March 28, 2022

AAA Innovations Partners Wth Blunt

AAA Innovations, a leading supplier in the promotional products industry, has partnered with Blunt, the retail umbrella company that’s making waves throughout the industry. Blunt has constructed an umbrella that is unmatched in design and durability. From the superior engineering to its iconic shape, the Blunt umbrella stands alone. This creation was not only about the design, but it was conceived, in part, because of a growing environmental issue. Due to the increasing presence of waste pollution, these umbrellas were created to never be thrown out, as each product comes with a manufacturer warranty – “Repair, not replace.”

AAA will offer Blunt’s most popular handheld umbrellas, the Classic and the Metro. Blunt has grabbed the attention of widely popular news outlets, like The Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and Esquire – just to name a few. The Classic and the Metro will add to AAA Innovations’ already impressive arsenal of umbrellas and outdoor items.

Dylan Tweney, WIRED, “Its architectural integrity is as unbroken as the dome of St. Peter’s.”

AAA Innovations has made a clear commitment to offer products that are both high quality and environmentally friendly. AAA has always pushed to be innovators and leaders in the industry, if it’s umbrellas, bags, or their wide breadth of outdoor living products. This partnership with Blunt presents items that fit perfectly into AAA’s line of high-caliber products.

Fossa Apparel Brings On Tony Sabo As Its Florida Rep

Fossa Apparel (PPAI 330885, S1), a supplier based in Fremont, California, has brought on Tony Sabo from Brickyard Sales & Marketing as its multi-line representative in Florida. Sabo is an experienced and passionate industry veteran with an extensive sales background. Having spent the last 20+ years with suppliers—Points of Light, Brickyards Sales, Aakron Rule—and distributor EPromos, He brings an enormous amount of industry knowledge and proven results.

NWPMA To Hold Its 2022 Spring Showcase On April 6

The Northwest Promotional Marketing Association (NWPMA) 2022 Spring Showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 6 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center in Tacoma, Washington. PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham, MAS+ will deliver a State of the Industry address at 9am before exhibits open.

This showcase features a scavenger hunt as well as offering local distributors an opportunity to see new products and discuss upcoming projects with local and national suppliers. Clues for the scavenger hunt have already begun on NWPMA socials. Get all seven clues to find all seven tokens and be entered to win. Register to attend.

On Tuesday, April 5, Cliff Quicksell, MAS+ will present a marketing seminar focused on numerous ways for distributors to create affordable marketing touch points in a very tight economy. Immediately following the seminar, the NWPMA promo community is invited to attend the "Party in the Park", featuring a complimentary dinner and beverages. More information.

Stran & Company Announces Solid Revenue Growth and Profitability for 2021;
Reports Approximately $32 Million in Cash, $40 million of Working Capital and No Long-Term Debt as of December 31, 2021

Quincy, MA / March 28, 2022 / Stran & Company, Inc. ("Stran" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: STRN) (NASDAQ: STRNW), a leading outsourced marketing solutions provider that leverages its promotional products and loyalty incentive expertise, today provided a business update and reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Andy Shape, President and CEO of Stran, commented, “We are pleased to report revenue growth and profitability for 2021. Overall, revenues increased over 5%; however, our recurring organic sales, defined as those sales excluding the U.S. Census program, revenue from the Wildman Imprints asset acquisition, and personal protective equipment (PPE), increased 49.5%, or $10.3 million, from $20.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 to $31.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. At the same time, our gross profit improved and we achieved profitability for the full year. Heading into 2022 we are off to a strong start and expect to achieve solid double digit year-over-year organic growth in 2022. As an example, in January 2022 we signed a multi-year contract with a large nationally recognized healthcare company to provide incentive products and literature designed to help drive consumer health behaviors, which we expect will drive significant revenue with potential expansion opportunities.

This new customer illustrates our shift from largely transactional sales to program offerings with long-term recurring revenue streams. In addition to broadening our customer base, we are also deepening our penetration within existing customers, given our compelling value proposition and comprehensive offering to address the complex marketing needs of our customers. We are especially encouraged by the macro trends, as employees return to the workplace and there are more in-person events.”

“We also remain focused on accretive acquisitions that would be highly synergistic with our existing operations. As an example, we recently acquired GAP Promo, a leading full-service promotional products agency that generated over $7 million of sales in 2021. GAP Promo’s expertise in point of sale, display, racks and more will expand Stran’s reach within the beverage and consumer packaged goods sectors. We expect this transaction to be highly accretive, given GAP Promo’s track record of profitability and the anticipated economies of scale. Given our premier reputation in the industry, including a growing roster of Fortune 500 customers, we believe we are well positioned to expand our market position as a leading provider of outsourced marketing solutions. The promotional products industry alone is valued at over $23 billion, and yet, the market is highly fragmented and comprised of more than 40,000 providers. We believe the market is ripe for consolidation, and our goal is to position Stran at the forefront of the industry. In addition, we are expanding within the broader $387 billion product packaging, loyalty incentive program, printing and tradeshow markets.”

“We ended the year with over $32 million in cash, approximately $40 million of working capital and no long-term debt as of December 31, 2021. As a result, we believe we are well capitalized to accelerate our growth strategy, including investments in new sales and marketing initiatives, while continuing our track record of profitability. Our solid cash position also provides us flexibility and the ability, but not the need, to leverage debt for acquisitions, which we believe is a distinct competitive advantage in this market. Given the strength of our balance sheet, we recently announced a share repurchase program and expect to be in a position to utilize this in the near future. We believe the current volatility in capital markets has created a unique opportunity to drive value for our shareholders through strategic and opportunistic use of this program. We could not be more excited about the outlook for the business and believe 2022 will be a transformative year for the Company.”

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased 5.2% to $39.7 million from $37.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher spending from existing clients as well as business from new customers. Additionally, we benefited from the acquisition of the Wildman Imprints assets in September of 2020. However, these increases in sales were partially offset by the completion of the U.S. Census program in 2020, market saturation of personal protective equipment in 2021, a lack of in-person events, and businesses still not being fully reopened throughout 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gross profit increased 3.1% to $11.8 million, or 29.8% of sales, for the full year 2021, compared to $11.5 million, or 30.4% of revenue, for the same period last year. The increase in gross profit was due to increased sales and reduced cost of purchases from improvements in sourcing capabilities and buying power, partially offset by an increase in freight costs.Operating loss for the full year 2021 was $438,000, compared to operating profit of approximately $1.5 million for the same period last year. The shift from operating profit in 2020 to operating loss in 2021 was due to an increase in operating expenses, which in turn was due to additional expenses related to the acquisition of the Wildman Imprints assets, the implementation of a new ERP system, the recently completed initial public offering and ongoing public company expenses, and organic growth in our business. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased to approximately $235,000, compared to net income of approximately $1.0 million for the same period last year. This decrease was primarily due to the nonrecurrence of sales of $10.5 million from our work on the U.S. Census program in 2020 and the nonrecurrence of sales of $4.0 million from our work on personal protective equipment in 2020; increased expenses in 2021 than in 2020 related to our initial public offering; and higher freight expenses in 2021 compared to 2020. These factors were only partially offset by the increase in sales from 2020 to 2021 of $6.0 million from our September 2020 Wildman Imprints asset purchase and the increase of $10.3 million from recurring organic sales from 2020 to 2021.

March 24, 2022

SanMar Announces New Lifestyle Collection
Innovative Mercer+Mettle™ Products Target Modern Workplace Needs

Issaquah, Washington – March 24, 2022 – SanMar Corporation, a leading supplier of wholesale accessories and apparel, today introduced the Mercer+Mettle™, a 30-piece apparel collection with the versatility to transition seamlessly from professional looks to casual styles. The line fulfills a growing demand for clothing essentials that align with the tastes and lifestyle of the ever-evolving workforce. Mercer+Mettle™, with 25 creative clothing styles and five bag designs, is style-forward in its look and trend-right in its fit, with each piece offering ease of movement, durability and a polished presentation.

“Customers are increasingly gravitating to signature pieces that speak to functionality and versatility,” said Shelley Renning, Vice President of Merchandising at SanMar. “Reinterpreted classic silhouettes give consumers the ability to mix and match what they wear and how they wear it to convey their own personal sense of style and individuality.”

Responding to the shifts in workforce behaviors and the trends in minimalist design, Mercer+Mettle™ offers men’s fits that are softly tailored and made for hybrid working. Women’s fits are relaxed for an emphasis on drape and layering versatility. Dressed up, but not stuffy, the women’s designs are on-trend and made for work and play. The Mercer+Mettle™ bag collection matches the clothing design aesthetic, remaining simple while featuring functional accessories, such as the utility case to secure smaller items.

“SanMar is leading the versatile, flexible apparel space,” says Renning. “Surveys from popular fashion blogs have overwhelmingly shown that our newfound workwear freedom has become non-negotiable. Mercer+Mettle is the perfect fit for this.”

Customers can shop these products with confidence knowing they can demonstrate self-expression and style, while dressing ready for the workday and beyond. Shop and learn about the Mercer+Mettle™ line at SanMar.com.