News

Gemline (PPAI 113948, S11) has joined the UPS Carbon Neutral Program, designed to offset the CO2 associated with UPS shipments, and has earned certification by the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) through the Sustainable Business Leadership Network of Massachusetts. The organization is dedicated to helping businesses “green” their operations and practices, while saving valuable natural resources and money. SBLP is the leading Green Certification Program for small businesses in the U.S.

In a statement, the Lawrence, Massachusetts-based supplier notes that these initiatives are part of a broadened commitment to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) mission and that Gemline’s CSR efforts are focused on making a positive impact on society through environmental stewardship, ethical business practices, charitable giving and diversity, equity and inclusion leadership. To be fully transparent with stakeholders regarding Gemline’s CSR efforts, the company has committed to publishing an annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The 2020 report is available for viewing on the Gemline website.

As its most notable 2020 CSR achievements, Gemline points to multiple initiatives to reduce its impact on the planet. From becoming a Zero Landfill Facility that ensures no waste from the company’s headquarters and manufacturing operations in Lawrence went into a landfill, to introducing a number of eco‐friendly products to its product assortment, the company notes that it is committed to building a more sustainable future.

Gemline also made more than $500,000 in monetary and in‐kind donations in 2020 to a variety of charitable causes that support communities through health and wellness programs, education and leadership activities. Also, its brand partners, including MiiR, Corkcicle, Soapbox and W&P, have collectively given back more than $100,000 to multiple charitable organizations as a result of their products being sold by Gemline through distributors in the promotional channel.

Gemline has also embarked on a number of additional sustainability initiatives earmarked for 2021 implementation, including the planned installation of rooftop solar panels at its headquarters, launching new eco‐friendly products made from recycled plastic bottles and bringing new eco‐conscious brands to the promotional industry, like Slowtide, a lifestyle brand, whose blankets and towels are made from sustainable materials.

“We clearly believe our company has an obligation to our communities and environment—a responsibility that will not end this year or next,” says Jonathan Isaacson, CEO of Gemline. “We continue to understand that good enough is not good enough, and intend to raise the bar in everything we do. In fact, we recently announced our intention to entirely eliminate PVC from our product line. This is something we strongly believe in, and hope others in the industry will follow.”

PCNA is thrilled to announce that they’ve expanded their family of brands with the addition of their newest retail partner, mophie®, a global leader in mobile charging technology. This partnership significantly strengthens PCNA’s position as an industry leader in tech.

When asked about the new partnership, Liz Haesler, chief merchandising officer for PCNA says, “We are ecstatic to add mophie to the PCNA brand family with the launch of seven new power banks and wireless charging pads. We’re always looking to bring popular products into promo at the same time they’re getting hot in retail. And mophie is such a huge name in charging technology, so we couldn’t wait to bring them on board. It comes at a great time, too. With travel restrictions winding down, people are getting out and exploring more than ever, creating tons of demand for portable charging technology.” Haesler continues, “As a tech leader in promo, it’s important for us to offer the best selection in the industry. We want our customers to feel that they can rely on us to fulfill their needs, and mophie helps make our assortment that much better. We’re elated to offer mophie products as part of our tech selection.”

“At mophie, we see ourselves as the leader in portable power and mobile charging technology, and we know PCNA is recognized as a tech leader within the promotional products industry,” said Chris Ahern, chief executive officer for mophie. “We’re excited to partner with such a world-class team in our pursuit of solving the need for power.”

By housing mophie inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip® service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

“We’re also excited to add mophie products to our Perfectly Packaged™ program,” Haisler mentions. “Mobile charging tech makes a great gift for anyone, especially when it’s a popular brand like mophie. And now we can take it a step further by giving customers the option to combine mophie products with other PCNA items for a custom gift box that can be drop shipped directly to people’s homes or offices. It’s a game-changer for gifting.”

PCNA currently has an assortment of seven mophie power banks and wireless charge pads, all of which are sold decorated. You can view the entire mophie collection at PCNA.com.

PCNA announced today that they’ve expanded their product offering with the addition three new brands across their drinkware category. The supplier now offers products from: HidrateSpark, Stojo and BottleKeeper®. These popular brands join an already industry-leading lineup of drinkware including styles from CamelBak®, Arctic Zone® and Welly®.

“Each one of these new brands bring something new to our drinkware product category,” says Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA. “Our team has been closely monitoring trends in drinkware and these newest brand launches are the result of months long research to ensure we’re offering the best selection of in-demand styles to our customers,” continues Haesler.

When asked about PCNA’s newest drinkware brand partners, Mindy Hoffmann, PCNA Global Category Director says, “We’re thrilled to bring these drinkware brands to promo. HidrateSpark is a smart water bottle that uses an app on your smartphone to set and track your ideal water consumption throughout the day based on a number of individual factors. It’s a great option for someone who is working to develop healthier habits,” Hoffmann says.

“The next addition to our drinkware lineup is Stojo, a company dedicated to designing earth-conscious products that bring more to life than what they take away. We offer three of their collapsible drinkware styles that are the perfect companion for coffee, tea or smoothies on the go,” continues Hoffmann. “Finally, I’m excited to introduce our third new drinkware brand: BottleKeeper®. BottleKeeper® is for

our beer-loving customers. It’s a stainless-steel bottle lined with neoprene that holds your beer bottle, keeps it cold, protects it from dropping and reseals it with a top that also functions as a bottle opener.”

All three brands are in stock and available now at PCNA.com.

Fifty years is a long time by most any measure. For JournalBooks, it’s a measure of the company’s uncompromising commitment to quality, service and innovation in the promotional products industry.

Established as Timeplanner Calendars by Jerome O’Boyle in 1971, JournalBooks is proudly marking its golden anniversary this year, celebrating five decades of made-to-order paper products. Today, its made to order journals and planners are a key part of an industry-best product offering for PCNA, which acquired JournalBooks in 2007. Distributors can order popular inline JournalBooks products through PCNA, or create unique solutions directly from the 80,000-square-foot JournalBooks facility in Charlotte, NC. Distributors can also include JournalBooks products in Perfectly Packaged™, a popular PCNA service offering decorative packaging and unlimited drop shipments.

JournalBooks President Tim O’Boyle – Jerome’s son – says the focus 50 years later is the same as it was on Day 1: customer solutions.

“At JournalBooks today, we still believe that our wide array of U.S.-made paper products helps build brands and deliver an end-customer’s message,” O’Boyle says. “We have always been a solutions-driven company, and since launching our JournalBooks line in the mid-’90s, it has given us a much wider platform to create unique custom products for our customers.”

Over the years, Jerome O’Boyle’s six sons – Jim, Tom, Larry, Joe, Tim and Patrick – built on the tradition of creating custom paper products, pioneering the category of custom journals and notebooks. That commitment to innovative solutions has won JournalBooks numerous industry awards – and, more importantly, many loyal customers.

“We certainly want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all the customers who’ve made this milestone possible,” O’Boyle says, adding that several special offers are planned to celebrate the anniversary. “Along with our amazing employees, of course, our customers are the ones who’ve made 50 years possible.”

Gemline (PPAI 113948, S11) has announced a long-term strategic partnership with The Fulham Group, the exclusive licensee for Cuisinart Outdoor Grilling Products, which enables the Lawrence, Massachusetts-based supplier to offer Cuisinart grills and grilling accessories to the promotional products market.

Cuisinart is a leader in culinary products from kitchen to backyard with a wide range of outdoor grills, grilling products and accessories. Its commitment to producing innovative, functional and top‐quality products has won Cuisinart numerous coveted awards and accolades throughout the years.

“As we continue to grow our in‐demand lifestyle and outdoor product categories, it is important for Gemline to continue to partner with reputable global brands that offer purposeful, highly desirable products,” says Frank Carpenito, president of Gemline. “Grilling has become a year‐round lifestyle choice, and our new assortment of Cuisinart outdoor grills and accessories will provide our distributor partners with more innovative brand options to meet the needs of their customers.”

Supplier HPG has formed a new, exclusive partnership with Master & Dynamic, a New York City-based maker of premium personal audio goods. HPG will offer promo-industry access to the award‐winning luxury retail brand under the HPG Exclusive line. Master & Dynamic headphones and earphones will be available from HPG Exclusive at one‐piece minimums with 48‐hour delivery times, and every order will include an optional gift message.

Master & Dynamic is a premium audio brand with professional-grade headphones backed by quality materials and design. Founder Jonathan Levine was first drawn to headphones after building a recording studio in his office to support his shared passion with his music-obsessed son, Robert, an emerging DJ/music producer. Levine is a serial consumer products entrepreneur and while touring colleges with his son, came across a pair of WWII aviator headphones in a museum, and could not help but notice how elegant and timeless they looked. The brand launched a small earphone and headphone collection in 2014 and has continued to grow, collaborating with luxury brands including Paris Saint‐Germain, Automobili Lamborghini, The Rolling Stones, Away and BAPE, while expanding its core product offerings along the way.

A supporter of the local creative community, Master & Dynamic is also a longtime sponsor of the arts program at the Harlem Village Academies, a public charter school network in Harlem.

“As a consumer, I’ve been a fan of Master & Dynamic for years and I honestly couldn’t be happier to bring them into the promo industry,” says HPG’s Chief Development Officer Jason Lucash. “Master & Dynamic is a true niche brand with incredibly high standards that raise the bar for everyone; there’s a huge difference between mass‐market specialty headphones and what you’ll find from Master & Dynamic. When you put on a pair of their headphones, you can hear the difference in audio engineering immediately—it’s amazing.”

Vantage Apparel (PPAI 113235, S10), based in Avenel, New Jersey, has acquired full-service European corporate apparel supplier Lynka, headquartered in Krakow, Poland. The acquisition makes Vantage the largest global supplier and decorator of corporate apparel, offering decoration services worldwide, according to a news release. Known for its multi-brand wholesale apparel and merchandise, Lynka will also inventory Vantage’s core product assortment; making way for global uniform programs which have been growing markets for the two companies over the past five years. 

“Our partnership with Lynka will allow distributors with global customers to achieve consistency in both top-quality apparel and decoration that have been a pinnacle of achievement for both companies through the years,” says Ira Neaman, MAS, CEO of Vantage Apparel. “I’m proud to bring Vantage’s reputation in superior decoration and back-office technology services to the world stage.”

Lynka’s leadership will remain intact with founder and shareholder John Lynch, a New Jersey native, at the helm as president. He will lead the more than 250-member team in Poland, which services customers across 25 countries in Europe including the UK, France, Germany, Scandinavia, and Central and Eastern Europe.

“I have personally known Vantage for well over a decade,” says Lynch. “Whenever we shared war stories over the years, Ira and I always agreed that Vantage and Lynka are remarkably similar companies—our unique one-stop-shop solution, our top-notch decoration, and in particular, our approach to business including our core values. I can’t imagine a better partner than Vantage for the future.“

Like Vantage, Lynka is known for its award-winning embellishment, having won more awards for decoration than any other European apparel company. It is one of the very few WRAP- (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) certified apparel manufacturers in Europe, ensuring safe, compliant and environmentally-friendly practices.

PCNA announced today that Bill Peterson has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. With more than 30 years of sales experience, Peterson comes to the promotional products supplier from Direct Sourcing Solutions, where he was Vice President of Sales and Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing sales in both North America and the European Union.

“We are thrilled to add Bill to our team,” said Holly Brown, Chief Revenue Officer. “With his customer-centric approach, Bill is laser focused on making things easier and delivering real value for our distributor partners. He’s an outstanding leader whose experience and expertise will be an immense benefit to both our organization and the customers we serve.”

Having spent much of his career with Staples, Peterson brings a long track record of success to PCNA, leading new business development and account management in the United States and Canada. He takes over as Vice President of Sales for David Grobisen, who spent 16 years with PCNA.

Supplier Edwards Garment Co. (PPAI 198530, S11) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, announced on Friday that President and CEO Gary Schultz will be transitioning to retirement, and Jose Gomez, Sr., senior vice president of operations, will move into the role of president, effective immediately. As reported in a PPB Newslink Breaking News alert, Schultz will maintain an active leadership role as CEO and continue to advise Gomez through the transition.

During Schultz’s 20-plus years at Edwards Garment, he has been instrumental in expanding the supplier into the uniform market with product categories in culinary, suiting, hospitality and security, along with navigating the company’s acquisitions of Bishop Custom Apparel in 2019 and HMB Andrew Rohan in 2018.

“With Jose as president, I will be able to devote my time to key strategy initiatives to grow all aspects of the business including our commitment to sustainable solutions,” he says.

Gomez will assume responsibility for all aspects of the business while maintaining responsibility for supply chain, operations and sourcing. During his more than 10 years at Edwards Garment and 12 years of consulting experience with Kurt Salmon Associates, Gomez has been instrumental in fundamentally transforming the company’s supply chain by expanding its global network and implementing world-class software while responding to changes in the industry.

Schultz adds, “The Board selected Jose to lead the organization based on his vast knowledge of the apparel industry and their expressed belief in the value of insider knowledge and experience. Jose’s wide-ranging experiences in the apparel industry provide him with the expertise that will serve Edwards today and into the future, while his tenure assures the special culture the company has will continue.”

Edwards Garment has been a privately held, family-owned company since 1867.

Supplier Chocolate Inn / Lanco (PPAI 111662, S7), based in Hicksville, New York, has joined its different subsidiaries together under the new corporate name, NC Custom. The new name comes with a unified website and salesforce, and pays homage to its parent company Nassau Candy, a manufacturer and wholesale supplier of confectionery, gourmet food, and private label/customized travel and resort products.

Under the rebrand, NC Custom will become the company name for the brands Chocolate Inn, Lanco and the newly acquired brand ACE USA, a supplier of premium custom outdoor apparel and hardgoods. The brands for NC Custom’s dedicated product lines will remain:

• Lanco: budget-friendly hard and soft goods including wellness and health and beauty items
• Chocolate Inn: personalized food and everyday gifting items
• ACE: premium National Park and resort-inspired apparel and hardgoods collection (which will be introduced in a limited rollout in the fourth quarter, with a plan for a full rollout in 2022 at The PPAI Expo).

Each brand is now integrated into a single, streamlined website at www.nccustom.com. The current Chocolate Inn and Lanco sites will also redirect to the new site.

“We’ve found our customers wanted a one-stop-shop where they can purchase and combine items from all our brands, which was the inspiration for the new website,” says Lance Stier, CEO of NC Custom, the promotional products arm of Nassau Candy. “We brought together all of these items under a common design element, as we have done with success in the retail markets. This new design along with improved searchability and enhanced sales tools for our distributors, all to help round out the customer experience and drive sales.”

Updates included in the new website launch include auto detection of country location (U.S. or Canada), a responsive design that adjusts to any device, Digital Connect Services, downloadable sales tools in U.S., Canada and client-friendly formats, new blog and case studies section, sustainability section, and a theme and collections section featuring custom collections across all companies

“As we continue to grow and acquire new and exciting brands to offer our customers, it only made sense to refresh the company name and look for a more integrated branding experience,” says David Miller, president of NC Custom. “While the name might have changed, one thing will remain—our dedication to offering all customers concierge-level service.”