News

SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing, and business management solutions for the promotional products industry, proudly announces the launch of its latest updates, set to revolutionize the way users design and implement their customer’s branding through the Virtual Design Studio. With a focus on versatility and innovation, these new additions empower users to push the boundaries of their imagination and inspire their customers.

The Virtual Design Studio in SAGE Total Access allows distributor users to create virtual samples for their customers using their brand colors, logo, and messaging. Additionally, distributors with a SAGE Website can offer their clients the same easy-to-use experience, enabling their website visitors to create their own virtual samples. Distributor users can also utilize the Virtual Design Studio directly on supplier websites if they have a SAGE Website or if they have the sampling tool integrated on their site. The ability to create custom virtual samples not only allows distributors to help their customer better visualize what their final product will look like, but also to inspire their customers with a visual representation of the numerous promotional opportunities available to them.

One of the most eagerly anticipated updates is the introduction of the new curved text function. Now, users can effortlessly add curved text up to a full circle, opening up a world of possibilities for creating captivating logos and custom designs.

Additionally, the Virtual Design Studio now puts the power of customization directly into the hands of its users with the ability to design their own paths for text. Whether it's following the contours of a logo or creating unique typographic compositions, the ability to apply text to freeform paths and modify their curves enables users to bring their vision to life with unparalleled precision and creativity. The option to save custom shapes for future use further streamlines the design process, ensuring efficiency and flexibility in every project.

In response to user feedback and evolving design trends, SAGE has also introduced the new brand colors feature as part of the color picker in the Virtual Design Studio. This enhancement automatically supplies the brand colors for any logo in addition to the standard color options to pick from when choosing a design color. This feature simplifies the process of matching HEX and PMS colors across products and designs, ensuring consistency and cohesion in user’s branding efforts. With an expanded palette of options at their fingertips, users can effortlessly create visually stunning designs to inspire their customers and show them exactly what their final product will look like.

"We're so excited about these new features in the Virtual Design Studio” said Eric Natinsky, Chief Executive Officer of SAGE. "Being able to add curved text, freeform text, and especially having the brand colors to pick from right in front of you when creating virtual samples for your customers makes the distributor’s job that much easier! It will definitely help create a more successful sales pitch and let end-buyers better visualize their final results.”

These features are available now through the Virtual Design Studio in SAGE Total Access and on SAGE Websites. Experience the future of design and unlock limitless creative possibilities today!

For more information on the Virtual Design Studio, visit www.sageworld.com or contact your Account Advisor.

Goldstar (PPAI 114031, Platinum) – the No. 16 supplier in the 2024 PPAI 100 – has announced that Heather Smartt has taken over as global leader of the San Diego-based firm.

Howard Cubberly, who joined Goldstar a decade ago and has served as global general manager since 2019, is departing the company. PPAI Media has learned that Goldstar is going through a corporate restructuring.

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to continue with the amazing work Howard did in his time here at Goldstar,” Smartt says. “We have a great foundation, and I’m looking forward to enhancing our services and bringing more social and environmental awareness across the company as we continue global expansion, commitments to Simplicity and our line of products ‘Made Better.’”

Cubberly’s Impact

Cubberly tells PPAI Media that it was a great 10 years growing Goldstar with an amazing team.

“It’s a good time to pass the reins as we’ve recently reached a point in scaling the business quickly, where it will take a next level of investment in people, service levels and digital transformation,” he says. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Goldstar will continue to expand its supplier position in the industry under the new leadership.”

Under his leadership, Goldstar developed new product categories, expanded throughout North America and Europe, received multiple awards and launched its Simplicity campaign, which signifies the company's commitment to simple pricing and an easy-to-work-with business culture.

“We’re deeply grateful for Howard's vision and leadership, which was foundational to our success over the past decade. His commitment to fostering a great team environment, vibrant brand and entrepreneurial spirit is engrained into our legacy. He’ll be deeply missed but wish him nothing but the very best in his future endeavors,” Goldstar’s management team said in a joint statement.

• Goldstar reported $78.9 million in 2023 revenue and has grown sales by 102% over the past three years.
• The firm is owned by Cimpress, whose other companies include VistaPrint – the No. 36 distributor in the PPAI 100 – and National Pen – the No. 40 distributor in the PPAI 100.

"Thank you, Howard, for your time with Goldstar," says Charles Duggan, MAS, Goldstar's vice president of sales, North America. "As we grow to the next level, we're excited to have Heather leading us into the future and driving the mission of Global Simplicity."

Smartt’s Background

Joining Goldstar in October as global director of merchandising, product development and sustainability, Smartt’s talent for bridging the North American and European markets has been a key driver in the company’s global product expansion, Goldstar said.

An 18-year veteran of the promotional products industry, Smartt rose through the ranks of Polyconcept, eventually becoming director of category management at PCNA – the No. 3 supplier in the PPAI 100. 

• Before joining Goldstar in 2023, she previously served as global director of product development at National Pen.

Sustainability Efforts

A supplier of writing instruments, drinkware and bags, Goldstar has been enhancing its green focus. 

• In 2023, the company continued its efforts toward FSC, RCS and GRS certifications, with plans to fully achieve those designations this year.
• It’s also working on testing to provide Scope 3 emissions on all products and digital passports for its premium goods.

Product-wise, Goldstar and its newly formed Green Team introduced 57 new “Made Better” items last year, created with recycled and thoughtfully sourced materials. That included a Coastal Collection made from recycled ocean-bound plastic, released in North America in November and across Europe in February 2024.

More eco-friendly products are ahead, with Goldstar announcing earlier this year a partnership with Ocean Bottle. The company also plans to launch 70 new products in 2024, including 30 “Made Better” designs.

Written by John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI

HanesBrands (PPAI 191138, Gold) – the No. 66 supplier in the 2024 PPAI 100 – which operates in the promotional products industry through the Hanes, Champion, ComfortWash and Alternative Apparel brands– has officially signed an agreement on the acquisition of its Champion brand by Authentic Brands Group. It was first reported in April that Authentic Brands had won a bid for the Champion.

• According to HanesBrands, the deal involves a transaction value of $1.2 billion.

• Ultimately, the deal has the potential to reach $1.5 billion contingent on meeting certain performance thresholds.

• Authentic Brands Group is an intellectual property management company. Champion would be joining a host of other well-known brands under its umbrella, including Barney’s New York, Reebok, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer and Nine West.

• Champion’s global sales decreased 26% – down 35% in the United States and 17% internationally – in first quarter 2024, according to  HanesBrands’ Q1 2024 earning report. Sales had fallen by 23% in the final quarter of 2023.

• HanesBrands has been seeking a sale of a Champion since the fourth quarter of 2023.

• The apparel giant finished last year with a net debt of $3.1 billion, making the sale of Champion a much-needed financial boost.

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of significant effort by our teams to position all of our brands on the optimal path for the future,” says HanesBrands CEO Steve Bratspies. “Over the past three years, we have taken necessary actions to enhance the Company’s operations and financial performance – returning to historical gross margins, reducing our cost structure, lowering our debt levels, and generating consistent cash flow.”

“Following a thorough review of options for the global Champion business with the support of our financial and legal advisors, we are pleased to have reached this agreement with Authentic Brands Group that we believe maximizes value for Champion and best positions HanesBrands for long-term success,” says Bill Simon, chairman of the HanesBrands board.

“Importantly, we believe this transaction will enable the Company to accelerate its debt reduction while positioning HanesBrands to deliver consistent growth and cash flow generation through a focused strategy on advancing its leading innerwear brands and optimizing its world-class supply chain.”

 

What’s Ahead For Champion

For Authentic, the acquisition is part of a strategy to expand its portfolio of sports, lifestyle, entertainment and media brands and will increase its system-wide annual retail sales to more than $32 billion worldwide.

"Our successful efforts igniting Reebok's momentum in sports have created a playbook to achieve a similar feat with Champion,” said Nick Woodhouse, president and chief brand officer of Authentic. “With expansive reach, differentiated channel strategy and a balanced strength across its women’s and men’s businesses, Champion has profoundly influenced sports culture.

“This is the perfect time for the brand to make a significant impact as women's sports continue to broaden their presence and fandom worldwide.”

Authentic has said that it plans to leverage its platform of consumer verticals to convert the Champion business into a licensed model. It is reportedly in discussions with several existing and potential operators in key regions to manage the manufacturing, physical retail, e-commerce and wholesale operations of the business and maintain the brand’s global footprint.

Written by: Jonny Auping

Published with Permission from PPAI

The price to ship goods out of Asia is on the rise in June, reminding importers across many industries of the skyrocketed shipping rates during 2021’s nightmare supply chain circumstances.

• The rate to send a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. East Coast is at approximately $6,000 and rising. That is up nearly 200% from May 1 when the rate was $2,772.
• The same shipment from China to Northern Europe is currently $4,600, up more than three times its May 1 rate.
• Separate from these rates carriers are offering premium/priority rates to Northern Europe for as much as $10,000.
  
  

“Anytime you see ocean freight increasing this quickly it’s a concern given impact to the product cost,” says Bruce Barnet, chief operating & financial officer at Charles River Apparel. “It’s important to monitor this situation over the next few months to see if it’s going to be a short- or long-term impact to the industry in 2024 and 2025.”

Chaos in the Red Sea causing disruption to global supply chain logistics is a primary cause of the rising prices. Additionally, tariff exclusions on certain Chinese imports expire in the middle of June. This is also increasing short term demand for shipping as importers race to get goods in under the wire.

Chart provided by Bloomberg

According to Bloomberg, carrier rates from China to the U.S. peaked around $20,000 in September 2021.

Barnet notes that the current confluence of global conditions means that importers should temper their short term expectation for shipping prices.

“While overseas freight demand is still down, it’s certain in the short term you will see price increases through GRI (General Rate Increases) due to container shortages, longer transit times, weather issues and less sailings out of key ports in Asia,” Barnet says.

The Red Sea Crisis Continues

The current political conflict at the Red Sea has had an effect on the global supply chain similar to that of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Since late 2023, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the maritime trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
• Roughly 12% of world trade goes through the Suez Canal, according to the New York Times.
  
  

As a result, many container shipping lines and tanker owners have stopped transiting the Red Sea and are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, adding an additional two weeks to the supply chain and reducing global container capacity, according to Reuters.  

“We have experienced cost increases related to the Red Seas but have also worked around other issues with our freight forward partner through different sailing routes,” Barnet says.

The ripple effect of not only the longer route but also the ships that have circled back to ports due to the dangers of the Red Sea cannot be overstated. It has led to congestion in ports in Singapore and Shanghai. Without improvement in the viability of transportation through the Suez Canal, shipping conditions and rates are liable to worsen before they get better.

Frank Carpenito, CEO and president of Gemline says that a very preliminary look at June shipping prices has shown that moderate increases are being felt and port pressure has seemed to mostly be concentrated in Northern China, where Gemline has limited traffic. 

Chinese Tariff Exclusions Increasing Demand

To make matters more complicated, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the expiration of 233 exclusions to the 301 tariffs on Chinese imports as of June 1. However, the USTR has allowed a grace period through June 14 before tariffs on the affected products go into effect.

• To read the full USTR report, including an exhaustive list of the affected products, click here.
  
  

With many businesses having relied upon importing these products out of China, industry observers have speculated that there might be a huge surge of demand to ship goods out one final time before the transition period ends.

The degree to which businesses scramble to import out of China during the grace period will be difficult to measure, but surging shipping rates are a possible indicator. Unlike the Red Sea crisis, this is a phenomenon that will manifest in the short-term, but both the congestion and rate increase, as well increased cost of these products, could have an ongoing effect into 2024.

Written by: Jonny Auping

Published with Permission from PPAI

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced the expiration of 233 exclusions to the 301 tariffs on Chinese imports. The exclusions expired on May 31, but a grace period will be in place until June 14, at which point products in these categories imported from China will be subject to tariffs.

• To read the USTR’s notice on the expirations, click here (the full list of exclusions that have expired can be found in Annex D)
• In late 2023, PPAI called for an extension of exclusions to these tariffs allowing promo companies to continue to import from China.
  
  

“Who’s really punished by tariffs?” commented Ben Zhang, president and CEO of Greater Pacific, PPAI 100’s No. 68 supplier. “American companies, not Chinese manufacturers.”

In 2023, the U.S. imported more than $427 billion in goods from China and exported nearly $148 billion to the world's second largest economy, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why Did These Exclusions Expire?

In 2017, the USTR conducted an investigation concerning China’s trade practices, concluding that the country was guilty of several practices deemed suspicious or unfairly burden the U.S. This type of investigation and subsequent action is allowed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

• As a result, tariffs were placed on products imported into the U.S. from China. The move raised the costs for U.S. businesses to bring these products into the country.
  
  

When the Section 301 tariffs were placed, businesses had a window in which they could request specific products be excluded from the tariffs. Assuming valid evidence was provided, those product categories were exempt from the tariffs.  Regardless of evidence, such exclusions are not meant to be permanent.

“The pattern of making last-minute announcements regarding the tariff exclusions exacerbates uncertainty for U.S. companies who need to make business decisions months in advance,” a letter by Americans for Free Trade said at the end of 2023.

Exclusions have officially expired on 233 of 429 of the products with Chinese import tariffs with no extension granted. 

• Of those 233 expired exclusions, 102 of them expired due to nobody requesting an extension.
• The rest have expired because importers did not indicate intent or did not show sufficient effort to ship out of China or because of evidence of domestic or third country production of such products.
• For exclusions that were granted an extension, the extension will run through May 31, 2025.
  
  

Promo Perspective

The grace period before the tariffs kick in on the expired exclusions is a short window, so it is imperative that promo companies examine the USTR’s notice before June 14 to determine if it affects products they are currently importing from China.

The list of products that will now be subject to Chinese tariffs is long and diverse, but a few expired exclusions that may be relevant to promo companies include:

• Certain styles of bags
• Backpacks with hydration systems
• Specific types of robes
• Styles of blankets
• Grills composed of steel wire at certain dimensions

Written by: Jonny Auping

Published with Permission from PPAI

S&S Activewear (PPAI 256121, Platinum) has announced a deployment of hundreds of robots at its warehouses, a result of its growing partnership with German company Körber Supply Chain and Geekplus robotics. The robots are intended to increase efficiencies within the supplier’s processes and represent a big step toward automation within the promo industry.

• S&S Activewear was recently named the No. 5 supplier in the 2024 PPAI 100.

• It has more than 4 million square feet of warehouse space.

• Earlier this month, S&S named Josh Clark its new chief operating officer.

The announcement includes plans for robots to be implemented in three separate S&S warehouses, one of which – in Lockport, Illinois – has already commenced. The 750,000 square foot Lockport facility saw the deployment of 340 robots from Geekplus.

“Our customers deserve a seamless experience from order to fulfillment, and we’re excited about the increased efficiencies we’re already seeing through our collaboration with Körber,” says Brian Beale, chief technology officer at S&S.

Warehouse Process Optimization

The Geekplus robotic solutions are intended to create optimized processes within warehouses like ones that S&S operate out of. Geekplus’s PopPick machines facilitate inventory management by moving goods stored in totes to pick stations. The autonomous devices move and slot inventory, creating a streamlined flow to get products to their destinations.

This technology reduces the amount of near-constant walking by warehouse employees who otherwise would have to do this work manually.

“Our longstanding partnership with Körber has been crucial in bringing our revolutionary solutions to a wider audience,” says Randy Randolph, director of channel partner sales at Geekplus. “This deployment with S&S highlights the huge impact of our mobile robots in helping retailers meet the crush of e-commerce orders while improving quality and efficiency.”

S&S has already cited success and increased efficiency in the use of the robots, which are designed to support more than 4,500 lines per hour through 24 picking stations. The supplier is pleased with the order fulfillment and quality assurance capabilities of the systems in place through the partnership with Körber.

“Innovation is a core tenet of S&S’s decades-long history in the apparel industry,” says Beale. “Advancing our warehouse operations with Körber and Geekplus’s robotics and automation expertise has been a natural and impactful evolution in our technology journey.”

The robotics system is designed to scale with the business of the warehouse they are implemented within in order for the company to avoid being constrained by the investment in the technology.

Written by: Jonny Auping

Published with Oermission from PPAI

Citing "clear" shareholder preference, the entire board of directors of Gildan Activewear (PPAI 250187, Platinum) resigned Thursday evening along with sitting president and CEO Vince Tyra, the company said in a statement.

The mass resignations will remove all drama from the company's annual shareholder meeting on May 28, when the six-month leadership tug-of-war at PPAI 100's No. 10 leading supplier was expected to be resolved.

Glenn Chamandy, who was ousted as CEO late last year, will be reappointed as CEO of the company he co-founded in 1984.

• Effective immediately, the outgoing board has appointed a new slate of board members proposed by activist investor Browning West, which owns just under 6% of Gildan shares.

• Browning West's eight-person slate will comprise the entirety of the new board.

• The outgoing board has also ceased discussions regarding a previously announced sale process, the statement said.

• Tyra, previously the chief executive of alphabroder predecessor Broder Bros. and Fruit of the Loom, took over at the beginning of 2024. Meanwhile, the company's board continued its war of words with Chamandy.

• Gildan also pushed back on Browning West, alleging that a large purchase of company stock by the company violated antitrust laws.

• In March, Browning West sued Gildan and its board in Quebec to ensure that the May 28 shareholder meeting continue as scheduled and with the oversight of an independent chair.

"Our directors are eager to begin working toward their common goal of delivering enhanced shareholder value, which begins with reinstating Glenn Chamandy as CEO," a statement from Browning West said. "Glenn is a visionary leader with a track record of value creation, an unparalleled knowledge of Gildan’s manufacturing business, a deep connection with the Company’s employees and shareholders, and an impressive ability to foresee key industry shifts to keep Gildan one step ahead of competitors. He knows exactly what it will take to expand the Company’s already strong position alongside the newly reconstituted Board, including proven value creator Michael Kneeland, who the new Board intends to appoint as Chair."

The Browning West statement said preliminary voting results indicated that an overwhelming majority of shares had sided with its slate for the Montreal, Canada-based supplier.

“I’m extremely excited to return as Gildan’s CEO and am gratified for the incredible support I have received from both shareholders and employees over the past six months," Chamandy said. "I’m proud of our dedicated employees for their hard work and focus through a tumultuous period. The resilience of the team and the high quality of our newly seated Board give me great confidence that Gildan’s best days are yet to come.”

Gildan's Leadership Struggle

Resembling a Succession story arc at times, the battle over leadership of Gildan has been raging since Chamandy was ousted on Dec. 10 and immediately went public with his disagreement with the decision, claiming a misaligned vision with other board members, and describing his termination as without cause.

A revolt led by five institutional investment firms, including Browning West, began almost immediately.

The spat took a tabloid turn when Gildan’s board was accused of failing to perform its due diligence before naming Tyra to replace Chamandy. The New York Post reported that Tyra had recently hired to Gildan a senior leader with whom he held a romantic relationship while she was his direct report at at Broder Bros. more than two decades ago.

Bolingbrook, Illinois-based S&S Activewear (PPAI 256121, Platinum) has announced the hiring of Josh Clark to the role of chief operating officer. Clark has worked in operational and supply chain leadership roles for over 20 years.

• Last week, S&S Activewear was named the No. 5 supplier in PPAI 100’s rankings.

• In late 2023, the supplier hired Alaina Brooks as chief legal officer.

• S&S and the promo industry are still regrouping from the tragic and unexpected loss of Stephan Baere, the company’s director of business development, who passed away suddenly earlier this year.

• Clark will report directly to Frank Myers, CEO of S&S.

• Vice president of operations at Keystone Automotive Industries.

• Senior director of services and procurement at retail office equipment provider Grainger.

• Senior vice president of operations at Integrated Supply Network.

Clark comes to the promo world most recently from WESCO Distribution, a B2B distribution logistics service and supply chain solutions company, where he was the senior vice president of supply chain-category management.

“I am thrilled to join S&S and excited to contribute to its reputable legacy of market leadership,” Clark says. “I look forward to working with the talented team here to further enhance our operational capabilities and drive significant growth.” 

Operational Expertise

Clark’s operational experience goes all the way back to 2002 when he worked at Target in distribution operations for three years. He has also served leadership roles such as:

“Josh’s leadership qualities and proven track record make him the right choice to lead our operations,” says Frank Myers, CEO of S&S Activewear.

In his new role, Clark will be tasked with oversight of S&S’s operational departments, ensuring that processes are in place to fulfill orders, meet safety standards and collaborate with the other members of the supplier’s leadership team.

“We are confident that Josh’s strategic vision will significantly contribute to our ongoing growth and that his leadership will shape our operations to help us deliver even more value to our customers,” says Myers.

Written by Jonny Auping

Published with Permission from PPAI

Robert W. Humphreys has resigned as CEO and chairman of Delta Apparel (PPAI 188431, Gold) – ranked the No. 69 supplier in the 2024 PPAI 100 – at the request of the board of directors, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Humphreys, who joined the Duluth, Georgia-based company in 1998 as CEO and became chairman in 2009, submitted his resignation on May 16.

• His final day with the firm will be June 29.

Delta Apparel has appointed Tim Pruban as its chief restructuring officer, according to the filing.

• Pruban is the founder of Focus Management Group, a national financial advisory and management consulting group.

• His role at Delta Apparel will be to advise the board on succession planning.

Financial Struggles

• Net sales from its retail stores segment – Salt Life Group – were $15.5 million in Q2, down about 22% from Q2 2023.

• In the 2023 fiscal year, which ended September 30, 2023, Delta Apparel reported a loss of $33.2 million.

“Fiscal 2023 was undoubtedly a challenging year for our company and the industry given the reduced demand environment following last year’s post-pandemic seller’s market,” Humphreys said at the time. “However, it was also a transformative year for our company where we implemented a number of needle-moving initiatives across our business that set the stage for significant operational improvement.”

• According to the company, its lenders have elected not to declare the principal and all other amounts owed to be immediately due and payable.

However, if the lenders do call such debt during the next 12 months, Delta Apparel says it won’t have readily available funds to repay the debt, raising “substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.” If the firm can’t address such concerns, it may seek relief under applicable bankruptcy laws, according to the quarterly report.

• Additionally, the company says it was notified by certain suppliers in January that they would no longer extend credit in amounts or terms to the extent previously allowed, limiting Delta Apparel’s ability to obtain raw materials.

Furthermore, its DTG2Go digital-print business recently received notice that its largest customer no longer intends to source production from the platform. As a result, the company expects to receive an impairment charge in the third quarter of fiscal 2024.

Two weeks ago, the apparel maker reported that its net sales for the fiscal second quarter were $78.9 million, down nearly 40% from the same period last year.

Delta Apparel also reported it’s been non-compliant with a financial covenant contained in its U.S. revolving credit facility that required its financial results to “improve at a rate faster than we experienced during the second quarter and at a faster rate than we expect to experience over the next 12 months.”

Written by: John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI

SAGE, the leading provider of software and solutions to the promotional products industry, is proud to announce the industry’s first real-time custom image generation tool as part of its popular website platform. The new image generation tool utilizes cutting edge artificial intelligence, further enhancing SAGE’s groundbreaking AI features aimed at transforming content creation and optimization.

Distributors and suppliers using SAGE to power their websites and company stores can now easily create completely custom and unique images on their website. All areas of the website that allow for custom rich text support the new feature. Creating an image is as easy as typing in a description and hitting the Generate Image button. In just a few seconds, the powerful AI engine will create an image that fits the exact description.

Additionally, SAGE provides a full detailed description of the created image. Users can use this description to further hone the image by adjusting the prompt text and resubmitting it to the AI engine to create a new image.

The new image creation tool not only allows users to visually enhance their website, but it also eliminates potential copyright concerns that can arise with using images found online.

One popular area for using this new image creation tool is the blogs area of the website platform. Earlier this year, SAGE introduced technology that will instantly create an entire blog article based on a given prompt. Now, with the image creation tool, users can easily add images to their blog articles as well.

"It used to take hours or days to create a blog article and find or create images for it that you had the proper rights to use. Now, with these new tools we’ve reduced that time to mere seconds, drastically improving the ability to easily create quality content on our customers’ websites” said Brian Pritchard, Vice President of Information Technology. “As the technology leader in the industry, our goal is to utilize all of these amazing new technologies to create tools that are actually useful to our customers. By doing so, we’re allowing our customers to not just stay competitive but also to be more efficient. It’s a complete win-win.”