After two consecutive years of being held in a virtual format, the Leadership Development Workshop (LDW), hosted by PPAI and the Regional Relations Council (RRC), returned to Grapevine, Texas Tuesday for a live, in-person event to bring together regional association leadership.

This week marks the 23rd year of LDW fostering relationships among regional associations.

“Everyone’s excited to be back on site in-person again and to be able to see each other face-to-face,” says Jill Begun, PPAI’s professional development manager. “Everyone was ready to come.”

While the event, held at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, took on a traditional conference format on Tuesday and continues Wednesday with roundtables, breakout sessions and guest speakers tackling specific topics, Monday’s registration was followed by a three-hour roundtable training session held for regional executive directors only.

This session was an informal but fairly exhaustive informational session going over topics that executive directors of regional associations confront routinely. Bob McLean, chief financial officer of Axiom Plus and former vice president of PPAI, joined the roundtable to go over tax requirements, allowing each executive director in the room to ask follow-up questions and clarifications.

“It is vital to the executive director community to have this time to talk and share ideas,” says Sue Selseth, executive director of the Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Products (UMAPP). “This is how we learn things. We work so independently. We don’t have IT departments. We don’t always have co-workers to ask for advice, so this is where we learn from each other.”

Executive directors from New England to California and regions everywhere in-between are using the week’s training sessions to discuss hyper specific logistical issues and broad practical concerns that allow for both comparing of methods and expert advice. 

“This is the only opportunity we have all year long to all be in one room and idea share,” says Cassondra Franze, executive director of Promotional Products Association Southwest (PPAS). 

The Executive Director Roundtable Session was followed by an opening dinner attended by the PPAI Board of Directors and staff. LDW continues Tuesday and Wednesday with guest speakers and roundtable sessions tackling many of the core issues that PPAI believes the promotional products industry should remain focused on, including corporate social responsibility and digital transformation.

“It’s a wide variety of topics,” Begun says. “Everything from legal guidelines to best practices for digital marketing. It’s going over Promotional Products Work and sustainable practices. It’s kind of encompassing everything.”

Between those educational sessions and during lunches and dinners, however, regional association executive directors will continue to take advantage of the in-person networking opportunities, according to Franze.

“The best part of LDW is all the side conversations and all the networking that happens outside of the education,” Franze says.

Polyconcept North America (PCNA) is excited to announce a new partnership with SONY, offering three of the iconic brand’s most popular portable speakers – just in time for gift season. With the addition of SONY, PCNA strengthens its industry-leading lineup of over 50 retail brands.

“SONY has unmatched brand recognition around the globe, with a history of innovation and product excellence spanning many generations,” says Mindy Hoffmann, PCNA Senior Category Director. “We’re committed to offering the best assortment of technology and electronics brands, and SONY gives distributors a valuable new option within our portfolio of premium portable speakers.”

SONY believes PCNA is an ideal partner for the promotional products channel.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our new relationship with PCNA,” says Shelly Colla, SONY National Sales Manager-Premium Incentive & Military. “As the world’s leading consumer electronics brand, we wanted to partner with one of the world’s top promotional products suppliers. We trust PCNA to provide high-quality customization of our products and quickly deliver orders to distributors and their customers.”

PCNA is offering three popular portable Bluetooth® speakers, all with EXTRA BASS™ technology for powerful sound, as well as an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating – an essential feature given the trend of people spending more time outdoors.

Hoffmann adds that SONY also gives distributors the ability to serve another big trend: retail brands.

“The trend in corporate gift-giving has clearly shifted toward well-made, premium-quality products, even at slightly higher price points,” Hoffmann says. “Choosing these types of gifts – gifts people would buy for themselves – creates a real connection that’s well worth it.”

SONY will be part of ProudPath™, the PCNA platform that helps distributors meet their customers’ environmental and social responsibility objectives. Through its Green Management 2025 initiative, SONY has clearly defined sustainability targets for reducing its environmental footprint by 2025, with the ultimate goal of a zero environmental footprint.

“We’ve made a commitment to only partner with retail brands that share our commitment to environmental and social responsibility,” Hoffmann says. “This is just one more way that SONY is a perfect fit, and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with them.”

Hurricane Ian struck western Cuba this morning and is on a path to reach Florida soon. The storm is currently a Category 3 hurricane – meaning continuous winds between 111-129 mph – and has put approximately8 million people in western and central Florida under a hurricane watch.

Promo industry companies in the affected area are battening down to protect their employees and property, temporarily suspending some operations until it passes.

The Storm

Ian is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The storm is forecast reach Florida as a Category 3, but intensity, timing and its track remain subject to change.

Currently, about 2.5 million Floridians are under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders. Additionally, tornado watches have been issued in parts of South Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Key West, until Tuesday evening.

An Industry Prepares

Preparing for the disruption of the storm, Hit Promotional Products has announced that it is anticipating some staffing and shipping limitations. The St. Petersburg-based supplier is temporarily suspending its operations on September 28-29. Its 24-hour service is suspended effective immediately and until further notice, and an additional two-to-three business days of production time will be added to its standard service. The company will release further updates should the situation change.

The Tampa Bay area is home to several industry suppliers. Koozie Group has already announced that due to Hurricane Ian, it is extending its production times temporarily by three business days and will suspend 24-hour service on pens and drinkware. Industry companies also potentially in the storm’s path include Gempire, Lorente and MP Direct, among others.

Shipping through and from Florida may be impacted by Hurricane Ian. Both UPS and Fedex have updated their service alert pages with new information on the storm’s effects.

Industry companies affected by Hurricane Ian can share any service changes or outages with PPAI and the promotional products industry.

Suppliers, reps and business services providers can login to my.ppai.org and update their status at any time. For a full listing of companies that have shared the effects of the storm, click here.

PPAI has announced the recipients of its 2023 Icon Awards – PPAI Hall of Fame inductees Carol D. Aastad, MAS, and Mary Ellen Sokalski, MAS; PPAI Distinguished Service Award recipient Roger Burnett, CAS, and PPAI H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award recipient Danny Rosin, CAS. These awards celebrate the accomplishments of those who have gone above and beyond in service to the promotional products industry, the Association and their communities.

Recipients of the Association’s most prestigious awards will be recognized at the Chair’s Leadership Dinner at The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, on Monday, January 9, 2023, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The PPAI Hall Of Fame

Celebrating individuals who have demonstrated monumental and selfless efforts and devotion to the promo industry, induction into the PPAI Hall of Fame gives permanent recognition to those whose creative spark and tireless dedication have helped the Association and industry prosper.

Aastad retired from Geiger, where she served as division manager, in 2008. She began her 29-year career in the promotional products industry at Ben Davis Advertising Delaware as a salesperson, before founding her own company, Harlan & Davis, Inc. in 1982. Prior to joining Geiger in 2006, she served as vice president and general manager of Forrester-Smith, Inc.

A frequent volunteer in the industry and her community, Aastad joined the PPAI Board of Directors in 2001 and served as its chair in 2004. While chair, she was part of the original group of women who conceived and championed the creation of the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference. In 2009, Aastad was presented with both the PPAI Woman of Achievement and the PPAI Distinguish Service Awards, and in 2016, she was named a PPAI Fellow.

“I was privileged to work alongside Carol for over a decade,” says Jo-an Lantz, MAS, Geiger president and CEO, and Aastad’s nominator. “Carol is a true leader. She is hard working, empathetic, smart, effective, focused on outcomes, fun, creative, curious and a mentor.

“Eventually Carol retired, only to focus her time and attention on becoming an advocate for children in the foster care environment. This isn’t easy. Helping children, many who have lived a life of neglect, all with uncertainty, is daunting. Carol became passionate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. All of which exemplify the qualities of a PPAI Hall of Famer.”

Sokalski has been a part of the promotional products community since 1981. She joined the industry with ASI as a copywriter, and by the end of her 16-year tenure served as its director of marketing advertising. She then spent another 16 years with Bodek & Rhodes as director of marketing communications. After Bodek & Rhodes’ acquisition in 2014, she founded the Scarlett Marketeer agency to offer creative services to distributors, suppliers and other businesses without an in-house marketing department.

A strong advocate for education within the industry, Sokalski has been a frequent and passionate speaker at PPAI events. She has led numerous volunteer committees and served on the PPAI board in 2001-2005. Sokalski received the PPAI Distinguished Service Award in 2008, the PPAI Woman of Achievement Award in 2018 and was named a PPAI Fellow in 2016.

“For 15-plus years, Mary Ellen was my boss at Bodek and Rhodes and she was not like any other professional I ever met,” says Julie Heller, now of Geiger and Sokalski’s nominator. “She educated the entire company about how different this industry was and I watched her teach both practitioners and volunteers on how to help the industry better understand itself, its buyers, and the art of effective out-of-the-box marketing.

“She was also vigilant about volunteering and actively recruited others to give back as well. She was the pebble that started hundreds of ripples in the volunteer pond for more than 40 years.”

The PPAI Distinguished Service Award

The annual PPAI Distinguished Service Award is presented to Association members who consistently contribute their skills and expertise toward the betterment of the organization. Through volunteer service or by offering their leadership to PPAI, these are members who have generously given the gift of their energy, time and enthusiasm.

Burnett, founder of Social Good Promotions in Sandusky, Ohio, has been an advocate for and volunteer and educator in the promotional products industry for more than a decade. He was a long-time volunteer with the Regional Association Council, a Legislative Education and Action Day participant on Capitol Hill and at the state level in Lansing with L.E.A.D. Local, and a frequent speaker at PPAI and regional events.

Burnett is also a “Founding Chef” of PromoKitchen, a 501c3 non-profit and all-volunteer platform for education and mentorship in the promotional products industry. In 2018, he founded PromoCares, a volunteer initiative to lift up and recognize companies in the promo marketplace that use their businesses for social good. In 2016, Burnett was named a PPAI Fellow and 2018 was recognized as the PPAI RAC Volunteer of the Year Award recipient.

“Roger has been a willing and tireless contributor to initiatives meant to make our marketplace better,
stronger and capable of competing with the best our competition has to offer,” says Rosin, Burnett’s nominator. “In standing up for our efforts to be seen as a worthy marketing investment, he brings passion, creativity and a strong vision to execute on what needs to be done today while keeping a healthy eye on the future.

“His efforts have inspired countless others to action, and his willingness to stay ahead of topics gives us all the opportunity to learn from those efforts.”

PPAI H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award Recipient

The PPAI H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award, named after the late H. Ted Olson, MAS, PPAI president emeritus, represents what Olson stood for – volunteerism inside and outside of the promotional products industry.

Rosin, co-president and co-owner of Raleigh, North Carolina, distributor Brand Fuel, has worked in the promotional products industry for more than 30 years and in that time has been an active volunteer. He has been a speaker and panelist at numerous industry events, served on several PPAI volunteer committees and sat on the Association’s board in 2017-2021. He is also a PromoKitchen founding chef.

Rosin has lent his energies to several efforts, in and outside the promotional products industry, to improve communities nation-wide. In 2001, he co-founded Band Together NC, a 501c3 volunteer-driven non-profit whose mission is to use live music as a platform for social change. Band Together puts on the Southeast’s largest music event for charity and has so far donated more than $11 million to local causes in the Raleigh-Durham area. In 2019, he became an executive board member of A Place At The Table, a pay-it-forward nonprofit café that provides community and good food for all, regardless of means.

Within the promotional products industry, Rosin is a co-founder and board member of PromoCares, and a co-founder of Reciprocity Road, an industry buyer’s group representing $220 million in spending with a 1.5% rebate going to the Promotional Products Education Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network.

“Danny Rosin is a tireless connector, an experimenter, a dreamer, community leader and entrepreneur,” says Burnett, Rosin’s nominator. “His work has helped countless people and brands realize higher aspirations that will have positive and sustainable impact on both for profit and nonprofit organizations.

“He is a rising-tide-lifts-all-promo-products kind of leader. He is a true force when it comes to mattering and impact. He finds what matters and connect the dots with success through impact through the industry, the staff, the suppliers, the customers – the community.”

Distributor Geiger, headquartered in Lewiston, Maine, has named industry veteran Mark Jenkins, MAS+, as the company’s new regional vice president of the Midwest.

Jenkins comes to Geiger from Pioneer Balloon, where he served as managing director of promotional markets for the Wichita, Kansas-based supplier. He is also an active industry volunteer, serving on numerous PPAI committees and the Association’s board of directors, including a term as board chair in 2014.

“Mark’s 20-plus years of leadership experience coupled with his extensive industry relationships will provide immediate value to our sales partners and clients alike,” says Chris McKee, chief revenue officer. “We’ve worked with Mark for most of his career in various roles and his professionalism is unmatched. We are thrilled that Mark will join our industry leading team of regional vice presidents.”

Jenkins says, “I have experienced Geiger’s incredible reach nationally and even Internationally for decades now. Born and always based in the Midwest, I feel both Geiger and I are in the right place at the right time to grow our business here.”

Speaking on his new role at Geiger with PPAI Media, Jenkins expanded on the long history of positive experiences with the distributor that drew him to the company.

“Geiger has been my favorite customer for many years,” Jenkins says. “I look forward to working directly with our sales partners, management and associates. My favorite experiences in the past years as a supplier have been when I’ve had the occasional opportunities to work closer with the end-users and clients. Being this much closer to those marketers and buyers and an unending choice of products and solutions is very exciting for me.

Coming into the role, Jenkin’s focus will be on getting to know the company’s sales partners and learning more about their businesses and clients. He says, “Of course, we are entering a very busy time for orders and purchasing, so I will be lending my support to get our sales partners what they need to service their clients and finish up the year strong.”

The Michigan-based supplier, which specializes in uniforms, is naming Jose Gomez its president and CEO.

An 11-year veteran at Edwards Garment Company (PPAI 198530, S11), Gomez has been serving as the supplier’s president since July 2021.

The move establishes Gomez as the permanent leader for the company amid the continuing retirement transition for Gary Schultz, who had kept the CEO title over the past 14 months, but now becomes the chairman at Edwards. Schultz has led the company for more than 20 years.

Gomez says, "I am excited to lead our already very successful teams in the U.S. and Canada, and to continue growing our presence and brands while staying true to our key values of providing great product and great services to our customers."

Gomez joined Edwards in 2011 as its vice president of sourcing and operations. He transitioned to a senior operations VP role in early 2019, overseeing the company’s supply chain teams. He had previously been the director of sourcing at Georgia-based supplier Alternative Apparel.

What They’re Saying

• In May, EdwardsX announced a hire to help backfill Gomez’s promotion, naming operations and supply chain expert Max Feldman a vice president.

• Privately held and family owned since 1867, Edwards is a full-service provider of uniform program solutions.

• Its top markets for corporate uniforms include culinary, suiting, hospitality and security

“The Board of Directors recognizes Jose’s leadership helped Edwards serve customers well the past year,” Schultz says. “His vision for the company will help assure being able to respond to market changes and customer needs. With him as CEO, the future looks very bright.”

A statement from the company explains that Gomez’s vision is already creating results, with Edwards on pace for a “record-shattering” year in 2022 for both its ready-to-ship and EdwardsX (custom apparel) divisions.

When announcing the promotion of Gomez to president in 2021, Schultz cited his knowledge of the apparel business, including insider knowledge and experience, along with the capacity of his tenure at the company to preserve its culture.

The Company

With Gomez already entrenched as president, Edwards last fall completed the rebranding of Bishop Custom Clothing to create its EdwardsX brand following the acquisition of Bishop in 2019.

“Throughout these past two years, the leadership team began merging services to take full advantage of the many synergies between the two organizations,” Gomez said then. “It was time to complete the integration with a fresh rebrand of this great team.”

Oshkosh-based promotional products retailer 4imprint, Inc., has been named to the PEOPLE Companies that Care 2022 list. The Companies that Care list recognizes 100 companies nationwide for developing cultures of caring for employees, communities and the environment.

“It's about understanding the real needs of your people, of your community and of the world—and showing up in ways that make a meaningful impact. These companies make that kind of caring for people, and even the environment, part of their daily fabric.”

Organizations on the Companies that Care list are selected by Great Place to Work®. Nominations are based on results from more than one million employee surveys that ask questions about workplace respect, innovation, communication, engagement and more.

“To earn a second nomination to PEOPLE Companies that Care is an honor we would not be able to enjoy without each person on our staff,” said Kevin Lyons-Tarr, CEO, 4imprint. “Our team continues to create a culture of respect and fairness, and that makes a real difference.”

Companies that care about their employees are named to the list based on the Great Place to Work assessment on how fairly employees are treated and how well they create a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is. Only companies earning Great Place to Work certification are eligible for consideration.

“Caring isn't about being ‘nice,’” said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place to Work. “It's about understanding the real needs of your people, of your community and of the world—and showing up in ways that make a meaningful impact. These companies make that kind of caring for people, and even the environment, part of their daily fabric.”

In March, the near-70-year-old distributor Jack Nadel International (PPAI 107145, D12) announced that it was rebranding as, simply, Nadel. Six months on, PPAI Media has checked in with Nadel to learn more about the rebranding, the thinking behind it and how the transition has gone.

At the time of the rebranding, the company – headquartered in Los Angeles and with offices around the world – said the new name reflected its evolution from a promotional marketing firm to a complete, in-house agency of talent and brand promotion. It noted that as the world is changing, Nadel was changing to stay ahead of the industry and influence its direction.

“We are the same company meeting the needs of a changing industry,” says Debbie Abergel, Nadel’s chief strategy officer. “Branded merchandise has evolved and we are pleased to have a hand in that evolution. We believe in the power of connections through branded merchandise. It used to be about positioning the merchandise, now it’s about sharing your story – culture, ethics, sustainability, community, financials, etc.”

Founded in 1953, Nadel has grown from offering branded merchandise to custom product development, digital storefronts, fulfillment, global distribution and other services, and counts companies like Meta, Netflix and Tesla among its clients.

The refreshed brand includes a redesigned website and updated social media presence to go along with the streamlined name. Abergel stresses that what hasn’t changed is the company’s approach to the market. She says, “We are in the same space, same values, same service and quality we have offered for over 60 years. What is new is sharing a bit of our secret sauce and transparency with clients. Letting them see what it takes to execute their needs has been rewarding.”

Nadel partnered with Ludlow Kingsley, a boutique branding agency also based in Los Angeles, for the project. Bringing a third-party in provided a fresh perspective on the company’s work to deliver its brand promise to clients, vendors and employees.

“This was the most important aspect of the rebrand,” says Abergel. “During the process we poured over all types of marketing collateral, yearbooks, newsletters for the past 60-plus years – what you see in the rebrand is what has been consistent with Nadel since the late ’50s. A dedication to our craft and our culture. We used this base at various times over the past 60 years to meet changes in the branded merchandise space and in the world. We believe staying true to our culture and creativity will ensure our future.”

The company sought feedback from both within and outside the organization during the branding process. Accurately reflecting the internal voice was of paramount importance.

“The year before rolling out the new look, we really wanted to connect with our people on what does it mean to work and be a part of Nadel,” Abergel says. “Our goal throughout this rebrand journey was to make sure that each employee was a part of the process. The next group was our vendors and then last were clients. Our employees are the stewards of the rebrand. Their acceptance and adherence without mandates from leadership has been the reward.”

And the rebranding has been invigorating within the company. Abergel says, “The way we rolled out the brand is important, and we have a new look that feels so good to us all. My co-workers love wearing and carrying Nadel branded merchandise. It’s a beautiful thing. I think the reason they do is that they are proud for what Nadel stands for. There is deep pride and ownership for this company amongst our people .”

American Solutions for Business is excited to welcome Steffany Rivera as the organization’s new Marketing Specialist & Graphic Designer. Located near Houston, Texas, Steffany will be a remote team member and is tasked with creating marketing content, tools and resources for ASB sales associates to successfully market to their end user buyers.

Steffany began her work in the industry as Marketing Manager of KTI Promo, a promotional vendor that works closely with American. The shift from supplier to distributor is Steffany is excited to make.

Steffany explains, “I am excited to join American Solutions for Business because the way I live aligns 100% with the way ASB operates: family, relationships, and community. Working for the distributor side will be an adjustment, but I plan to advocate for the suppliers and serve as a liaison to American sales associates.”

“We’re so happy to welcome Steffany to our team and ASB family,” expressed Director of Marketing, Events & PR, Taylor Borst. “I’m confident she has the talent and passion to be successful here and will create valuable content and resources to help our salespeople succeed.”

Kara Keister, MAS, who holds the title of “Promise Keeper” at her Ohio-based distributorship Social Good Promotions (PPAI 758284, D1), has been appointed as the Regional Relations Committee (RRC) delegate to the PPAI Board of Directors.

Keister began her career in promotional products 12 years ago in distributor sales, working at City Apparel for over eight years as a corporate image and sales consultant. “My role allowed me to use my marketing background and love of all things brand to become a top-level salesperson within the company and eventually birth and grow Social Good Promotions,” Keister says.

Keister will replace Lindsey Davis, MAS, who filled the position from January 2021 until joining PPAI’s staff as the Association’s Promotional Products Work manager in July. Keister will fill Davis’ unexpired term, set to conclude in January 2023.

“I am so happy to hear Kara will be joining the PPAI Board as the RRC Delegate,” Davis says of her successor. “In my time working with her I’ve always been impressed by her passion for all that she does, her brilliant mind and her drive to make great things happen.”

Keister’s predecessor in the regional delegate role, Davis came from the supplier side of the industry, having worked in promotional sales at Raining Rose, but the new RRC Delegate brings a small business perspective to the board.

Social Good Promotions does not operate at the scale of the industry’s largest distributors, but as its name implies, the company puts a priority on direct community investment, financial contributions to the causes its employees believe in and increased supply chain transparency. The company’s ideal clients “are in search of greater meaning for the dollars they spend and non-profits wanting to better communicate the value they present to their communities,” it says on its website.

“Kara’s experience and passion for the regional community will be very valuable to the PPAI Board of Directors,” says Dawn Olds, MAS, PPAI board chair and senior vice president of industry relations and DEI at HALO. “I sincerely appreciate her willingness to serve the industry at a broader level and am looking forward to working with her."

Social Good Promotions has received PPAI Silver Pyramid Awards in the Social Responsibility Program category and Digital Self-Promotion category. Keister was named to the PPAI Rising Stars list in 2021.

“I have survived injuries, breast cancer and mental hurdles, all while advancing my career and building a successful small business,” Keister says. “I attribute that survival to my tribe, my amazing support system and my work ethic.”

As the new RRC delegate, Keister will bring the PPAI Board of Directors the perspective of a young company, a small business and a CSR-focused organization; all of which make up a large and growing number of companies PPAI is built to serve.

“My passion is for education, advocacy and volunteerism for the promotional products industry and organizations close to my heart like the Special Olympics, local schools and leadership programs for youth.

“Volunteerism is in my blood. I’ve been volunteering in various capacities most of my life, and when the opportunity came for me to serve at the regional board level, I jumped at it…. Moving through the Regional Association Council and participating in the formation of the Regional Relations Committee has further solidified my love for the industry and its members, and I look forward to continuing to serve.”  

Also this week, voting for the PPAI Board of Directors election slate continues. Nominated for terms to begin in January 2023 and expire in 2027 are Dan Pantano of alphabroder|Prime Line and Joshua White of BAMKO. Voting ends September 6.