After more than three decades in the promotional products industry, Jeffrey Nanus has retired.

Nanus was the president of Orangeburg, New York-based supplier AAA Innovations (PPAI 110972, Standard-Plus), which was acquired in April by Sign-Zone, the parent company of Showdown Displays (PPAI 254687, Platinum) – the No. 8 supplier in the PPAI 100.

After spending the Fourth of July weekend with his family, Nanus says he made the decision to step away from promo. “There should be a new voice to lead the company forward,” he told PPAI Media on Thursday after finishing a round of golf. “My family is excited, maybe even more so than I am.”

Nanus purchased AAA Innovations (formerly AAA Umbrella) in 1992, growing the firm from $1 million in revenue to roughly $40 million. “I grew the company the same way that many suppliers and distributors do – by being fortunate enough to hire a bunch of great people to work with,” he says.

Nanus takes great pride in AAA Innovations being ahead of the curve in terms of sustainability.

• He says the company redesigned every one of its products (that it could) to include certified recycled materials without raising prices.

“I learned from clients that everybody loves the idea of doing good for the environment until they hear the cost,” Nanus says. “Well, we sold our eco-friendly products at the same price as non-eco-friendly products. It wasn’t a marketing gimmick for us. It was the legacy that I wanted to leave.”

American Dream

When Sign-Zone acquired AAA Innovations, Nanus was expected to remain with the organization as president. Nonetheless, Sign-Zone CEO John Bruellman supports Nanus’ decision and wishes him all the best.

“I respect the guy like crazy,” Bruellman says. “He’s the classic example of the American dream. He took a company from almost nothing, going through all the typical struggles that an entrepreneur does and grew it into a substantial enterprise. It’s time for him to enjoy the fruits of that.

“Frankly, I’m not sure how well he’ll do in retirement because he’s a very hard worker. We’ll see how well he can relax.”

Bruellman anticipates a seamless transition for customers, as the firms’ factories were integrated following the acquisition. However, AAA Innovations will continue to retain its own brand identity and sales team. Bruellman will oversee Nanus’ direct reports until a successor is named.

“We have some big shoes to fill,” Bruellman says. “I told him, ‘We’ll take care of your baby and hopefully improve upon all the good things you did here’ while continuing to take the business in the right direction.”

Written by: John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI