In May, industry professionals from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with senators, representatives and legislative staff to discuss legislation, issues and opportunities relevant to the promotional products industry as part of the seventh annual PPAI Legislation Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.). In the fifth installment of a series spotlighting the industry practitioners taking PPAI’s message to Capitol Hill, PPB Newslink spoke with Dan Reading, vice president of Boise, Idaho, distributor In The Bag Promotions, and a first-time L.E.A.D. participant.

PPB Newslink: What’s your story?

Dan Reading: In the Bag Promotions is a growing Idaho company that employs six full-time employees and one part-time employee.  We are continuing to build a strategy for aggressive growth in our market and beyond.  My wife and I are the owners. She has been in the business for more than 12 years and acquired In the Bag Promotions five years ago when the previous owner retired. I came on board in the fall of 2013 after we acquired another business that was larger with more employees.

PPB Newslink: What did you accomplish at L.E.A.D.?

Reading: We worked to create an awareness of our industry, our issues and initiatives among Idaho’s senators and representatives. To my knowledge, there had not been anyone actually from Idaho that had participated in L.E.A.D. thus far.

PPB Newslink: Why do you think programs like L.E.A.D. are important?

Reading: We need to make sure that our industry remains viable and that laws and restrictions are not hampering our successes and contribution to small businesses everywhere.

PPAI will begin accepting applications for L.E.A.D. 2017 in September. Click here for more information on L.E.A.D. 2016 and follow PPB Newslink for the application announcement.