• • • • • • March 10 • 2015
SEND NEWS TO JAMESK@PPAI.ORG • • • • • •
Top News
Expo East Offers Product Safety Aware Courses Ahead Of The Deadline
Expo East 2015 begins this week at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and before the trade show floor opens on Friday all exhibitors must attain Product Safety Aware (PSA) status. While the majority of exhibitors have achieved PSA status and have designated a Product Safety Ambassador, a number of opportunities will be available at Expo East for suppliers looking to earn the required credits.
Read More Product Safety Awareness
Industry News
Trade Only Rebrands As Customer Focus, Inc.
Business management software and website provider Trade Only, Inc., has re-branded to Customer Focus, Inc., effective March 1. The Costa Mesa, California-based company says the move reflects its increasingly global customer base, including gains in the sign, apparel and print industries, and ensures brand consistency across the organization.
Read More Customer Focus
U.S. Department Of Labor Report Addresses Labor Rights In Honduras
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) has issued a report raising serious concerns regarding Honduras’ labor law enforcement. The report addresses issues submitted by the AFL-CIO and Honduran unions and civil society organizations, who allege that the Honduran government failed to effectively enforce its labor laws, highlighting examples from 17 worksites spanning the manufacturing, agriculture and port sectors.
Read More Honduras
Trade Show Industry Reports 18 Consecutive Quarters Of Growth
Fourth quarter 2014 marked the 18th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in the business-to-business exhibition industry, reports the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). However, growth slowed from a revised year-on-year gain of 2.3 percent in the third quarter to 1.7 percent in fourth quarter 2014.
Read More Trade Shows
PPAI, SanMar Join PromoKitchen In Hosting Author Seth Godin
PromoKitchen is hosting a conversation with author Seth Godin on March 24 on his new book, It’s Your Turn, and how its lessons can be applied to the promotional products industry. Sponsored by PPAI and SanMar, the live podcast is an opportunity for 100 members of the promotional products community to join the conversation. The first 100 people to sign up will receive a free copy of Godin’s book and be registered to listen to the podcast live, and they will also have the chance to ask Godin a question on the podcast. Click here to register.
Bob Lanier Enterprises Joins Proforma Network
Distributor Bob Lanier Enterprises, Inc. (UPIC: BOBL0001) in Milkwaukee, Wisconsin, has joined Proforma’s member network. Lanier, an NBA Hall of Fame inductee, launched his company after retiring from professional basketball in 1984. He has a team of four sales representatives and more than $3 million in annual sales.
Read More Proforma
PPAI News
Nominations Close Today For
PPB’s Greatest Companies
Do you work for one of the greatest companies in the promotions industry? Would you recommend your company to a friend? If so, tell
PPB about it. The magazine is seeking nominations for its annual editorial recognition program to spotlight some of the industry’s greatest companies. If your company is selected, it will be included in an upcoming feature article. Nominations close at midnight tonight. Companies nominated must be current members of PPAI and previous winners cannot be nominated again. Congratulations to these
previous honorees.
Click here for the nomination form.
Corporate Responsibility, Other Issues Explored In PPAI’s Webinar Series
In the coming months, PPAI’s online education schedule explores the numerous aspects of corporate responsibility, from social compliance to fair labor and sustainability, among other issues.
Read More Webinars
PPAI Law
L.E.A.D. Local Texas Takes The Industry’s Message To Austin
On March 5, PPAI joined with industry professionals for L.E.A.D. Local Texas in Austin. L.E.A.D. Local is part of PPAI’s state-level legislative outreach efforts to deliver the message of the promotional products industry to state legislators.
Read More L.E.A.D. Local Texas
Product Responsibility
Mark Your Calendar For The 2015 PPAI Product Safety Summit
Registration is now open for the 2015 PPAI Product Safety Summit, September 28-30 in Bethesda, Maryland. The Summit brings business and compliance leaders from across the industry to discuss product safety issues and the business implications and challenges they face.
The Summit offers two days of education featuring distinguished speakers, industry thought leaders and representatives from product safety labs and product certification groups. All Summit attendees will also receive a binder containing best practices, testing protocols and recall resource materials.
Click here for more information and to register.
People News
Prime Resources Corp. (UPIC: PRIME) has hired
Steve Woodburn, MAS, as its Southeast regional sales manager. Woodburn brings more than 20 years of experience to Prime and has served as a member of PPAI’s Board of Directors and as former president of Regional Association Council. In his new role, Atlanta, Georgia-based Woodburn will work with clients in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Puerto Rico.
Valley Cottage, New York-based Stromberg Brand (UPIC: 1ASTRMBG) has hired Bridge Marketing Services to represent the supplier in the Midwest and Ohio Valley, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Founded over 30 years ago by Keith Schroepfer, Bridge Marketing Services continues under the leadership of his son Cory Schroepfer. Bridge’s team also includes John Bugele and Richard Schmidt.
Zagwear Inc. (UPIC: ZAGW0001), headquartered in Orangeburg, New York, has named Marty Frasco as vice president of global supply chain. With more than 30 years of global logistics and supply chain experience, Frasco will be responsible for assessing the company’s current operational and supply chain activities as well as provide leadership and management oversight for continuous improvements. Prior to joining Zagwear, Frasco led the global supply chain functions for numerous companies including Vinten Broadcast Ltd., Sensormatic and American Dynamics.
PPAI Executive Vice President
Bob McLean has been named to the board of the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE) for a three-year term. Previously, McLean has served on the IAEE’s Finance Committee and its Senior Level Education Task Force.
Accolades
Crystal D Honors Employees At Annual WOW Day Recognition Event
On February 6, Crystal D hosted the St. Paul, Minnesota, supplier’s 13th annual WOW Day event. The company’s WOW Day recognizes the hard work and dedication of Crystal D employees throughout the year.
Read More Crystal D
Pro Towels’ Jeremy Scott Named Abbeville County’s Ambassador for Economic Development
Pro Towels (UPIC: PROTOWEL) Vice President of Operations Jeremy Scott has been named Abbeville County’s Ambassador for Economic Development. The Ambassador Award is a special recognition for the exceptional contributions made to South Carolina’s economic development efforts and is selected by the county’s economic development organization.
Read More Pro Towels
SAGE FACT OF THE WEEK
Free SAGE Education At Expo East
On Thursday, SAGE will be providing various free education sessions at Expo East in Room 417. In addition to giving you useful information on how to improve your business, you can also earn CAS credit for each of the sessions. For more personalized training, you can schedule a one-on-one session with a SAGE account executive. Click here for the full session descriptions and schedule.
PPAI members can join SAGE at no additional cost through the Power of Two relationship. Contact SAGE today at 800-925-7243 or visit www.sageworld.com to get started.
This Month’s PPB
For The Love Of People
If anyone can prove that big success is found in small packages, it’s Danny Friedman, of Northbrook, Illinois, distributorship Added Incentives, Inc. (ADDE0001).
Read More Friedman
Five Minutes With David Usner, Owner And Manager Of Greener Promotions
David Usner’s curriculum vitae doesn’t read like it could belong to just one man. A promotional products distributor since 1981, Usner is also an actor, Amazonian guide and adrenaline junkie (with 500 skydives under his belt).
Read More Usner
The Mighty Pen
Far from becoming obsolete, writing instruments are undergoing a reinvention.
Read More Pens
Contribute To PPAI Publications
Carry Away Clients
Editor’s Picks in May focuses on bags of all forms and functions. Send high-res images and descriptions of your top sellers and fan favorites, including classic styles and of-the-moment designs, to Jen Alexander by March 12.
Creative Collaboration
Artists, designers, photographers and writers need promotions as creative and visionary as the works they produce. Market to Market in May examines the creative services industry; if you have clients in this field and case studies showing how promotional products boosted their business, contact Jen Alexander by March 12. Suppliers, send high-res images and descriptions of products that complement creative services business programs and campaigns.
Who Wants Hoodies And Sweatshirts?
Answer: Everyone. PPB is exploring these promo staples in the May issue. Suppliers: Please submit high-res images and product descriptions of sweatshirts and hoodies for possible inclusion. Distributors: Please submit decoration tips, case studies and questions or tips about this category. Send all materials to Tama Underwood by March 13.
A Distributor Asks: One of our distributor salespeople was previously with one of our competitors. While with our competitor, they submitted artwork to a supplier for an order. After joining our company, they received another order with the same artwork. Who owns the artwork after an order has been placed and paid for, the end customer or the distributor?
What’s Your Answer? Email answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by March 13 for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine.
Need peer advice on a sticky situation? Send your question to Question@ppai.org.
Read the answers to each month’s question here.
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