Fey Line, Edgerton, Minn., has added territory managers Brenda Banks and Kristina Meulebroeck to its team of sales professionals. “Brenda and Kristina will be strong assets to the Fey Line sales team,” said Mike Fey, vice president of sales. “They both want to support our company’s mission of meeting and exceeding customers’ expectations, and they can’t wait to get to know our customers better.” Banks, who has a strong background in sales and customer service, will be responsible for managing the central United States region. She will be based at company headquarters in Edgerton. Meulebroeck, who was promoted from customer support representative, will manage
Read MoreAloe Up Hires Director of Marketing and Merchandising
Aloe Up Sun & Skin Care Products, Eden Prairie, Minn., has hired Rena Wells as director of marketing and merchandising. With more than 11 years of industry experience as both a supplier and a distributor, Wells will be responsible for generating selling programs and ideas for the company’s top 50 distributors, as well as heading up its marketing efforts. “Rena has many years of experience on the supplier side, as well as the distributor side, so she understands better than anyone I know what distributors need to succeed,” said Tom Whaley, president and CEO. “She is here at Aloe Up to help key distributors
Read MoreSierra Pacific Apparel Group Gives Away Computer Laptop
Houston-based Sierra Pacific Apparel Group awarded a Dell laptop computer to Linda Lough, a Philadelphia-based distributor for iPromoteu, at the Philadelphia ASI trade show this past May. In an effort to promote its FeatherLite Twill, a full-front button-down shirt that is stain-resistant, soil-release and liquid-repellent, as well as cool, comfortable and lightweight, the apparel supplier gave away hundreds of men’s and women’s brilliant green FeatherLite Twill shirts during the show. Recipients were also given a ticket for a chance to win a Dell laptop computer. Lough’s name was announced at Sierra Pacific Apparel Group’s new 20×20′ island booth, which combines its three labels—Sierra
Read MoreSelco Launches New Watch Line
Selco Custom Time, Tulsa, Okla., has teamed with promotional watch industry veteran Steve Soffa to create A*Belle Promotional Time—a new line of promotional watches that will be unveiled in the third quarter of 2006. The line will feature an eclectic mix of high-fashion and cutting-edge watch designs at promotional price points. “It’s an excellent collaboration,” said Mark Abels, president of Selco Custom Time. “Steve brings his extensive experience to this endeavor as well as his aptitude for identifying the hottest and latest trends and styles.” According to Abels, A*Belle Promotional Time watches are strongly influenced by European design trends. “These styles will add a whole new
Read MoreGame Sportswear Hosts Facility Tour
Game Sportswear, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., conducted a tour of its 50,000-sq.-ft. facility and gave a product presentation to more than two dozen New York-metro area distributors, embroiders and sporting goods retailers. “We were overwhelmed by the positive response we received from the attendees and look forward to doing another tour in the near future,” said Rico Genovese, president. Attendees received a complete product line presentation and a tour of the vast warehouse. The event was completed with a tour of the company’s state-of-the-art embellishment department, where its 60-head capacity embroidery equipment and high-quality chenille and tackle twill options were demonstrated.
Read MoreDunbrooke To Launch 2007 Catalog This Fall
Dunbrooke Apparel, Independence, Mo., will distribute its 2007 product catalog during the first week of September to coincide with distributor requests for new product availability prior to the start of the New Year. The products will be available in early August at www.dunbrooke.com. “Reebok Promotional Apparel and new Dunbrooke styles will be featured in the same catalog,” noted Bob Pierce, executive vice president. “Distributors are responding positively to the Reebok line, especially the performance and athletic styles of the PlayDry garments. We are also introducing some very exciting workwear-oriented jackets under the Dunbrooke label, along with some trendy ladies’ styles.” For more
Read More07/06 Nonprofit Intro
When Pat Fisher took over Hartleigh Creations, Northridge, Calif., from her brother, she noticed that the business of working with non-profits was undervalued and some distributors were even afraid of working with them. A 30-year veteran of the non-profit sector, Fisher is making it her mission to unite distributors and suppliers with end-users using a non-profit philosophy. One of Fisher’s ideas is for distributors to focus on cause-related marketing, using a profit-making company’s name to underwrite the cost of a promotional item for a non-profit. “The idea is really to break the barrier of being afraid of working with non-profits because non-profits need marketing material,”
Read MoreMarketing Made Easy
“You’ve got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don’t mess with Mister In-Between.” Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen were on to something when they wrote these timeless lyrics, which, in reality, have applications in all walks of life. Consequently, when it comes to marketing, honing in on the positive aspects of one’s marketing plan, eliminating the excess fat and latching on to affirmative tactics is a sure recipe for success. Promotional Marketing sat down with Bill Schreiber,
Read MoreIf Money’s Tight, It’s All Right
THIS IS AN industry that has something for everyone. There are domestically manufactured goods for the patriotic and outsourced items for the pragmatic; there are T-shirts for the sporty and henleys for the spiffy. Not surprisingly, the industry also caters to customers on a shoe-string budget and those rolling in dough. This month, two suppliers discuss products that are just right for both limited and unlimited budgets. According to Norman Lavine, president of Retrographics Publishing, Cresskill, N.J., costlier or higher-end promotional products should not be evaluated only on price-specific measurements. “High-end should refer to the end result of what you want the recipient to experience
Read MoreJudge Dismisses Norwood Lawsuit Against Beacon Promotions
Judge Michael Davis of the United States District Court in Minneapolis dismissed all counts against Beacon Promotions, New Ulm, Minn., and several of its employees in a two-year old trade secrets/copyright infringement case brought by Indianapolis-based Norwood Promotional Products. The court ruled that none of the information, which Norwood claimed had been misappropriated, qualified for trade-secret protection and that Norwood had failed to demonstrate evidence indicating misconduct on the part of any Beacon employee. Art Olsen, president and CEO of Beacon Promotions, said, “We stated from the onset that the entire case was frivolous and without merit, but unfortunately we had to
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