Cleveland-based Proforma, a leading North American provider of graphic communications solutions, announced it welcomed nine new owners to its network. The following new owners joined the Proforma network: · Todd Smith, Proforma Friel J. Smith Advertising, Sioux Falls, S.D. · Terry Henson, Proforma Trend, Yucaipa, Calif. · Rob Ayers, Proforma Corporate Images, Daytona Beach, Fla. · Lynne and Jim Young, Proforma Multi-Media Marketing, Pittsburgh · David Szidik, Proforma Infinite Marketing Solutions, Grand Rapids, Mich. · Cheryl and Michael Prillaman, Proforma
Read MoreVantage Adds Digital Print Services to West Coast Facility
Avenel, New Jersey-based Vantage Apparel, a manufacturer and decorator of logo apparel, announced it has added digital printing services to its West Coast embroidery facility located in Santa Ana, Calif. Digital printing, also referred to as direct-to-garment printing, is an eco-friendly, water-based process that prints from a computer file directly onto a garment resulting in a soft, slightly washed-down design. Digital printing is a viable option for low-quantity orders as well as multicolored or photo-realistic designs. About Vantage Apparel: Vantage Apparel operates contract embroidery facilities in Santa Ana, Calif.; St. Louis; Niles, Ill. and Avenel, N.J. For more information on Vantage
Read MorePère de Temps Adds Retail Appeal
Santa Susana, California-based Père de Temps, a luxury watch brand, will be debuting the brand at two of the top retail marketplaces this November. November 13 and 14, Père de Temps will launch its brand at Bloomingdales stores in Boston and San Francisco. In addition, this November, Père de Temps will be making its debut at seven Canadian Zales Jewelry locations, with plans to introduce its products in U.S. Zales stores in early 2009. Père de Temps is a elegant, luxury watch line, with pieces that have fully automatic, self-winding mechanisms and see-through skeletal views of the inner movements patterned after European designs, selling
Read MoreAIA Hires Iott, Promotes Kollman
Neenah, Wisconsin-based Adventures In Advertising (AIA) announced it has hired Greg Iott as vice president of marketing services. His role brings together management of the entire portfolio of products and services AIA provides to franchise owners and sales affiliates. Iott has more than 25 years of senior management experience ,including vice president of marketing and vice president of business development at Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based distributor 4imprint, and most recently, as market segment vice president at major printer Banta Corporation, now part of R. R. Donnelley. In other news, 13-year industry veteran Rebecca Kollmann, MAS, has been promoted to the newly created role of director of
Read MoreClegg Industries is Now CleggPromo
In an effort to be more consistent with its product line and the marketplace it serves, Clegg Industries announced it has changed its name to CleggPromo. The Los Angeles-based supplier of sound, light and fun promotional products is relaunching its brand in tandem with a significant introduction of new product lines, and as part of an overall effort to better reflect the marketplace it serves. For more information on CleggPromo, visit www.cleggpromo.com
Read MoreForbes names Ennis to Best Small Companies List
Midlothian, Texas-based Ennis Inc. announced it is listed among Forbes magazine “200 Best Small Companies” for 2008. Ennis ranked 134th on this year’s list. Ennis has been named to the Forbes list for six of the last seven years and for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. The list is comprised of publicly traded companies with $5 million to $750 million in sales for the previous year. All companies appearing on the list must meet the magazine’s criterion, which requires them to be profitable, earning a minimum of five percent net margin and have a five-year average return on equity of five percent
Read MoreFlowers Communications Adds Two Executive Posts
Chicago-based Flowers Communications Group (FCG), the top-rated, Chicago-based PR agency specializing in award-winning multicultural integrated marketing communications, welcomed back into the fold Rashada Whitehead as senior vice president and managing director. Whitehead, returning to FCG after nearly four years with Chicago’s GolinHarris agency, was responsible for helping to lead brand strategy and account management for the McDonald’s Corp. global and U.S. business efforts, notably its sponsorship activation of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In her previous capacity with FCG, she helped manage and lead a host of agency accounts, among them Lawry’s Foods, Miller Brewing Co., Merisant/Equal Sweetener, Washington Mutual Bank
Read MoreGo Ballistic
Here’s a little news you can use: A few months ago, London retail giant Harrods began selling a new line of bulletproof clothing from designer Miguel Caballero. Talk about performance benefits! Move over, moisture-wicking. This is so James Bond.
It can resist Uzi shots. I have nothing more to say about that special feature, other than to emphasize: It can resist Uzi shots.
The catch? The polo costs $12,000. But something tells me that if you’re in the position to be shot at more than once—predicaments which would necessitate the use of a bulletproof polo shirt—it might be worth it. Think price-per-wear.
Read MoreMake Mine a BPA
Like lead before it (and we all know how that turned out), bisphenol A is taking its turn in the spotlight, decked out in misinformation and escorted by ongoing controversy. Welcome to the party.
Before last week, it would seem the FDA had pretty much put this one to rest. But it didn’t really go away. In fact, it was really only a matter of time before someone brought this up again, and courtesy of The Washington Post, bring it up they did. Though I realize that, as a reporter, I “dig” for a living, it doesn’t take a backhoe to unearth that the
Has the Recession Arrived?
Whichever candidate comes out on top of the electoral college today, (and not the popular vote) he may just be inheriting a full-blown recession in addition to two wars and several other national security issues. According to the National Association for Business as reported in BusinessWeek, demand—as in supply and demand—is on the downturn for the first time since 2001. And that might just be the one defining factor when taking in the current economic reality:
From BusinessWeek:
“U.S. business conditions worsened in the third quarter and are likely to deteriorate further, according to an industry study released Monday.
The National Association