPAI Announces Departure Of President/CEO

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, will conclude his employment with the Association at the end of March 2021, marking the end of more than 20 years of service to the Association. “The past 20-plus years have been nothing short of extraordinary,” Bellantone said. “This decision was not easy, but I am confident knowing that our strong staff and dedicated Board of Directors have PPAI in a solid position to move forward to protect, grow and engage the promotional products industry.” Bellantone notified the Board in late October of his intention to conclude his tenure before his next contract extension which was set to begin on April 1, 2021.

PPAI Board Chair Ira Neaman, MAS, said, “The Board and countless others in the industry are so grateful for Paul’s many years of leadership and dedication to serve and engage the industry. Under his leadership, PPAI has grown and evolved into one of the most respected associations worldwide. I am truly thankful for all Paul has done for PPAI, including instilling a strong ‘confidence to evolve’ mentality among the PPAI Board, staff and volunteer corps.” Executive Vice President Robert (Bob) McLean, Jr., CPA, CAE, CEM, said, “Paul has been an inspirational leader and advocate of the PPAI community and the industry. Due to his tireless leadership and team building, our staff and volunteer leaders are well-positioned for this change and to continue to move the Association forward.”

Bellantone added, “It has been a pleasure to serve the Association and I am tremendously appreciative of the opportunities I have been given and for the relationships I have built during my time with PPAI. It is no secret that this has been a challenging year for many, both personally and professionally. But with such challenges come opportunities to evolve and thrive. That’s why I believe this is not only the right time for me, but the best time for PPAI.”

PPAI’s mission to grow, protect, inform and engage its members and the industry remains foremost. Coupled with a focused and strategic continuity plan, the Board and leadership staff will work closely with Bellantone over the coming months to evaluate internal and external market conditions against the needs of the members, industry and the Association. These efforts will ensure a smooth transition that will drive meaningful value and the long-term success of the Association.

About PPAI

Founded in 1903, the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI; ppai.org) is the world’s largest and oldest not-for-profit association serving more than 15,500 corporate members of the $24.7 billion promotional products industry, which is comprised of more than 40,500 businesses and a workforce of more than 533,000 professionals. PPAI represents the industry in Washington, D.C. and advocates on its behalf. PPAI operates The PPAI Expo, the industry’s largest trade show; provides the leading promotional products safety and compliance program; offers a prestigious professional development and certification program; and publishes industry trade journals and periodicals. The multibillion-dollar industry includes wearables, writing instruments, calendars, drinkware and many other items, usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message. For more information, visit PPAI.org and follow us on Twitter @PPAI_HQ, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

SAGE® Releases SAGE Mobile™10.0

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 20:35:25 GMT

SAGE^® Releases SAGE Mobile™10.0

The industry’s most popular mobile app has been upgraded to the newest version, SAGE Mobile 10.0. The app now features Project Management, where distributors can easily view and manage all projects with just one tool.

Addison, Texas (November 5, 2020) – SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry, announces the release of SAGE Mobile™ 10.0. The app, available for iOS and Android devices, allows industry distributors easy access to all their critical research and business management operations while on the go.

SAGE Mobile™ 10.0 now includes the Project Management area, introduced earlier this year in SAGE Online 16. This highly praised feature allows distributors to easily view and manage projects, all while improving their team's organization. The Project Management area was created exclusively for the promotional products industry and can be customized to each distributor's specific workflow.

“Our goal has always been to take our features and modules from SAGE Online and incorporate them into SAGE Mobile, providing clients with the same experience, but on the go,” said SAGE President, David Natinsky, MAS. “We are thrilled to add the Project Management area to SAGE Mobile, because now you can oversee your projects and track the status from anywhere.”

Some additional new features in the SAGE Mobile™ 10.0 release include:

· Dynamic font sizing for SAGE Chat

· Ratings now includes supplier and product ratings

· Leave comments on your supplier and product ratings

· Select custom suppliers in addition to SAGE suppliers for forms in Order Management

· Share presentations via text messaging

· SAGE Chat status automatically goes to “away” when leave chat area

· Unread SAGE Chat notifications on app badge icon

SAGE Mobile™ 10.0 is available now. Current SAGE Total Access subscribers can download SAGE Mobile™ for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or the Amazon App Store. For users who have automatic app updates turned on, the update will download automatically.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Web™, and SAGE Mobile™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, project management, website and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-buyer catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association, as well as Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC), Canada’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

Bille Forman

Director of Marketing

SAGE

214.631.6000 x4539
bille.forman@sageworld.com

Janet McMaster, MAS 2020 PPAI RAC Volunteer

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 20:16:46 GMT

Janet McMaster, MAS
2020 PPAI RAC Volunteer

PPAI Honors Janet McMaster, MAS, As 2020 PPAI RAC Volunteer Award Recipient

IRVING, TX, (September 17, 2019) – Promotional Products Association International (PPAI; ppai.org), the world’s largest not-for-profit trade association serving the more than 15,500 corporate members of the $24.7 billion promotional products industry, has named Janet McMaster, MAS, the recipient of the 2020 PPAI RAC (Regional Association Council) Volunteer Award. McMaster is the regional vice president at Geiger, a Lewiston, Maine-headquartered promotional products distributor. She received the award on October 15 during the PPAI Leadership Development Workshop.

The PPAI RAC Volunteer Award is presented annually to regional association members who have demonstrated an outstanding level of volunteerism and leadership and who have made significant and measurable contributions to a regional association. McMaster is the 18th recipient of the laurel, which has been awarded annually since 2010.

McMaster is currently serving a three-year term on the Promotional Products Education Foundation’s (PPEF) Board of Trustees and has a distinguished history of service with the industry’s regional associations. She served as a leader for the Philadelphia Area Promotional Products Association (PAPPA) from 2004-2005 and from 2007-2010 as well as on the board of the Carolinas Association of Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAAMP) board from 2012-2017, where she served as board president in 2015. She also served on the RAC board from 2015-2018, presiding as president in 2017.

During her years of volunteer service, McMaster is credited with establishing a new education program, Rapid Fire Presentations, at the CAAMP Carolinas Connection Show in 2012, which has become an annual event, and she facilitated the RAC board’s creation of a new three-year strategic plan during her term as president. She was named a PPAI Fellow in 2016.

Along with her service to the regional community and PPEF, McMaster has volunteered in many capacities with PPAI. She served on the Professional Development Committee in 2013-2014, the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference Workgroup in 2013-2014, the RAC Volunteer Advisory Group in 2016 and the Donna Hall Memorial Grant Committee in 2015.

PROMOTIONAL MARKETING ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA JOINS SAGE AFFILIATE PROGRAM EXTENDING SAGE BENEFITS TO MEMBERS.

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 01:50:12 GMT

PROMOTIONAL MARKETING ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA JOINS SAGE AFFILIATE PROGRAM EXTENDING SAGE BENEFITS TO MEMBERS.

Addison, Texas (September 28, 2020) – SAGE is pleased to announce that the Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California (PMANC) has joined the SAGE Affiliate Program, a customized program designed to give regional associations in the promotional products industry and their members special access to SAGE’s business management products and services.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California and provide their members with access to cutting-edge business management solutions for every aspect of their operations,” said Jarod Thorndike, Director of Business Development at SAGE. “SAGE tries to go above and beyond for regional associations, and the SAGE Affiliate Program is one way we can show it.”

SAGE offers PMANC distributor members a 10% discount on products and services including websites, company stores, and SAGE Total Access subscriptions. The Total Access subscription consists of SAGE Online, the promotional product industry’s most popular product research and business management solution; SAGE Web, the browser-based platform to access SAGE products from any device with web access; and SAGE Mobile, the full-featured mobile application for iOS and Android devices.

In addition, all members subscribing to SAGE Total Access will receive a full membership to Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the world's largest not-for-profit association for the more than $23 billion promotional products industry. This is part of the Power of Two program, in which SAGE and PPAI have entered into a strategic alliance to provide the industry with the combined benefits of a PPAI membership and SAGE products and services.

PMANC members who are SAGE subscribers may contact SAGE to learn more about custom offerings, effective as of the next renewal. New association members who add SAGE services can be informed of their options by noting their specific association membership on their application.

To learn more about the SAGE Affiliate Program, visit go.sageworld.com/affiliate.

About SAGE

SAGE, based in Addison, Texas, is the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions to the promotional products industry. In addition to SAGE’s flagship SAGE Online™, SAGE Web™, and SAGE Mobile™ research and business management services, SAGE also provides the industry with other research services, order management, project management, website and email services, e-commerce solutions, end-buyer catalogs, artwork services, payment processing, tradeshows, tradeshow management services, and lead retrieval software. SAGE is also the exclusive technology provider for members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the industry’s non-profit association as well as Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC), Canada’s non-profit association. For more information, please visit www.sageworld.com or call 800.925.7243.

ZOOM catalog Adds Rob Alley as Director of Marketing

Eliana Franklin — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 03:10:29 GMT

ZOOM catalog Adds Rob Alley as Director of Marketing

Boulder, CO, October 1, 2020 – Rob Alley has been hired to lead marketing for ZOOMcatalog; the industry’s leader in digital marketing technologies. Alley will play a key role in all branding, product and digital marketing, growth initiatives, sales enablement, customer experience, internal and external communications, and more.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce Rob has joined our team. He’s a perfect fit for ZOOMcatalog as he brings years of experience across the promotional products industry and B2B technology services.” --Bryony Zasman, Co-Founder.

Alley, based in Seattle, will make an immediate impact resulting from his unique mix of positions at the distributors BDA and Juice Marketing, plus the supplier iClick, where he was responsible for all marketing activities, while helping drive go-to-market strategies and business development. Alley has also been a senior product marketer at B2B SaaS providers ProQuest and Nintex.

“I’m super excited to join ZOOMcatalog, a true technology innovator. I believe my blend of experience will benefit the company, as well as promotional products suppliers, distributors, and end-users," Alley said.

About ZOOMcatalog

ZOOMcatalog is a leading technology provider in the promotional products industry, helping companies customize and share powerful digital marketing materials.

Breaking News: BIC Graphic NA Announces Name Change To Koozie Group

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 19:53:40 GMT

Dear CAAMP Members,

I’m excited to confirm that effective January 1, 2021, BIC Graphic is changing our company name to Koozie Group! As a leading promotional products supplier, we are evolving as a company to better provide reliable and comprehensive solutions that help customers build their brand image and continue to work together to leave positive, lasting memories. It makes sense to change our name to best reflect this vision and mission. A new name separates us from our old parent company and aligns with our future business goals.

We will continue to operate as BIC Graphic through the end of 2020, until we officially make the switch to Koozie Group on January 1, 2021 but wanted to give you advanced notice of what will change.

EVERYTHING remains the same except the below changes will go into effect on January 1, 2021:

· Our PPAI UPIC number will change to KOOZIEGP

· Our “Bill/Remit to” name will change to Koozie Group

· bicgraphic.com will change to kooziegroup.com

· Industry portal product listings will be under Koozie Group; still searchable by their item #

· All marketing collateral and communication will be branded Koozie Group and come from email addresses ending in @m.kooziegroup.com

As we get closer to January, updated email addresses will be provided. Until then, please continue to use our existing email addresses as outlined below:

· General Customer Service questions: customerservice@bicgraphic.com

· Send your Orders directly to: orders@bicgraphic.com

· For 24-Hour Service orders: 24Hour@bicgraphic.com

· For Random Samples & Collateral requests: samples@bicgraphic.com

Keep an eye out for new Koozie Group branding, messaging and more exciting things to come!

You can learn more about how we are making a change for good and how we plan to keep the good going^® at bicgraphic.com/US/change-for-good.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Our team is ready to help with any concerns and process transitions as we become Koozie Group. Please visit bicgraphic.com for updates throughout 2020.

All the best,

Harold Wood,Field Sales And RAC Board President

732-552-7434, Harold.wood@bicgraphic.com

ZOOMcatalog LAUNCHES ZOOMacademy

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 26 May 2020 20:40:32 GMT

Media Contact:

Bryony Zasman

(877) 966-6228

trends@zoomcatalog.com

ZOOMcatalog LAUNCHES ZOOMacademy

With fresh, customizable marketing materials added by promotional product suppliers daily, digital marketing has never been easier.

BOULDER, COLORADO (May 20 , 2020) – ZOOMcatalog today announced the launch of ZOOMacademy, an educational platform designed for Promotional Product professionals, which will be available at no cost to the entire industry. The ZOOMacademy will include straight forward, in-depth, and on-demand courses focused on digital marketing and sales. Individuals who complete courses in the academy can also earn credit towards their PPAI certification.

The first three courses available in the ZOOMacademy focus on building a communication plan during the pandemic, becoming a remote promotional product company, and an introduction to branding. Students of the academy will decide what classes will be released next, which may include how to transition catalogs from print to digital, how to use objectives to grow your business and a complete reference guide for industry professionals.

“The ZOOMacademy is a platform we have been planning for a long time. With extensive experience in technology, sales, marketing, and the promotional product industry, we have an opportunity to share our knowledge and help others in the industry grow.” Said co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Bryony Zasman. “In response to recent events, we decided to expedite the completion and launch of the ZOOMacademy. During these unprecedented times, people in the industry find themselves with more time on their hands and are looking for ways to build their skills and prepare themselves for success once business returns to the new normal”.

In addition to the library of courses, the ZOOMacademy also includes a talent pool. Industry professionals are invited to submit their resume and create a profile. The talent pool will be accessible to companies in the industry that are seeking new team members.

“If we can help one person find their next role, that’s a win for us.” Said Head of Design, Alex Hughes.

To access the ZOOMacademy and talent pool, visit www.academy.zoomcatalog.com.

About ZOOMcatalog

ZOOMcatalog is a leading technology provider in the promotional product industry, helping companies customize and share powerful digital marketing materials. Suppliers add fresh catalogs, flyers, and more to ZOOMcatalog daily, which distributors can use in digital sales and marketing initiatives.

To learn more about ZOOMcatalog visit www.zoomcatalog.com.

Press Release: AAkron Line Produces Face Shields

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 04 May 2020 19:24:14 GMT

AAkron Line Begins Production of Face Shields

Akron, NY – April 29, 2020 – Top 40 promotional product supplier and manufacturer, AAkron Line, announced today they have begun manufacturing face shields, after waiting nearly a full month for proper certification from the federal government. The new face shields will be immediately available to state and federal first responders while being available to promotional distributors next week.

“We immediately began to look at the whole spectrum of PPE products to see where and how we could use our manufacturing expertise to help in the COVID-19 fight. We have also seen first-hand numerous products that are available with no certification or documentation so we felt very strongly that whatever we did had to be done to the highest standards” says Devin Piscitelli, CEO & Co-owner of AAkron Line.

AAkron’s face shield is a FDA Listed Device and has passed ANSI testing. The test conducted and passed are ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015-Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices – Full Requirement , and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015-Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices – Droplets and Splashes.

The face shields have an elastic band for flexible fit, a crystal clear shield and are foam padded for comfort. The company will sell the face shields with the option of imprinting or they can be purchased blank.

These face shields are the second item AAkron Line has introduced in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Last week the company introduced their new Face Mask Ear Saver. The ear saver is also Made in the USA of a latex-free, thermoplastic rubber which allows elastic bands of the face mask to be comfortably hooked together to prevent rubbing behind the ears.

About AAkron Line

AAkron Line is a family-owned and operated supplier that entered the promotional products industry in 1967. Over the decades, the company has won several Supplier Star and Merit Awards for service and innovation. Currently, their product line includes over 750 different items. Domestically manufactured products include stadium cups, sports bottles, pencils, rulers, yardsticks, key chains, bracelets, hand fans and much more. To view AAkron Line’s full product offerings, visit www.aakronline.com.

Advocating For Our Industry In Good Times And Bad

Eliana Franklin — Sat, 02 May 2020 01:46:16 GMT

Dear PPAI Members:

One of the most important things an association does for its members is advocacy. This is at the core of every industry association, including yours. In both good times and bad, PPAI focuses on informing influential, targeted audiences on the power of promotional products and the businesses and stories that make up the industry.

In recent years, our efforts on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and with the GET IN TOUCH! advertising campaign have paid great dividends. Most federal and state legislators are well aware of the promotional products industry. There is also significant awareness of our industry's relevance in the advertising and marketing communities. Complementing the awareness driven by the GET IN TOUCH! campaign are the multi-million-dollar marketing campaign tools members are encouraged to use in their own marketing efforts. These robust advocacy efforts continue today and are the focus of this update.

This year, as I mentioned in a previous update, we've had to cancel our annual Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) and our in-person visits to D.C. Instead, next week we will embark on a virtual L.E.A.D.—L.E.A.D. From Home—one that every member can participate in. Personally, I will miss seeing those of you who would have joined us in D.C., but the current situation leaves us with no other options.

We urge all of you to join us in thanking your members of Congress for their support of small businesses. Encourage them to continue to give you the tools and resources you need to keep your doors open and your employees paid because small businesses will be the backbone of this country's economic recovery.

Here's how to participate in this year's L.E.A.D. From Home:

Mark your calendars for this program starting Monday, May 4.
Email or call your member of Congress.
Forward the provided emails to your team members and industry peers and encourage them to participate as well.

Our hope is that these messages will keep our industry top of mind in Congress and help to ensure a brighter future for the industry that has been so good to all of us.

The GET IN TOUCH! campaign, which was recently updated, can also be used without leaving your home. It is the perfect way to keep your brand and messaging in front of your customers. The campaign is even more important now as you work to stay in touch with your customers and prospects. Get the buyer outreach toolkit, and take advantage of the thought-provoking images, engaging videos, new research-based infographics and more. In fact, many members are currently working with our staff to customize their own branded broadcast-ready video spots that were created as part of the campaign. To get your customized video spot, reach out to Get In Touch! program manager, Kim Todora at KimT@ppai.org.

Finally, I want to update you on some of the organizational changes we've had to make here at PPAI. As I committed to you in March, our primary goals during this period of COVID-19 uncertainty are twofold. First, to make sure we continue to provide essential services to members and the promotional products industry and marketplace. Second, to make the necessary business decisions to ensure that there is a strong and relevant trade association in place to help you recover and rebuild when the business constraints of the pandemic are eased, if not lifted.

PPAI is a lagging indicator of our industry's business climate, specifically as it relates to membership recruitment and retention, whereby reported sales volume determines the dues payable to the Association. Membership dues account for about 50 percent of the Association's total revenue. The other half of our revenue—and the driver behind most of our profitability—involves trade shows, live events, conferences, advertising, sponsorships and registrations fees. So how will the pandemic impact PPAI in the short- and long-term?

We expect member companies will continue to experience an annual decline in sales which will adversely affect the dues revenue we collect. On top of that, to the extent that I can reasonably foresee the future, those other revenue sources will suffer significant declines through 2020, somewhat predictably through 2021 and quite possibly beyond that. We just do not know, but, pursuant to our strategic plan, we strive to see as far as possible into the future to best gauge the business climate for our members, the industry and the Association. In any event, for the first time since I joined PPAI over 20 years ago, normal Association operations will face significant losses.

As a result, I, like so many of you, have implemented staffing, salary and benefit reductions to help PPAI manage through this challenging economic time. As a 501(c)(6) trade association, PPAI was not eligible to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program which might have assisted us in mitigating staff cuts. These actions are never easy, nor should they be. And they were not taken without deep concern and late nights of worry for our internal colleagues who have worked diligently to help make PPAI the Mark of a Professional.

In addition to staff cuts, we've also made changes to the structure of the business with the consolidation of departments and management. All of this was advanced with a mandate to retain the essential products and services you are promised as part of your membership in PPAI.

My goal in all of this is to manage and restructure PPAI, your Association, to reflect current realities and likely scenarios we will all face in the near and foreseeable future.

As I communicated to the PPAI team, we have no crystal ball to tell us when the economic constraints of the pandemic will end or when our businesses will recover. But, I remain positive—the constraints will end and our businesses will recover. Even then, industry events will likely be reduced in size and profitability for the foreseeable future.

As we regroup and reposition the Association for a post-coronavirus future, you have my commitment that the leadership team—and a smaller, leaner, restructured and reimagined PPAI—will work tirelessly to make thoughtful decisions to maximize the value of your membership.

Our challenges are real and pressing, both as an association and an industry of professionals. But, our resolve is as intense as ever. And, this Association will move forward as the Mark of a Professional to serve you and the promotional products industry in this most challenging of times to ensure promotional products and our associated businesses continue to be a cost-effective and powerful marketing media.

In my next update I'll share the latest on The PPAI Expo. So, stay tuned and stay healthy.

Sincerely,

3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, TX 75038 · www.ppai.org · 1-888-I-AM-PPAI · fax 972-258-3004 · www.facebook.com/ppai.hq

PPAI Presents 30 CAS, MAS Certifications In March; Waives Fees During Health Crisis

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 03:26:17 GMT

PPAI Presents 30 CAS, MAS Certifications In March; Waives Fees During Health Crisis

In March, 30 industry professionals earned their Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) and Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) certifications. PPAI is also taking steps to expand certification opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptions it has brought to the industry. Beginning April 1 and running through June 30, PPAI has waived the Trained Advertising Specialist (TAS) certificate and CAS and MAS certification application fees for Association members and reduced pricing for Associates by 50 percent.

Read more Certifications

AAkron Line Increases Production Capacity on Made in USA Products

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 21:44:08 GMT

AAkron Line Increases Production Capacity on Made in USA Products

AKRON, NY, March 2, 2020 - AAkron Line, a top 40 promotional products supplier, announced today they have increased production capacity by 50% in their molding department. This supports increasing demand for Made in USA products.

“Increasing our production capacity allows us to ramp up production on our 350 Made in USA products,” says Danielle Robillard, President, and Co-Owner of AAkron Line. “We want to make certain distributors have options to fit their clients’ needs as imported product inventory becomes limited. By increasing production on our domestically made products we are able to offer them readily available alternatives.”

AAkron Line’s Made in USA line accounts for over 75% of units sold annually, which recognizes them as a notable leader in the promotional products industry. The company has two manufacturing facilities; one in Akron, New York and the other in Bakewell, Tennessee.

The company’s roots are in their Made in USA products; manufacturing rulers and yardsticks when the business started in 1967. Now, over 50 years later, AAkron’s manufacturing capabilities have expanded to include pencil manufacturing, blow molding, and injection molding.

In 2017, the company built a new 16,000 square-foot, state of the art, molding facility in New York. Further adding to the company’s molding operations, they expanded their existing 12,000-square-foot manufacturing warehouse in New York, adding another 9,000 square-feet to it. AAkron Line will continue to look for manufacturing opportunities, bringing products in-house when possible.

The company has a 2020 Made in USA e-catalog, which can be found at www.aakronline.com.

About AAkron Line

AAkron Line is a family-owned and operated supplier that entered the promotional products industry in 1967. Over the decades, the company has won several Supplier Star and Merit Awards for service and innovation. Currently, their product line includes over 750 different items. Domestically manufactured products include stadium cups, sports bottles, pencils, rulers, yardsticks, key chains, bracelets, hand fans and much more. A large variety of Made in USA products belong to the company’s popular Mood product line, which offers unique products that change color with heat, cold liquids, cold temperatures, sunlight or water. To view AAkron Line’s full product offerings, visit www.aakronline.com.

CAAMP CONNECT

Eliana Franklin — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 20:45:46 GMT

Coming this Month (February 2020 )!! CAAMP Connect - The CAAMP Podcast discussing member benefits, upcoming events, and industry topics!

What would you like to know about CAAMP? Please e-mail us at Info@caampers.org.

Become A Change Agent In The Promo Industry - SPARK · July 15-17, 2020 · San Antonio, TX

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 02:16:35 GMT

View message online. Please add ppai@ppai.org to your safe senders list.

SPARK · July 15-17, 2020 · San Antonio, TX

Become A Change Agent In The Promo Industry

Do you know what the next generation of business professionals want? No, it isn't more avocado toast. It's a chance to make a real difference in their careers. PPAI's SARK Conference, which is being held July 15-17 in San Antonio, Texas, was purpose-built to help young professionals achieve that goal.

SPARK Conference's targeted education will focus on innovation and the path to becoming a change agent within this industry. With hundreds of networking opportunities and some heart-warming community activism, PPAI's SPARK Conference will turn today's young professionals into tomorrow's industry leaders. The best part? The high-quality content, coupled with the low cost of attendance, makes it the perfect investment in your company's future. Here are the experts presenting in San Antonio.

Chris Anderson

CEO, Hub Promotional Group and Seasoned Promo Professional

Julia Maddox

Professor, Founder & Consultant

Barbara J. Burder iZone,
University of Rochester

Dr. David Vequist

Author, Professor,
Fortune 500 Company Exec.

Endeavor Institute

Network With Industry Peers

Create Long-Term Business Relationships

SPARK provides a unique experience that matches young professionals' values. If you, or someone in your office, could benefit from some hands-on workshops, then act now. SPARK Conference has sold out every year. Register below or check out the itinerary here.

Register Now For SPARK 2020

July 15-17, 2020 · San Antonio, TX
$495 for PPAI Members · $645 for PPAI Associates

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USMCA Now Law In The U.S.

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 17:33:09 GMT

USMCA Now Law In The U.S.

On Wednesday, President Trump signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law. The USMCA replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has been in place since 1994 and represents approximately $1.2 trillion in trade among the three countries.

Read more USMCA

New Bill Threatens Independent Contractor Status Nationwide

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 16:29:04 GMT

New Bill Threatens Independent Contractor Status Nationwide

Newly proposed legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives would effectively ban independent contractor classifications under federal labor law. H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, amends the National Labor Relations Act to establish a new definition of employees that expressly eliminates independent contractors in the U.S. The new legislation makes a broad presumption that all workers in the U.S. are employees unless each requirement of a newly established "ABC" test can be met.

Read more Independent Contractors

FROM OUR 2020 PRESIDENT

Eliana Franklin — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 05:12:04 GMT

FROM OUR 2020 PRESIDENT

CAAMP Members, I would like to say thank you as your 2020 President. This is an honor that is not going to be taken lightly. We have so many exciting new changes coming for 2020 and a Board that is ready to get to work making this year fantastic for all. Please reach out to me or anyone on the board as needed. Lets make 2020 CAAMP shows, CAAMPFires, and industry events the best yet!

Kindly,

Kristina Newsom

CAAMP Announces the Election of Four New Members to its Board of Directors (2020-2022).

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 17:18:36 GMT

______________________________________________________________________________

CAAMP Announces the Election of Four New Members to its Board of Directors (2020-2022).

Carolinas Association of Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAAMP) is pleased to announce the newly elected Board members (2020-2022).

They are Lisa Parker, MAS with American Ad Bag (Supplier Member), Bryan Shannon with Goldbond (Supplier Member), Stephanie Ward with Print Plus (Distributor Member) & Stephen McFadden with President | Perfect Promotions & more, Inc. (Distributor Member).

CAAMP’s President, Keisha Crain, stated, “Each of you will be a great asset to the board. I want to personally thank each of you for running and for agreeing to volunteer your time as a board member. As you all know, CAAMP is an awesome organization and with your help…it will continue to move in a positive direction.”

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Lisa Parker, MAS as a former Account Executive in the Oil Industry, she got her start in the Promotional Products as a Program Manager and Vendor Relations Coordinator for an award-winning distributor, Goldner Associates. She has held the title of National Sales Manager for several years during her Industry tenure, now she currently severs as the Southeast Sales Manager for American Ad Bag.
Lisa has served on the PPAI Supplier committee, and currently serves on the PPAI Certification committee. She has also served at her local regional association PPAMS in many capacities, as President twice, Vice President, Secretary and Trade Show Chair. Inducted into the PPAMS Hall of Fame 2016. She currently serves as a Director on the SPPA board. She had attended PPAI Business Academy, LDW, NACL, Safety Summit, RAC and LEAD. Served as a panelist at WLC in which she has attended for 14 years and was also on the WLC planning committee. Lisa has been involved in local charities Habit for Humanity, and Jr. Achievement of Middle Tennessee.

Bryan Shannon is a Strategic Account Manager at Gold Bond, Inc. He works with customers throughout Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Prior to working in the promotional products industry, Bryan worked for over 15 years in the insurance industry for a Fortune 250 company in both sales and national account management roles. Skilled in Sales, Management, Healthcare, Business Process Improvement, and Recruiting, Bryan takes pride in helping his customers solve complex problems with thoughtful strategic solutions. In his free time, Bryan enjoys talking about himself in the third person and studying electric guitar history. He spends his weekends leading tours at a vintage guitar museum located in Tennessee. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused in English Language and Literature, from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Stephanie Ward is native North Carolinian, small town girl, former teacher. In 1986, she moved to Greensboro, accepting a position in sales & marketing with an educational publisher. While with that company, she learned about the power of good marketing, of printed materials and promotional products. After a short time spent in sales with a regional printer, she was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, and founded Print Plus in 1999. The company was started with the belief that their clients should be treated in the way in which we would want to be treated…that they would treat their suppliers fairly…and they would be respectful of our competitors. Some 20+ years later, they are still going strong with some great memories and a fabulous team of people on board.

Stephen McFadden currently serves as President of a family-owned promotional products company with its origin in 2002. He helped grow the company annual sales from $650,000 to over $3,000,000. He currently manages personal annual sales of over $1,500,000. He manages sales initiatives for 4 sales representatives and overall staff-related operations for 19 total employees. As an executive, and part-owner, He assists in the ‘big picture’ growth decisions, participate in the hiring process and manage the overall company initiatives. In addition, He has taken on the responsibility to establish and manage our company brand.

To learn more about CAAMP Board or the nomination and election process, please contact Eliana@caampers.org

Tell Your Senators Why S. 2722 Is Harmful To The Promotional Products Industry

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 20:10:27 GMT

CAAMP is Accepting Board Nominations for 2020

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:49:23 GMT

Eliana@caampers.org

TWO NEW PLUG-INS FOR QUICKBOOKS TO BETTER SERVE AD SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS .

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:15:04 GMT

TWO NEW PLUG-INS FOR QUICKBOOKS TO BETTER SERVE AD SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS

Charlotte, August 20, 2019 – Harriet Gatter, owner of Accounting Support, LLC, announces the launching of OrderMaster Online a software development project to improve the accounting and order-management systems for Ad Specialty Distributors.

“The Ad Specialty business is an ideal small business for creative, people-oriented people”, says Harriet, “and our challenge is the complexity of the accounting and order management. My goal is to simplify and streamline these back-office functions.”

For 23 years, Harriet operated just such a business. She knows from experience the many details that are part of processing an order from beginning to end.

She launched her Accounting Support, LLC practice in 2013 with the mission to guide Ad Specialty Distributors through these back-office details. She is a former Accounting Professor, a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and recommends QuickBooks as the long-term and most affordable solution to the industry.

She explained further, “There are a variety of solutions offered to the industry, but in the long-run, I believe QuickBooks has the best chance to survive and thrive. And now, with these Plug-Ins, QuickBooks becomes specifically oriented to the Ad Specialty Distributor Business.”

These initial Plug-Ins are the result of Harriet’s acquiring the rights to a long-time industry service provider, OrderMaster, which was one of these other back-office solutions that did not keep pace with the changing technology around it.

Harriet acquired the rights, intending to rewrite the software in a more current language. This proved to be too expensive, and thus the idea was born to create these Plug-Ins which may be an even stronger solution. In addition to bringing the best of OrderMaster to QuickBooks it also brings the long-term security of QuickBooks to the Ad Specialty Distributors.

But, not just yet. The project is poised and ready to be developed, but first 50 Ad Specialty Distributors are needed.

The website is www.OrderMasterOnline.com, housing a Demonstration Video that describes the first two Plug-Ins: [1] A Commission calculator and dashboard and [2] An Order tracking dashboard

The Plug-ins will begin to be built as soon as 50 distributors sign-up and make an initial deposit of $200. The first 50 supporters will be the first to receive the software when available, be part of the beta-testing team, and receive a discounted price.

“Doing business today requires a reliance on our hardware and software. When either one goes down, our businesses stall. By adding these 2 Plug-ins, and more to come, to QuickBooks, I think QuickBooks can and will be the most affordable and long-term solution to the Ad Specialty Distributor business.”

Learn more about the Plug-Ins and the Pre-Sale Offer at www.OrderMasterOnline.com.

Accounting Support, LLC
7804 Fairview Rd. Box 230
www.accountingsupportllc.com

Contact: Harriet Gatter, 610-715-2852 (cell)

HGatter@AccountingSupportLLC.com

End User Seminar - Featuring Dana Geiger.

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 16:51:05 GMT

PPAI's SPARK CONFERENCE IN CHARLOTTE JULY 17-19

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 19:00:52 GMT

PPAI's SPARK CONFERENCE IN CHARLOTTE JULY 17-19

PPAI's SPARK Is More Than An Investment

The promotional products industry is being transformed by the next generation of high achievers, influencers, go-getters, innovators and game-changers. Make sure your young professionals are getting the career coaching and leadership development that will keep your company moving ahead of the pack. Sending your millennial team to SPARK will:

Empower and educate your staff
Establish an innovative work culture
Build awareness for your brands
Establish your company as an industry leader

SPARK is designed to equip your young professionals with the tools needed to adapt to change, embrace strategic foresight and prepare for the future. Register your team for SPARK. It's worth the investment. You can view the full itinerary here.

July 17-19, 2019
Charlotte, North Carolina

Beacon Promotions Announces New Sales Account Development Associate

Eliana Franklin — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:11:25 GMT

Beacon Promotions Announces New Sales Account Development Associate

New Ulm, MN, June 2019 – Beacon Promotions, Inc. has added a Sales Account Development Associate.

Sarah Braidic Fette started with Beacon in May. Sarah comes from the radio industry where she was both on-air and in radio sales. She was half of the Brad and Sarah Morning Show on Hot 96.7 and Z99 in Southern Minnesota. She is originally from the Twin Cities, but she has called the Mankato area her home since 2003. She will be an inside sales rep for the states of: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Sarah has a sister in law (with the same name) and a sister in the promotions industry. She says she is excited about switching industries and has found that sales and customers are basically the same no matter the industry - it comes down to effective communication and building relationships.

Sarah is married to her husband, Jeff, and she has an 18 year old stepson who is a medic in the Army National Guard. They live in a small township outside Mankato, called Rapidan, where Sarah enjoys vegetable gardening, vegetarian cooking, canning and hanging out with the neighborhood cat, which they have named Dr. Waffles. She is also a freelance makeup artist for IT Cosmetics.

JoAnn Sprenger, National Associate Account Executive, states “Sarah has great energy and creatively thinks "outside the box", making her an invaluable addition to the Beacon team."

In 2017 HUB Promotional Group was created to bring together only the Best of Brands that are recognized as leaders in their respective categories. Each Brand has top industry ratings and has won multiple awards for service and top

quality products. Based in Boston, MA, HUB Promotional Group is the corporate headquarters for the Family of Brands that provides the best promotional and marketing solutions for the promotional products industry.

For more information contact:

Gwen Brey, Marketing Coordinator

612-454-3831 or gbrey@beaconpromotions.com

HELP US REBUILD THE FOUNDATION BY DONATING

Eliana Franklin — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 17:12:45 GMT

DONATE ONLINE HERE

DOWNLOAD FORM HERE

TURNING TRAGEDY INTO HOPE - Read article.

VISIT PPAI

CAAMP WELCOMES ELIANA AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Eliana Franklin — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 17:28:50 GMT

CAAMP is excited to announce that Eliana Franklin will serve as the association’s new Executive Director.

Eliana resides in Funkstown, Maryland with her husband Jeff and their two beautiful girls. Eliana has been in a variety of management roles most of her career. She enjoys wearing many hats and brings a lot of excitement and energy to the organization. As CAAMP’s Executive Director, Eliana will work with the board of directors and membership to support CAAMP’s mission of promoting the power of promotional products and providing opportunities for professional education, networking and fun within the Carolinas.

In addition to welcoming Eliana, the Board of Directors extends gratitude and well-wishes to their former Executive Director, Teri Kramer and her team at SAS.