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American Solutions for Business raised $12,000 for families in the Pope County area—where the Glenwood, Minnesota, distributor is headquartered—through its annual Adopt-A-Family fundraiser. The reoccurring program is put on by ASB sales associates and home office employees as a gift to founder Larry Zavadil and his wife Diane, that started 20 years ago. This year’s gift surpassed the 2019 donations by $5,000, setting a new record.

ASB reached out to county administrators at the beginning of November for information regarding families in need this year. The county then collected information that kept the families anonymous but outlined the family structures and needs. The sizes and Christmas lists of the families were then collected and shared with ASB.

“It was a huge undertaking for us this year, receiving information for eight families, including 21 kids. We were able to get everything on their Christmas lists, plus a few extras,” says Jamie Lanoue, talent acquisition specialist for ASB. “We had a lot of hands helping to make the process possible this year, and we are grateful.”

With the $12,000, ASB was able to buy toys, household items, hygiene products and clothing for each family member, while including a Visa gift card for other miscellaneous items.

Jonathan Isaacson, chair and CEO of supplier Gemline (PPAI 113948 S11), was vague in describing the amount of charitable giving that the Lawrence, Massachusetts, supplier donated to the local community and beyond over the past year. But the truth, Isaacson told PPB Newslink, is that he can’t yet put a number on the true amount of the supplier’s philanthropic involvement; an effort the company is fully dedicated to.

Partly he was exercising discretion, but on the other hand, with more than two weeks left in the year, he couldn’t put an exact number on it. Gemline’s charitable gifting program has quietly been a centerpiece value at the hardgoods supplier for a very long time. The efforts to identify and support worthy organizations run year-round, and some of the gift allocations Gemline has already made this year will continue into early 2022. Isaacson did announce that the company in 2020 made more than $500,000 in donations, mostly in and around its headquarters community of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Many local organizations benefitted from Gemline’s community support this year, Isaacson says, with causes such as the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence receiving contributions ranging into the six figures.

“The only reason to write about these gifts is if somebody else [in the promotional products industry] follows us,” Isaacson says. The give-back program falls under Gemline’s efforts to be an industry leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR), complemented by its work toward diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability and more. “This is core to our culture in terms of who we are and what we do.”

Although some large donations—such as the gift Isaacson notified the local Boys & Girls Club of last week—happen near the end of the year, Gemline is constantly doing due diligence on local programs to ensure that it can make the greatest impact in the community with what it gives back. Isaacson sits on a number of boards and is actively involved in researching the effectiveness of the organizations and programs Gemline may support.

Isaacson describes the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence as “a safe haven during the COVID storm,” a place where children have been supported and tutored throughout the pandemic. Other major beneficiaries of the gifting program in 2021 included the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, a public health center that is a critical medical resource in the area, in addition to programs that provide mentoring and mental health support in local schools.

Virtually all of the needs that Gemline’s latest gifts are aimed at addressing have been exacerbated by the health and economic challenges of the pandemic, which have tended to have greater detrimental effects on underserved communities.

Lawrence is a gateway community, Isaacson says, a poor area with a large population of new immigrants. As far back as the 1800s it and nearby Lowell, Massachusetts, were known for their textile mills, staffed largely by new arrivals from Europe. Puerto Ricans and Dominicans led population growth in the latter decades of the 1900s.

“We have been quite fortunate as an organization,” Isaacson says of Gemline. “Last year and this year, financially, were really good years. And so our feeling is that we can give back not only to our team members internally, but we can give back to the community where our team members live and where we’re a part of the fabric of the community.”

Because of their means and organizational nature, businesses often have greater skills, resources and opportunities to support philanthropy than individuals. For years, Isaacson says, he didn’t discuss the charitable gifts he made through Gemline among employees.

“I don’t really care if anybody buys from us because we give back in the community; we give back in the community because it’s the right thing to do, with no expectations,” he says. “If other suppliers or distributors want to copy what we do, great, all the better. That would be the best return on this, for other people to engage with their community, wherever their community is. There is an inexhaustible need right now.”

Proforma (PPAI 196835, D13) lent its support to local nonprofits this holiday season. The distributor and its employees partnered with Joshua House and Providence House to provide gifts to children in need using Amazon wish lists curated by the nonprofits.

Joshua House is a safe haven for abused, abandoned and neglected children. It offers a residential group care program for children ages six to 17 in Tampa Bay. Similarly, Providence House is a crisis nursery serving children and newborns at risk of abuse and neglect across the U.S. and Canada.

“We have really enjoyed working directly with Proforma during the holidays,” says Joshua House Resource Manager Nanci March. “Proforma and their employees have been very generous in contributing toward and purchasing requested items for foster and at-risk children in the Tampa Bay area.”

Proforma and its employees identify organizations to partner with each year during the holiday season. Prior partnerships involved the Buster Brown Foundation, the Angel’s Place Foundation and the Christ Child House, along with local shelters for battered women and children.

“The holidays are a time for reflection and gratitude,” says Kathy Mayo, Proforma human resources director. “Proforma is committed to giving back to the communities and making a positive difference whenever possible. Joshua House and Providence House protect our cities’ most vulnerable citizens, its children, and we are proud to be a part of that.”

Mark Gammon, CAS, currently president and chief operating officer of Cap America (PPAI 111597, S10), has been appointed CEO of the Fredericktown, Missouri, supplier. He will assume the new role on January 1, 2022, the start of the company’s new fiscal year.

Gammon succeeds founder and current CEO Phil Page, who will transition to chairman of the board for the company. Cap America board members include Phil Page, Mary Page, Mark Gammon, Jon Page, Cory Cissell, Curt Carr and Wes Royer.

Along with the growth and success of Houston, Texas, supplier Hirsch Gift in its 22 years of operation, President Peter Hirsch, MAS, has made it a priority to turn his company’s triumphs into opportunities to enrich the lives of others, particularly in times of great need.

Since emigrating to the United States from South Africa in 1997 with his wife of 44 years, Elaine, and founding his company, a supplier of hardgoods promotional products two years later, Hirsch has remained an active participant in his community and industry. While building up his company from a single office manager and a few production workers to what is now a $24 million-dollar business, Hirsch has also been a dedicated supporter of the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) and held positions on various boards and committees—both with PPAI and his regional association, Houston Promotional Products Association (HPPA)—in addition to having orchestrated efforts to support the country’s veteran population and victims of natural disasters.

In January at The PPAI Expo, Hirsch will be recognized with PPAI’s 2022 H. Ted. Olson Humanitarian Award for his willingness to showcase true leadership as a team player and by making his achievements into collective wins for all. The highly esteemed recognition is presented annually to members who have shown long-standing empathy, devotion and commitment to improving quality of life and bringing about change for the betterment of a community.

“Peter Hirsch is the picture of service,” says Leslie Roark, CAS, CPIM, president and owner of Spring, Texas, distributor PromoPros/IncentPros, and one of Hirsch’s nominators. “Every time there is a crisis in our community or industry, he is the first to organize something to help. He uses his facilities and his resources to tackle the crisis.”

Citing the transformative nature of modern times and more anticipated transition ahead, color matching and design authority Pantone has named its Color of the Year for 2022: PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri, an “inquisitive and intriguing” mix of blue and red hues.

The particular shade of purple is a new creation by Pantone, marking the first time a new color has been named Color of the Year.

The New Jersey-based company, whose proprietary color palette is widely viewed as the standard in design across a vast array of industries—including the printing and manufacturing germane to the promotional products marketplace—has named colors informed by the times each year since 2000. The decision comes through trend analysis of multiple genres, including entertainment, fashion, art, lifestyle, technology and more.

“As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color Institute. “Encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.”

Pantone Color Institute is the business unit within Pantone that highlights the top seasonal runway colors, selects the Pantone Color of the Year, forecasts global color trends and advises companies on color for product and brand visual identity. Through seasonal trend forecasts, color psychology, and color consulting, Pantone Color Institute partners with global brands to effectively leverage the power, psychology, and emotion of color in their design strategy.

“The Pantone Color of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that color can hope to answer,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. As society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication, and a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red violet infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lay before us.”

The company previously named two colors of the year for 2021, PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating.

Josh Ellis joined PPAI on December 1 as the new publisher and editor-in-chief responsible for PPB magazine and the Association’s various digital and print publications.

Ellis comes to PPAI from SUCCESS, a national consumer magazine serving small-business owners and solopreneurs with business ideas and personal development, where he was editor-in-chief. He fills the role being vacated by Tina Berres Filipski, PPAI’s longtime director of publications and editor, who is leaving the Association following The PPAI Expo to pursue new interests.

PPB spoke with Ellis to learn more about his background and initial plans.

PPB: What is your professional history prior to joining the Association?

Josh Ellis: I joined SUCCESS as features editor in 2012 before taking over the leadership role in 2015. Prior to that, and going all the way back to my high school newspaper days, I was a sportswriter. I graduated from college in 2008, then spent a little over four years covering the Dallas Cowboys for their official team website and publications.

PPB: What attracted you to your new position at PPAI?

Ellis: In this role, I have a chance to build on my previous work by continuing to serve businesspeople looking for new and innovative ways to do their best work and reach their goals. My dad was a small-business owner, self-reliant for his own results, and I saw the struggle and the stress that often comes with that. I’ve always been interested in giving people like him the tools to win.

PPB: What are your initial objectives for the position?

Ellis: The most important thing for me starting out is just to learn the industry. I’m grateful to have a team in place that understands the promo business, and I’m going to soak up their experience like a sponge while seeking out distributors and suppliers to get their perspectives. Beyond that, I have some ideas about new ways we can engage PPAI members on their terms. People are taking in more content than ever before, although their preferences for how they consume that content are evolving constantly. We’ll find the best ways to serve our members with the news and ideas that will help them.

PPB: Outside of PPAI, what are your interests?

Ellis: I know it’s cliché, but spending time with my family is at the top of the list. I have a beautiful wife, a toddler and another baby on the way, not to mention two dogs that really run the place. I also love to cook and—if the toddler behaves—try new restaurants. When she doesn’t behave, it reminds me how much I enjoy the peace and solitude of golf.

Powerbank provider myCharge has issued a recall of some of its products in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), following reports that the powerbanks’ lithium-ion battery can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards. The powerbanks were distributed through several channels, including the promotional products industry.

The recall involves seven models of myCharge powerbanks—Adventure Mega, Adventure Mega C, Razor Mega, Razor Mega C, Razor Super, Razor Super C and Razor Xtreme—with specific dates of manufacture. They have an anodized metallic case that is blue, black or gray, with “myCharge” written on the case front. The model name can be found on the back of the product case and on the bottom panel of the product packaging, and the date code is printed on the outer packaging and the product case, except for the Adventure Mega and Adventure Mega C models, where the date code is printed on the underside of a flap on the top of the product case.

myCharge has received 30 reports of the powerbanks overheating, resulting in seven injuries, including burns to the upper body, hands, legs and/or feet of users, and/or property damage to household flooring, walls and furniture.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled powerbanks and contact myCharge—toll-free at 888-251-2026 from 9 am to 4 pm ET, Monday through Friday, via email at compliance@mycharge.com, or online at mycharge.com/pages/productsafety or www.mycharge.com and click on “PRODUCT SAFETY”—for instructions on returning the battery to obtain a refund in the form of an electronic voucher for the full purchase price plus a 25-percent bonus for redemption on www.mycharge.com.

Click here for the CPSC's page on the recall, including specific model numbers and date codes of the recalled powerbanks.

Distributor HALO announced a recall of promotional children’s projector flashlights due to button battery ingestion and choking hazards. The company, working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), issued the recall after discovering that children can disassemble the flashlights and access their batteries.

Terry McGuire, HALO senior vice president, shared with PPB Newslink how the company’s response to the issue followed its established procedures and policies for handling recalls. “HALO developed a formal Product Recall Plan several years ago that was reviewed and approved by the CPSC Ombudsman. We have shared this plan with our clients and have also shared it on request with several of our industry distributor peers. When our client made us aware of the issue, we initiated the appropriate steps in our plan, including immediately notifying the CPSC of the issue, the client and the product distribution. We worked closely with the CPSC and our client to provide the details noted in the voluntary recall and to publish the information as quickly as possible.”

The flashlights were part of a care package distributed to hospitals and health-care facilities between February and June as a promotional item. The Disney-branded packages also included a tote bag, silicone wristband, playing cards, ink pen, journal, wall decals and a set of postcards. About 82,500 of the flashlights are in the marketplace. HALO has received two reports of children accessing the button cell batteries from the flashlight, and in one case, a child required surgery to remove a swallowed battery.

The recall involves five models of children’s flashlights—Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Avengers and ESPN. They have a key chain on one end and a flashlight projector on the other end. The model name is imprinted on the middle of the flashlight. The flashlights are red, dark blue or light blue, and measure three-inches long by a half-inch in diameter. There are four button cell batteries with model number LR41 inside the flashlight.

McGuire adds, “Integrity is a core HALO value. We were fortunate to have a proven and tested process in place to address potential issues related to the products we provide to our clients and the ultimate consumers that receive the products.”

Click here for the CPSC's page on the recall.

American Solutions for Business has announced new board members joining their Vendor Advisory Board, effective January 1, 2022.

This advisory board is an exclusive group of trusted partners who provide valuable feedback and guidance regarding decisions that affect the prosperity of ASB’s sales associates, customers and partners. The group advises in an array of areas including events, budgeting, branding, product trends, technology, marketing strategy and more. Members moving forward serve a total of two years.

“This board has been instrumental in contributing to ASB’s success,” says Dana Zezzo, VP of Marketing, Vendor Relations & Events. “We are incredibly grateful to our board members who have provided guidance and support over the last two years and are excited to welcome our incoming board members to this dynamic group.”

Incoming members for 2022-2024 include: Marc Held (Alphabroder/Prime), Dan Taylor (BamBams), Mike Szymczak (Hub Promotional Group), Melissa Ralston (Koozie Group), Beth Marston (Navitor), Jarod Thorndike (SAGE), Kevin Walsh (Showdown Displays), Roni Wright (The Book Company) and Bob Saunders (Wise).

They will join a select portion of the original board members rolling over for their final term ending in 2023, including Steve Osterloh (Ennis), Scott Leonard (Hit Promotional Products), Miles Wadsworth (Logo Mats) and Phil Sperling (Printco).

Members rolling off the board after having served from 2019-2021 include: Mike D'Ottoviano (ASI), Adam McNeill (CE Printed Products), Charles Duggan (Goldstar), Mark Mallory (ID Images), Stuart McLelland (Phenix Direct), Rob Newell (SanMar) and Megan Zezzo (S&S Activewear).