The Premier Group, a national organization of independent suppliers and distributors based in Pittsburgh, welcomes a new distributor member, Roberts Advertising Company located in Omaha, Nebraska. President Todd Roberts manages the 54-year-old distributor company. “We at Roberts are very excited about the new partnership with Premier Group,” said Todd. “Our goal was to find a promotional network that would emulate our own work ethics and Premier seemed to be the best fit.” The Premier Group now includes 53 distributor companies across the nation and 41 preferred suppliers representing exclusive categories in the Premier Group’s 208-page catalog. Dan Weisberg, Premier Group
Read MoreIt’s All Gold For Senator Pen
Greensboro, North Carolina-based Senator Pen won the prestigious 2008 Suppliers Golden Achievement Award from Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the promotional marketing industry’s largest organization. Senator won in the Most Beneficial Sales Kit category for their “Top Secret” promotional sales kit. The PPAI Suppliers Golden Achievement Awards are given each year to distinguished suppliers for craftsmanship, creativity and graphic arts. The Top Secret sales kit was the brainchild of Jill Randolph, product marketing manager for Senator, and was designed for the company’s top distributors. It features a sleek, mailable sample tin, simply marked on the outside with the Senator Logo and the words “TOP
Read MoreHarco Announces Use of Biodegradable Plastic
Harco Enterprises Ltd., based in Peterborough Ontario since 1964, is pleased to be on the leading edge of Canadian-based manufacturers to venture into the areas of a viable alternative for conventional oil-based plastics with a new bio-plastic product. Harco has been working to research all of the elements that are required to undertake such a project. They have considered the supply-and-demand aspects; as well as the marketing approach to bring this product to market. Harco started offering its biodegradable plastic as an economically viable alternative to traditional plastic in their production process, to their existing client base in December of
Read MoreBalloon House Buys Advertisemints Assets
Lynn and Brenda Griebahn of West Branch, Iowa have purchased the assets of Advertisemints from Dipcraft Manufacturing of Raddock, Pa. Advertisemints custom packages and prints individual pieces of candy for promotions. Mike Tobias and Laurel Radvusky of Dipcraft Manufacturing operated Advertisemints since 1992. The new business will operate under the name Advertisemints Inc. and will package custom-printed mints in West Branch. The new company will be operated by Zachary Griebahn. The Griebahns acquired all equipment, customer logos and plates as well as the federal trademark “Advertismints.” Lynn and Brenda Griebahn have been serving the ad specialty distributors for 22 years and operate
Read MoreTypeTogether Announces New Business Unit Now Offering Custom Font Design
TypeTogether, an independent type foundry created by designers Veronika Burian and Jose Scaglione and based in Rosario, Argentina, announced a new business unit—Custom Font Design. The new unit will focus on custom, or tailored, font design for editorial and marketing use. “Our main interest is in finding innovative and stylish solutions to old problems for the professional market of text typefaces, with a focus on editorial use,” explained Scaglione. “Corporate branding and media companies require creativity in their fonts, with a heavy focus on legibility. This is where we see the greatest challenges, creating typefaces that perform well in continuous reading,
Read MoreWords To Live By
I admit it, I love the man! At least I love those inspirational e-mails he sends out every week or so. Hi, Charley Johnson from SnugZ USA (I told him I would be blogging about him this week). Some of you may be receiving Charley’s e-mails. Don’t you just love them?
Well, the thing is, you can’t send a “self-help, live-your-best-life, seize-your-destiny” fiend thought-provoking, potentially life-altering quotations and not expect her to go bonkers!
I met Charley face-to-face for the first time at the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas. (It’s important that I specified “face-to-face” because we had been e-pals of sorts
Read MoreThe Hat-Pak
No, this isn’t an updated version of Sammy and Frank’s bunch (Brat Pack for the younger readers), just a new product I happen to like. After finally having some time to sit down and go through business cards, contacts and products from the Las Vegas PPAI show, I came across the Hat-Pak sample I received. Just one of many diverse and unique new products, I might add.
I think one of my most enjoyable conversations came in the final hours of the show. Thinking that I’d seen it all and done it all over the first three days, I
Model Tee
Ever since I was a gawky teenager, it was clear that my arms and legs were just going to grow on their own, unhindered by the fact that the rest of me wasn’t exactly catching up. It’s okay. I’ve made peace with my wingspan. However, finding long-sleeve shirts that are actually long enough to compensate for my affliction is quite another story.
It’s not like long-sleeve shirts for mere mortals are THAT much shorter on me, but most hit an awkward point on my arm—not quite three-quarter length, yet still stopping short of my wrist. I’ve obviously put a lot of thought into
Read MoreRandom Ramblings
This blog is being written LIVE from the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas!
There’s so much to blog about, like the “Miss America” actresses that hoover outside the exhibit entrances (complete with red, slinky evening gowns and bejeweled crowns) directing conventioneers to a prominent apparel supplier’s booth to redeem a free shirt or the (little, old) lady that guards usage of the computers in the Internet Cafe like an angry hawk. Ahhh, sorry readers, but I’ve opted to take the high road and will instead highlight a selection of products in the famed New Product Pavilion. Perhaps, this is a topic more befitting of
Live from Las Vegas
8:37a.m. — Bright and early, here’s your loyal correspondent, blogging live from the PPAI Fashion & Accessories Show. Despite its 8:30 a.m. starting time, there’s a more-than-adequate turnout, though according to a few of my row companions, it’s considerably less than years past. The coffee hasn’t yet dispersed through my system, and I can kind of see how this could be that much more fun with cocktails instead.
8:41 — The lights dim 10 minutes late, and I can’t help but think of Marc Jacobs’ two-hours-overdue N.Y. Fashion Week opening. Good to know our industry can keep “fashionably late” from approaching diva-like proportions!
8:43