Midlothian, Texas-based Ennis Inc. is excited to announce the election of Frank D. Bracken to the Ennis board of directors at their recent annual meeting. The 2008 annual meeting was held June 26, 2008 in Midlothian, Texas. Keith S. Walters, Ennis chairman, chief executive officer and president, said, “Frank is an exceptional business leader with a broad understanding of the apparel industry, and his expertise will be invaluable as we expand our apparel operations. We are delighted that Frank has joined the Ennis board.” Bracken was president and chief operating officer of Haggar Clothing Co. from 1994 to 2006. He held various positions with
Read MoreHALO/Lee Wayne’s National Sales Meeting Sets Records
HALO/Lee Wayne, based in Sterling, Ill., set supplier and account executive attendance records at their recently concluded 2008 National Sales Meeting at The Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, California. Over 180 of the industry-leading firm’s top account executives attended the week long event, representing over $90 million in annual sales volume from participants. The meeting featured a trade show with over 120 of the company’s preferred suppliers, combined with two days of preferred supplier small-group training sessions. Set amidst the pristine beauty of Lake Tahoe, evening events included a dinner “sunset cruise” on Lake Tahoe, as well as a closing ceremony in
Read MorePacific Western Acquires Advantage Bag
*Last week, we inadvertently sent out this news item with an incorrect Web site. The accurate address and story is included after the jump.* Pacific Western Sales, based in Brea, Calif., announced the acquisition of Advantage Bag Company of Gaithersburg, Md. The company believes the partnership, which took affect June 30, will allow a majority of its products to be shipped from both the East and West Coast. Larry Angelo will serve as the company’s eastern regional sales manager. Pacific Western further hired two former Advantage Bag members, Pat Haarhoff and Ed Manbeck who will be helping with the transition. Advantage Bag Company
Read MoreIncentive Concepts Announces Brian Rivolta, Vice President Strategic Partnerships
St. Louis, Missouri-based Incentive Concepts LLC, a national premium supplier for the finest in premiums, incentives and corporate gifts, announces Brian Rivolta’s promotion to vice president, strategic partnerships, effective August 1, 2008. Rivolta is responsible for creating and organizing Incentive Concepts’ resources to maximize mutual successes. “Brian is a strategic thinker driven by success, which is evident in his development,” stated Jeff Reinberg, president. Established in 1986, Incentive Concepts delivers the highest quality product, service and value to the premium and incentive industry. Since the early years, Incentive Concepts has enjoyed a continued growth pattern. Incentive Concepts has never lost sight of its entrepreneurial
Read MorePacific Western Acquires Advantage Bag
Pacific Western Sales, based in Brea, Calif., announced the acquisition of Advantage Bag Company of Gaithersburg, Md. The company believes the partnership, which took affect June 30, will allow a majority of its products to be shipped from both the East and West Coast. Larry Angelo will serve as the company’s eastern regional sales manager. Pacific Western further hired two former Advantage Bag members, Pat Haarhoff and Ed Manbeck who will be helping with the transition. Advantage Bag Company pricing will be honored through the remainder of 2008. In addition, the company announced new company hours would be from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Read MorePut On Your Inking Cap
THE OLD ADAGE, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” definitely applies to choosing inks and new special effects for garment imprinting. With literally hundreds of choices and thousands of effects, it can be tempting for distributors to offer end-users a promotion with the latest bit of adornment, simply because they can. However, jumping to use the latest or most novel embellishing method may not lead to the perfect match for a promotion. That is the advice of 20-plus year industry expert Tom Vann, president and CEO of Target Graphics. “Doing special effects for the sake of doing special effects
Read MoreAlstyle To Build New Manufacturing Facility in Mexico
Midlothian, Texas-based Alstyle Apparel & Activewear, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ennis Inc., announced, subject to bank and board approval, a new manufacturing facility will be built in the town of Agua Prieta, in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Agua Prieta is a Mexican border town close to Douglas and Tucson, Arizona. After months of research the town was chosen because it offered a solid employee base, abundant natural resources, favorable climate and access to the North American trade corridor. Eduardo Bours Castelo, governor of the state of Sonora, expressed his commitment and enthusiasm for this new investment. “This new project in
Read MoreGETTING WARMER
WHAT CAN ANYONE say about sweatshirts that hasn’t already been beaten to death? They’re warm, casual and have pretty much maintained status quo since their inception, right? Well, maybe. The developments might not be earth- shattering, but they’ve happened—helping to make the sweatshirt not only an item of utility, but a garment that’s fashionably viable. Here are four new ways to position the sweatshirt as a solid addition to any apparel program. 1) Vintage styling transcends all apparel categories. The concept of “vintage” is very nearly as popular as the ever-salable green phenomenon. Rather unsurprisingly, these little style details are now being seen
Read MoreSlow Economy? Simply Slam-dunk Sales
THE CULTURE OF sport is everywhere. In the boardroom, managers are quarterbacking projects while employees take care of basic blocking and tackling. Good political speeches are home runs and off the field, everyone knows the terms “chip shot” and “gimme.” In light of this, Promo Marketing talked to three industry experts about the state of selling team and sport products with special emphasis on how distributors can continue to prosper with an economy that has lost a step or two. CONTROL THE PACE OF THE GAME Whether it’s grinding out a nine-minute drive before halftime in football or putting pressure on the ball
Read MoreAdvance Honors Wahman, Ball, Others
The Advance Corporation, makers of the Advance Award Line, recently held its 15th annual employee recognition celebration. Among those honored was customer-service manager Debbie Wahman, who was recognized for 30 years of service. Wahman began her career at Advance in the art department and moved through several production departments prior to entering customer service. Sixteen other employees from both the administrative and manufacturing sides of the business were recognized for one, five, 10 and 15 years of service. In addition to the service award presentations, Dan Ball, national accounts manager, was recognized for achieving his CAS designation this past spring after passing the industry
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