Valdosta, Georgia-based Fresh Beginnings received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Georgia Women’s Business Council (GWBC), Atlanta, Georgia, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) headquartered in Washington. This recognition as a minority-owned business was awarded following a comprehensive application and certification process. Fresh Beginnings is a top supplier of gourmet food gifts in the promotional products industry. For more than twenty years, Fresh Beginnings has been baking gourmet cookies and handmaking custom chocolate candies. “We are excited about what this certification means to our company. This certification puts us in a unique position for
Read MoreNew Hires for Golden Pacific, Avaline and Image Source
Golden Pacific Brings Three More On Board City of Industry, California-based Golden Pacific is proud to announce the addition of three new employees to its East Coast distribution center in Edison, New Jersey: Don Spencer, account executive, Takaiya Horton-Lewis, graphic designer, and Donna Summerall, customer service representative. In addition, sales manager Craig Ross has transferred from California to the company’s New Jersey office, and Robert Bromberg has been promoted to vice president of east coast operations. For more information on Golden Pacific, visit www.golden-pacific.com Image Source Hires Sheehan as Account Executive Image Source, a full-service merchandise and apparel distributor based in Kirkland, Wash.,
Read MoreSummerall New Talking Head for Motivators
Westbury, New York-based promotional products distributor Motivators Inc. announced the signing of sports broadcaster Pat Summerall as the company’s new spokesperson. Summerall’s well-known voice will be heard addressing customers on the company’s award-winning Web site. Additionally, Summerall will lend his voice to a radio commercial targeting the business community. The decision to sign Summerall was a large step for the company. CEO of Motivators, Ken Laffer, MAS, wanted someone who was synonymous with the qualities the company embodies: quality, dedication, and reliability. Summerall’s successful career as a professional football player and a world-renowned sports broadcaster made him a perfect fit for Motivators. “We are
Read MoreBroder Certification Aids Border Security, Speeds Delivery
BroderBros. Co., a leading distributor of imprintable sportswear and accessories based in Trevose, Pa., announced the company has met the stringent guidelines to receive the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) certification from the U.S. Customs and Borders Protection agency. This enables Broder to not only fully comply and contribute to border security, but also to further bolster the company’s inventory control while speeding delivery. “This certification, while strengthening border security, also allows us to clear goods through customs quickly. This is essential for speedy customer delivery and inventory control,” noted Girisha Chandraraj, vice president, marketing, Broder. The certification entitled Broder to have a
Read MoreTeraco Stirs Sales and Marketing Pot
Stephen Magee, Steve Pruitt and Rachael Martinez assume new responsibilities within the Midland, Texas-based Teraco sales and marketing department. Stephen Magee, former vice president of sales, is now vice president of sales and business development and will assume the responsibilities for Teraco’s southeast region and also focus on various national vertical markets. Steve Pruitt, former vice president of marketing, is now vice president of sales and marketing and will assume the sales management responsibility for all regions excluding the southeast region. Additionally, he will maintain responsibility for marketing. Rachael Martinez, marketing manager, will assume all strategic and tactical responsibilities for Teraco’s marketing efforts. “This
Read MorePEOPLE’S CHOICE
THE INTRICACIES OF English vernacular are, at once, lauded and lamented. American colloquialisms have been known to trip up (often humorously) those who can’t quite navigate their ins and outs. Others, however, delight in the many turns of phrase at their disposal. Take, for instance, the cache of expressions coined to describe what one can do with a hat: keep things under it, throw it in the ring, wear more than one, and so on. And each token saying refers to a different, and markedly non-hat-related, activity. When literally dealing with the item at hand, a similar number of possibilities abound. With countless fabrics,
Read MoreThe Perfect Golf SWING
PERHAPS ONLY NASCAR surpasses golf, the grand old game, as king of sponsorships. Cars seem to be held together more by decals than rivets. Blessedly, though, golf approaches sponsorships with a softer touch than racing. Dale Earnhardt (Junior, to most) may turn laps at Bristol Speedway in his Hendrick Motorsports National Guard/Amp Energy Chevy, but Tiger Woods doesn’t tee off from the 18th at Augusta with his Buick-sponsored Nike Driver brought to you by Gillette. When on a golf course or watching a tournament, one would be hard-pressed to find anything not branded, but the brand somehow always yields to the game. For distributors,
Read MoreFIT FOR THE COURSE
THOSE WHO ARE intimately involved with the complexities of the golf game are generally interested in the latest and greatest golf equipment, including clubs, practice tools, ball markers, golf bags and the like (see page 22). However, when was the last time anyone heard the announcer at a golf tournament highlight a player’s high-tech polo or fancy footwear? Other players in other sports get it. Consider tennis’ famed Williams sisters who gained worldwide acclaim (aside from their wicked backhands) for the more-stylish-than-usual mini skirts and cropped tops they donned during each match. Well, consider this as golf apparel’s runway debut. According to two
Read MoreManifest Destiny
IT’S HARD NOT to detect a sense of pride in the tone of business owners who manufacture domestically. The whole thing can be likened to a proud father announcing the birth of his firstborn son. At this year’s PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, this writer marveled at the countless booths that donned the “Made in the USA” designation. From household items constructed of plastic derived from U.S.-grown corn to U.S.-manufactured T-shirts decorated with crystals, the selections were endless. Then, it suddenly made sense—despite all the hype of overseas manufacturing purported to being the wave of the future, American manufacturing continues to thrive in
Read MoreWITH GREAT RISK COMES GREAT REWARD
STAPLE OF moms and grandmothers everywhere, “Better safe than sorry,” has proven its worth a million times over. It’s self-explanatory—no one’s more sorry than the guy who skipped the precautionary measures. Because, in that context, it usually implies being burnt to a crisp, poked with something sharp or losing an arm /finger/insert appendage here. The adage also rings true when considering the sale of safety items as promotional products. The stakes are understandably higher than those of other categories, and goods that don’t live up to expectations mean customers end up on the wrong side of a close call. On the other hand,
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