Walter-Cribbins-Anniversary Tanya and Ed Johnson; join Geiger staff members Vice President Laura Holt, MAS (second left); Associate Tara Praven, MAS (center right); Vice President of Sales and Marketing James Habzda, MAS (second right) and COO Jo-an Lantz, MAS, in remembering Carl Rosenfeld (pictured).

Former associates of the Walter W. Cribbins Co., along with members of the Geiger (UPIC: geiger) management and sales team, recently gathered in Seattle, Washington, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding. It became part of Geiger in 2001. The event was an opportunity for those affiliated with the Walter W. Cribbins Co. to share fond memories and honor those who were key to the success of the company.

Also honored was the memory of the company’s previous president and industry celebrity Carl Rosenfeld. “Carl Rosenfeld was a significant presence in the industry on a worldwide basis as well being as my mentor,” says Jo-an Lantz, MAS, COO of Geiger. “Carl received hundreds of awards, culminating in the receipt of the Lifetime Achievement Award this past spring. Carl also oversaw the merging of two professional organizations, the ASNA and the Guild, which later became known as PPAI. He served as the last president of the merged organizations and the first chairman of PPAI. He is also a Hall of Fame member of PPAI and an honored member of WAGE (World Advertising Gift Exchange).”

The Walter W. Cribbins Co. was founded in 1915 in San Francisco by Walter Wallace Cribbins. In the mid-1950s a business relationship was forged between Cribbins and Rosenfeld. Eventually the company was sold to Rosenfeld. The company grew in the promotional products industry, expanding its reach beyond California to include Washington, Oregon and Hawaii. Ed Johnson, MAS, joined the company in 1973, purchasing the northwestern division of the company from Rosenfeld in 1983. Johnson served as PPAI Chair in 1996.

“Under  Johnson’s leadership the Walter W. Cribbins Co. grew to become one of the premier promotional products companies in the industry,” says Jim Habzda, MAS, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Geiger. “One of the many contributions of the Walter W Cribbins Co. was the volunteering of over 1,000 hours each year to a nonprofit or charitable organization.  Ed Johnson, also very active in the industry, served on its board of directors as chair in 1996. He was honored with a lifetime membership shortly thereafter."

Ed and his wife, Tayna Johnson, sold the company to Geiger in 2001 and have remained an active presence in the northwest.