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Five Minutes With Sarah deBoer, MAS
Sarah deBoer, MAS, current president of the Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC) and regional sales manager at Lincoln, Rhode Island-based supplier A.T. Cross Company (UPIC: ATCR0001) had always dreamed of an opportunity to travel abroad and help others. When her twin sister, Miriam, told deBoer she was leaving for Africa to volunteer at a medical clinic there, deBoer started crying. “I’ve always dreamed of such an opportunity,” she told Tiffany Hirshaw for an article in the SAAC newsletter. Read More »
Five Minutes With Jay Deutsch
Advertisers are expected to spend a record $13.79 billion on sports sponsorships in North America in 2013, according to a new forecast by IEG, a corporate sponsorship firm. Those in the business believe this means fewer TV and digital campaigns and increased focus on the tangible in sports marketing—i.e., promotional products. PPB asked Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of Woodinville, Washington-based distributor Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc. (BDA) (UPIC: BENS0002) about this anticipated renewed focus on off-line sports marketing. Read More »
Five Minutes With Dale Denham, MAS+
Dale Denham’s entire career has been a mix of sales and technology, so he knows first-hand how poorly functioning hardware or software can affect productivity. In his current position as CIO for Lewiston, Maine-based distributor Geiger (UPIC: geiger), overseeing the technology needs of 500 salespeople has presented some unique challenges. “In my previous positions, I could send someone to the sales staff and work with them one-on-one,” Denham says. “With 500 people spread across the country, that isn’t feasible.” Read More »
Five Minutes With Tee Hamilton, Owner Of Aye Creative
Artist and designer Tee Hamilton was called to the industry—literally. While living in Australia and working as a designer for one of the continent’s most-popular toy lines, Beanie Kids, she was contacted by U.S. company Authentic Plush and offered a chance to design its custom toys. “I hopped a boat—well, a plane actually—headed back to America and made a home in this industry,” Hamilton says. Read More »
Five Minutes With Steven Arenzon, president of Wisconsin Knitwear, Inc.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based supplier Wisconsin Knitwear, Inc. (UPIC: WISCKNIT) is the last surviving knitting factory in Wisconsin. Others have either disappeared completely or transferred manufacturing operations overseas. Arenzon, though, says he’s proud to be a U.S. manufacturer, and the knit beanies, hats, scarves and other accessories made in his shop have a classic, almost iconic American appeal. Read More »
Five Minutes With William Kestin, CEO of Australasian Promotional Products Association
This month, PPB goes down under for a visit with William Kestin, CEO of Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA) and president of the International Federation of Promotional Products Associations, of which PPAI is also a member. APPA serves the promotional products industry in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Read More »
Five Minutes With Sue Kerr
The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project, or Tote4Pgh, is a grassroots effort to collect and distribute sturdy, reusable tote bags for food banks. Its founder, Sue Kerr, is a social worker who saw firsthand that needy families accepting donations from food pantries often don’t have the means to easily transport goods. Read More »
Five Minutes With Louise Woerner Sellers, CAS
Few people get the opportunity to meet a centenarian—even fewer get to be one—but if you’ve been in the industry for a while, you may have the pleasure of knowing 100-year-old Louise Woerner Sellers. Read More »
Five Minutes With Ken Laffer, MAS, CEO of Motivators, Inc.
Ken Laffer, MAS, is no stranger to new endeavors. He started Westbury, New York-based distributor Motivators, Inc. (UPIC: MOTIV8RS) in 1979 after a successful career as an apparel manufacturer. Soon he became involved in PPAI, even serving on the board of directors. In fact, it was Laffer’s class that voted to change the name from Specialty Advertising Association (SAA) to PPAI. Read More »
Five Minutes With Robert De Veau and Louis Hernandez of Hirsch Gift, Inc.
Thumb drives, flash drives, USBs—regardless of what you call them, they are mainstays in the industry’s product lineup. To help these little vessels of information get noticed in a sea of sameness, distributors and end users often choose to commission custom, one-of-a kind USB designs that tie in with particular promotions. Read More »
