PPB Newslink May 8: Distributor 2011 Sales Grew 7.02 Percent To $17.7 Billion

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Distributor 2011 Sales Grew 7.02 Percent To $17.7 Billion
Distributor sales of promotional products in the U.S. climbed 7.02 percent in 2011 to $17,721,945,690 according to PPAI’s annual estimate of promotional products sales. This marks the second consecutive year of positive growth following declines in 2008 and 2009. Read more Distributor Sales

HALO Branded Solutions Acquired By PSP Capital Partners, LLC
As reported in a PPB Newslink Breaking News alert on May 2, distributor HALO Branded Solutions (UPIC: HBS) has been purchased by PSP Capital Partners, LLC, a Chicago-based private investment firm founded by Penny Pritzker, in partnership with senior management of HALO. Read more HALO

Polyconcept Appoints Michael Bernstein To Chairman And CEO
Polyconcept, a global promotional products supplier based in The Netherlands with projected 2012 sales of €700 million, appointed Michael Bernstein as the company’s new chairman and CEO. The transition was effective May 2. Read more Polyconcept

Gildan Acquires Anvil Knitwear For $88 Million
On May 3, supplier Gildan Activewear, Inc. (UPIC: GILDA3810), headquartered in Montréal, Québec, announced that it acquired Anvil Holdings, Inc., which participates in the promotional products market under the Anvil Knitwear (UPIC: ANVIL289) brand. Read more Gildan

Gift Cards Win Out Over Cash In IRF Study
The Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC) and the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) have released the results of a new study that show that prepaid gift cards are one of the most popular ways to motivate and reward employees. Read more IRF

Crown Products To Be Exclusive Supplier Of Silipint Products
Crown Products (UPIC: CROWNPRO), a supplier headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, has partnered with Silipint, Inc. (UPIC: S473414) to represent the company in the promotional products market. Read more Crown

CounterPoint’s Acquisition Of Convergence Corp. To Expand Its Product Offerings
Las Vegas, Nevada-based supplier CounterPoint (UPIC: DOYOUPOP) has acquired Convergence Corporation to reinforce its position as a leading counter mat manufacturer. Read more CounterPoint

Bluegrass Upgrades Name To Activate!
Bluegrass Promotional Marketing has upgraded its name to Activate! Promotions + Marketing (UPIC: BLUEGRAS) to better reflect the company’s comprehensive expertise in strategic branded merchandise programs and its leadership position in the promotional marketing industry. Read more Activate!

Picnic Time Adds NBA-Licensed Products To Its Catalog
Moorpark, California-based Picnic Time, Inc. (UPIC: PICN0001) has been named an official licensee of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Read more Picnic Time

K Promotions And Astro Wear Of Canada Merge
K Promotions, Ltd., a distributor in Toronto, Ontario, and Concord, Ontario-based Astro Wear have merged in a deal finalized on April 25. The new company will operate as Astro Marketing, Ltd. Read more Astro

Broder Bros.’ Gives Customers A Chance To Win Valuable Prizes
Trevose, Pennsylvania-based supplier Broder Bros. Co. (UPIC: BRODER) has launched its Office Awards 2012 program. The contest gives customers the chance to opt-in and win daily prizes worth $500 and weekly prizes worth $1,000. Read more Broder Bros.

Embroidery Unlimited Launches Mobile App
Embroidery Unlimited, Inc. (UPIC: euinc), a supplier in Tempe, Arizona, has launched a mobile application for clients’ iOS and Android devices. Read more Embroidery

Bellantone And Meyer Hold RMRPPA Town Hall To Meet With Industry Professionals And Companies
Last week, PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, and Chair of the PPAI Board Steven Meyer, MAS, attended a town hall meeting of the Rocky Mountain Region Promotional Products Association (RMRPPA). Read more RMRPPA

PPAI’s McLean Connects With Members During Trip To New York
PPAI Executive Vice President Bob McLean joined the SAGE Seminar Series as it traveled through the Northeastern United States on April 25-26. While taking part in the Series’ educational program, he also visited with member companies during stops in New York State. Read more McLean

PPB Welcomes New Associate Editor
Jen Alexander McCall has joined the PPAI team as associate editor for PPB magazine. For McCall, it’s a homecoming in two ways. She worked for PPAI as news editor from 2007-2009 when she married and moved to Georgia. A native Texan, she relocated to the state in April. Read more McCall

Nominations Are Now Open For Three Prestigious PPAI Awards
Three important awards categories—the PPAI Hall of Fame, the PPAI Distinguished Service Award and the PPAI H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award—in the PPAI Awards and Recognition Program are now open. Read more Awards

The Nomination Deadline For The 2012 PPB Rising Stars Is Friday, May 11
PPB‘s search for the industry’s Rising Stars of 2012 is heating up. PPB wants your help to identify the industry’s dynamic up-and-comers who have the demonstrated drive and talent to lead us into the next decade. Read more Rising Stars

PPAI Offers A Diverse Line-Up Of Educational Webinars
This spring, PPAI is offering a variety of webinars to support industry members’ professional development, expand their skills and broaden their business knowledge. Read more Webinars

Act Now To Protect Access To Government Experts
Amendments to two bills pending in Congress would severely limit federal employees’ attendance at PPAI meetings and conferences—limiting PPAI members’ access to expert guidance on product safety, going green, securing credit and identifying international trade opportunities. Read more Access

Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer Visits Industry Supplier The Chest, Inc.
On April 30, The Chest, Inc. (UPIC: thechest), a supplier in Washington, Missouri, hosted a visit from Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, a Representative for the 9th district in Missouri. Read more Luetkemeyer

Sign Up Today For The CAS-Required Course: Product Safety Basics
Next week, PPAI is holding a required course for the Association’s Certification Program. The Thursday, May 17, webinar will examine product safety basics in the industry. Read more Product Safety

Supplier Gill Studios (UPIC: gill), headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, has expanded its sales team with the addition of four field sales managers. Joe Gavern joins the company as the greater southern California territory field sales manager, Jaime Becker as the greater Chicago territory field sales manager, Gene Guire as the greater Florida territory field sales manager, and Jennifer Sedran comes on board as the greater New York/New Jersey territory field sales manager.

Sparks, Nevada-based supplier Castelli North America (UPIC: castelli) has brought Patricia Florina on as the company’s new national accounts manager responsible for the East Coast and Southern region.

Mark Shea has joined Las Vegas, Nevada-based supplier Visstun, Digispec and CounterPoint (UPIC: VISSTUN) as national accounts manager. Shea brings experience from the supplier and distributor sides of the industry, as well as the board of the Gold Coast Promotional Products Association. He will handle all national account activities for the supplier.

Supplier Towel Specialties (UPIC: TOWLSPEC), based in Baltimore, Maryland, has added to its representation in Iowa. Charlie Burnett will represent the company in the western part of the state, while Dean Salit will cover eastern Iowa. Both are with Hess and Associates.

Casey Wakula has joined Gemline (UPIC: GEMLINE), a supplier in Lawrence, Massachusetts, as regional manager. Wakula will be responsible for Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

SAAGNY Foundation Hosts Howard Alan Blum 5K 4 5K Run At PROMOTIONS EAST
This year at PROMOTIONS EAST, the SAAGNY Foundation is hosting the Howard Alan Blum 5K 4 5K Run. The run is in honor of Howard Alan Blum, brother of Motivators, Inc.’s (UPIC: MOTIV8RS) Rhonda Blum, who passed away from cancer at the age of 16. Read more PROMOTIONS EAST

Alliance Rubber Company Wins The 2012 Excellence In Innovation Award
Alliance Rubber Company has won the Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s 2012 Excellence In Innovation Award. The Hot Springs, Arkansas-based supplier participates in the promotional products industry under the Ad Bands (UPIC: ALLI0001) brand. Read more Ad Bands

The Sandfords’ Take Charge Indy May Not Have Won The Kentucky Derby, But It Made A Difference To Disabled Jockey Charity
As reported in last week’s PPB Newslink, Maribeth and Chuck Sandford, owners of Union, Illinois-headquartered supplier Bag Makers, Inc. (UPIC: BAGMAKRS), entered their personal racehorse, Take Charge Indy, in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Read more Derby

SAGE Online offers distributors a wide range of tools and services valuable to their businesses. In fact, SAGE distributors spend almost 18,000 hours on SAGE Online per day. To learn more about the benefits available through your PPAI membership, click here.

TurboTest – A Product Safety Roadmap
Navigating your way through the product safety minefield can be tricky at best. One misstep can cost you—and your clients—in lost business, fines, product recalls or worse. To make the process easier and help eliminate any guesswork, PPAI has developed an intuitive online roadmap, PPAI Promotional Products TurboTest™, to help you more easily determine which rules, regulations and tests apply to your product. It also includes web links for additional details at the various steps. Read more Turbo

Easy Steps To Text Conversion – Second In A Series
When submitting art to your supplier, you will often be asked to convert all text to outlines or paths. There’s a simple reason for this: It’s an easy way to ensure your text will print as it was intended. If your supplier doesn’t have the exact font you used when creating your artwork, it will have to substitute another font. This will cause your text to reflow and will surely look different than what you’ve created. Read more Conversion

More With Less
When the National Apartment Association (NAA) Education Conference and Exposition reduced the duration of its tradeshow from three days to two, exhibitors had to find new ways to get the same amount of connection with attendees. Ista North America, which provides utility services to multifamily housing providers, chose to get a head start on marketing to its most-coveted attendees by picking them up at the airport. Read more With Less

Pursuing The Hispanic Market
Have you successfully outfitted a client for a campaign targeting the Hispanic market? Tell us about it for the July issue of PPB. E-mail Jen Alexander McCall by Friday, May 11, and be sure to include high-resolution images of products used.

Yes, Sir!
Suiting up in a custom uniform helps build a brand’s reputation, lends authority to staffers and protects employees on the job. The August issue of PPB will feature the best and most innovative uniforms, so send your product descriptions and high-resolution images to Tama Underwood by May 31 for a chance to be featured.

What Would You Do?
Last year we introduced a new fashion product to the industry. A distributor said its client, a well-known celebrity, was interested in adding our product to the client’s retail line, so we sent random samples and designed numerous virtual images for the distributor. After following up, we didn’t hear from the distributor again and never received an order. Recently, we saw the product for sale on the celebrity’s website, using a slightly modified version of the layout we created. When we called the distributor to ask what happened and why we didn’t get the order, we were told: “Oh, the client really beat us up on the price, so we went direct to a Chinese factory.” What would you do?

What’s Your Answer? E-mail answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by May 31 for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine.