News

Supplier Goldstar, headquartered in San Diego, California, has filled key roles in its sales and marketing teams. Megan Hernandez joins Goldstar as south-central region sales manager. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Hernandez joins the company after spending the last five years with two other supplier companies and will work with distributors throughout Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Supplier Hirsch Gift (PPAI 221823, S10) has formed an exclusive partnership with retail brand Serene House. The brand offers personal air care products and fragrances to help improve its users’ sense of well-being through scent, sound and visual aesthetics.

Serene House essential oil diffusers are manufactured in a company-owned factory, which allows for enhanced quality assurance, while all essential oils are sourced and assembled in the United States. Serene House products are sold in a variety of retail stores such as Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond, Urban Outfitters and Kohl’s.

Brittany Frase, national sales manager for Houston, Texas-based Hirsch Gift, says, "Serene House is the perfect complement to our family of brands, and a great addition to the growing personal health and wellness segment of the promotional products industry."

Supplier Edwards Garment (PPAI 198530, S11) is in the final steps in its acquisition of Bishop Custom Clothing, which is now rebranded as EdwardsX. The acquisition strengthens Edwards Garment’s position as a global brand providing a broad assortment of career apparel products and services to the industry.

“Bishop, now EdwardsX, was acquired in 2019 and throughout these past two years, the leadership team began merging services to take full advantage of the many synergies between the two organizations,” says Jose Gomez, Edwards Garment president. “It was time to complete the integration with a fresh rebrand of this great team.”

American Solutions for Business raised $500 for the Pope County Veterans Services in Glenwood, MN through an online fundraiser. The money raised will be used towards rides for vets to get to their appointments. The Pope County Veterans Service has highly trained professional advocates for Veterans and their families. They collaborate with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Service Organizations in securing benefits for veterans.

“This is a great help for those veterans that can’t drive, and this program has been a part of the county for over 30 years,” explained Hugh Reimers, Pope-Stevens County Veterans Service Officer. “This money will continue to make transportation a viable option for the veterans in our community.”

The mission of the Pope County Veterans Service Office is to work collaboratively with the Department of Veterans Affairs and to enhance the quality of the lives of Veterans through advising, counseling, claims assistance, education, advocacy, and special programs. 

If anyone is or knows a vet that is in need, please contact Hugh at 320-634-7846.

Vantage Apparel, the industry’s number one source for branded apparel and fulfillment, announced today the addition of industry superstar, Josh Appelbaum as its Vice President, Digital Transformation and a member of the company’s senior leadership team.

As VP, Digital Transformation, Josh will be responsible for working crossfunctionally to bring strategic insight and operations expertise to the everchanging world of branded apparel, on-demand decoration and eCommerce services; a channel he has excelled for the last 11 years in the industry.

A Madison, Wisconsin resident, Josh has spent the last decade as leader in apparel and decoration on demand; working with some of the largest apparel companies in the industry. He has earned countless awards in sales and innovation throughout his industry tenure and has spearheaded digital partnerships before they were cool.

“We’re thrilled to expand our commitment of offering world-class experiences with a faster, more intuitive ecosystem here at Vantage and having Josh join our team will allow us to realize those ambitions even faster,” says Rob Watson, Vantage’s Chief Experience Officer. “As we look to reimagine solutions that offer efficient, top quality programs in decorated apparel to our customers, Josh’s expertise in sales and technology leadership will help us deliver on that promise.”

PPAI announces its newest board members, Chris Anderson (left), CEO of Braintree, Massachusetts-based supplier HPG; Denise Taschereau (center), co-founder and CEO of Vancouver, British Columbia-based distributor Fairware Promotional Products, and Melissa Ralston, chief revenue officer of Tampa, Florida-based supplier Koozie Group.

“We are thrilled to leverage Denise, Melissa and Chris’ talent, expertise and energy to further PPAI’s vision and mission,” says Todd Pottebaum, MAS+, PPAI board chair.

Anderson and Taschereau have been elected to the PPAI Board of Directors following approval of the slate by PPAI members in last month’s election; they will serve a four-year term. Ralston has been appointed to a two-year at-large director position on the PPAI board. All three new directors will begin their terms immediately following The PPAI Expo 2022 in January.

PPAI’s board is the Association’s governing body and plays a major role in directing its strategic activities, adopting policies and approving budgets to carry out the work of the Association.

American Solutions for Business announced that Craig Sahli has joined American Solutions for Busines as a sales associate. Craig is an industry veteran with over 35 years in print and 25 in promo. He operated independently for 16 years, and in recent years was with Kaiser and Blair.

Located in Tulsa, OK, Sahli is ready to leave his mark on the industry. “It’s never been more important in this evolving marketplace to be on the right team, and that’s the reason I’m here. I’m thrilled to be a part of the American family.” said Sahli.

Polyconcept North America (PCNA)—parent company of suppliers Leed’s (PPAI 112361, S13), Bullet (PPAI 113079, S12), Journalbooks (PPAI 110769, S10), Trimark (PPAI 198982, S10) and ETS Express (PPAI 135148, S11)—has announced a new retail partner, JanSport. The backpack brand not only expands the company’s offerings in the bags category, but also its eco-friendly styles, as the majority of JanSport packs available at PCNA will be made in part with recycled materials.

“JanSport is a brand whose legacy precedes them,” says Liz Haesler, chief merchandising officer for PCNA. “They represent a feeling of nostalgia for so many people and we are thrilled to add them to our impressive portfolio of retail brand partners. As a leader in the bags category, we take great pride in making sure we provide our distributor partners with the best selection of quality, on-trend pieces. Not only does JanSport offer a great selection of packs made in part with recycled fabrics, but their packs are designed to last and come with a limited lifetime warranty, minimizing the brand’s waste and environmental impact—so with every sale, we are one step closer to protecting our environment.”

PCNA is launching the brand with a JanSport backpack style, and more bags will be added by the end of the year and into 2022.

American Solutions for Business raised $500 for local kindergarten classes in Glenwood, MN. Every September, ASB’s internal Stewardship Committee holds raffles for the school and distribute to the areas with the greatest need. This year, the school counselor indicated that each kindergarten family is asked to pay $30 to help cover snacks for the year. This is a struggle for some families. The funds raised and donated by ASB will help cover the costs and alleviate some of the financial burden local families are facing.

The Stewardship Committee at American promotes the American culture and fosters fellowship among employees while coordinating events, activities, and fundraisers to benefit the communities in which they live and the causes to which they are dedicated. The group focuses on six to eight charitable causes each year but as needs arise, the team may sponsor other benefits.

Throughout the year, the Stewardship Committee also donate to Pope County Hospice, Pope County Food Shelf, Pope County Humane Society and Rainbow Rider to help the local Head Start children get a ride to school.

American Solutions for Business raised more than $3,000 through its virtual fundraiser for United Way of Douglas and Pope counties. This fundraiser was held through the Glenwood, Minnesota-based distributor’s proprietary ecommerce platform, ACES, in August, trading dollars for votes for one of its senior leadership team members to be “pied” in the face.

The fundraiser wrapped up on August 10, as the results showed that Vice President of Sales Support Miriah Cassidy and Vice President of Technology Mike Pfeiffer were the winners and were going to be pied by ASB Founder and CEO of Larry Zavadil.

The event raised $1,532 and a matching donation from Zavadil for a total of $3,100. On September 15, the pies were delivered to the building parking lot as spectators gathered to watch the pies fly. The event was also live-streamed on Facebook.