Timothy James Richardson, my uncle, passed away on Sept. 9, 2016 following a long, 15-month battle with cancer. He was 63 years old. My grandparents raised me, and when I was 16, my uncle came to live with us. Until then, I knew him as Uncle Timmy the doctor—kind of stiff, kind of stern. Over…
Read More
The Democratic National Convention was held here in Philadelphia last month, about 4.5 miles south of Promo Marketing offices. If you were in the city, you could see the convention’s influence everywhere, from the demonstrators to the crowded streets, the rallies to the blocked roadways, the … actually, protests and traffic were all you could…
Read MorePM0716_Top50
Read More
Last month I had the privilege of joining a select group of promotional products professionals in Washington, D.C., for Promotional Product Association International’s (PPAI) Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.). Influential industry members from across the country volunteered their time to head to our nation’s capitol, to raise awareness about our industry and the legislation…
Read MorePromo Marketing’s Top 50 Distributors list is the promotional product industry’s most important distributor recognition. Where did your company rank in 2016?
Read More
As we were preparing our Top Distributors issue, news broke of four major industry shakeups. In the span of two weeks, Ennis announced plans to sell off Alstyle Apparel to an undisclosed buyer (later revealed to be Gildan Activewear), Hanesbrands Inc. acquired Champion Europe and Pacific Brands Limited, Taylor Corp. bought Staples Print Solutions, and private equity…
Read MoreTrade shows are invaluable tools in our industry: They let you see new product, connect with associates, and learn new selling and marketing strategies. The traditional, big industry shows, like PPAI Expo, are great for many reasons and always will be needed. That said,…
Read More
Growing up, there were two types of kids in my school. First, you had the active kids—the students on the school teams, sure, but also boys and girls in the scouts, skateboarders and bikers, the kids who climbed trees, and the kids who just ran in circles until their mothers called them to come home…
Read More
Dov Charney, former CEO of American Apparel, is looking to set up a rival shop in the backyard of the company he founded. Charney has been scouting factory locations around South Central Los Angeles, just a few miles away from American Apparel’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters, according to Bloomberg. The new company, which has not yet been named, will…
Read MoreSometimes, last-minute orders are amazing: those quick turnaround projects mean a quick turnaround on dollars. Most of the time, however, they don’t work out so perfectly, especially when the product isn’t available to ship immediately. It doesn’t matter how much more your customer is willing to pay if the product can’t ship the next day.…
Read More