News

HALO Branded Solutions (PPAI 106462, D15) announced today that Kevin Pollack has been named chief operating officer. Pollack joins the Sterling, Illinois-headquartered distributor after 17 years in key operational and commercial leadership roles with Stericycle, a multi-billion-dollar leader in the health care services industry. Pollack most recently served as senior vice president of global sales operations and strategic markets.

Pollack will be responsible for all aspects of HALO’s worldwide operational and technology infrastructure focused on delivering operational excellence throughout the entire order lifecycle. He will report to HALO CEO Marc Simon.

“The foundation of our success is operational excellence,” says Simon. “Kevin’s demonstrated track-record of success in senior operational leadership roles at a multi-billion-dollar global company has prepared him well to bring the vision and innovation we need to continue to enhance our service offerings as we grow our business. He has a strong commercial orientation and business process excellence mindset that will serve our company, sales professionals and customers well.”

Pollack adds, “HALO has developed an exceptional culture and reputation, and I am honored to join the team. I was drawn to HALO’s commitment to continuous improvement and the large investments being made to build a leading global business. I look forward to contributing new perspectives to the many positive initiatives in flight that will deliver value to our stakeholders.”

Pollack will be based at the company’s Oak Brook Terrace executive offices and its Sterling operational headquarters.

PCNA is excited to announce their partnership with UNTUCKit, the makers of the Original Untucked Shirt. PCNA is the first to be the exclusive supplier of UNTUCKit in the promotional products industry.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with UNTUCKit, and bring this incredible brand to our customers,” says Kate Boyce, Vice President of PCNA Apparel. “While the move toward more causal workplace attire has been ongoing, the casualization trend has only accelerated as a direct result of the pandemic,” continues Boyce. “UNTUCKit is a more elevated take on casual shirts that are perfect for both virtual and in-person meetings, yet versatile enough for everyday wear. I can’t think of a better time to bring this brand to market. This partnership makes the PCNA industry-leading portfolio of the best retail brands even stronger.”

UNTUCKit has not only created the perfect fitting shirt, they have done so using fabrics made exclusively for the company by top-tier manufactures across the world. In addition, they meet the highest quality control standards, testing every shirt five times to ensure they retain their shape, color and strength.

When asked about the partnership, Alberto Corral, VP of Marketing for UNTUCKit says, “We are thrilled to partner with PCNA to launch UNTUCKit in the promotional products marketplace. Our untucked shirts not only look great, they're incredibly comfortable too. Our styles paired with the best-in-class decoration that PCNA offers is truly a win-win for the consumer and we look forward to seeing where this partnership takes us.”

PCNA offers 8 men’s styles in regular fit with three of those also available in slim fit. PCNA is also offering one women’s style as part of the collection. All styles will be sold as decorated items only. You can find PCNA’s selection of UNTUCKit styles on their website at pcna.com.

The board of directors of supplier alphabroder has announced that Dan Pantano, currently president of alphabroder-Prime Line, has been promoted to CEO and elected to the board of directors, effective immediately. Pantano replaces Norm Hullinger, CAS, who has been with the company for the past 18 years and currently serves on the PPAI board.

Pantano joined the Trevose, Pennsylvania-based company in 2013 as president, leading the commercial side of the business. Commenting on the promotion, he says, “I couldn’t be more excited to take over the leadership of alphabroder-Prime Line at this time. Our customers are focused on growing their businesses profitably, especially as our industry rebounds from COVID-19. Our job is to help them do that each and every day and do it as seamlessly as possible. We will have a relentless focus on that going forward.”

In a statement, alphabroder credits Pantano and his team with building a world-class sales and marketing organization. Following the additions of Ash City, Bodek & Rhodes, Golden State T’s and Prime Line to the alphabroder family, he worked with all aspects of these businesses to integrate them into the organization and enhance the customer experience. Under Pantano’s direction, alphabroder has expanded its Private Brand business and elevated product offerings by bringing in leading retail brands including Under Armor, PUMA, Spyder and Nautica.

Michael Klein, CEO of Littlejohn & Co, alphabroder’s majority shareholder and a member of the board of directors, says, “We have been working with Dan for more than eight years and look forward to alphabroder’s future under his experienced leadership to take the company to the next level of performance and position it as the undisputed leader in this industry.”

In the statement, the company added: “alphabroder thanks Norm Hullinger for his 18 years of service to the company and his outstanding contributions to alphabroder-Prime Line and the industry overall.”

BELLA+CANVAS announced today that Norm Hullinger will join the company as its Chief Operating Officer. Most recently, Mr. Hullinger was CEO at alphabroder, one of the largest wholesale apparel distributors in the promotional products industry, a role he held since 2012. Prior to becoming CEO, Norm served as alphabroder’s COO for ten years, following a diverse career which included executive roles at both technology and retail companies.

BELLA+CANVAS has enjoyed significant growth in recent years, requiring major investments to expand its global operating infrastructure. In the past twelve months alone, the company added operations in five countries, expanded its Los Angeles cutting facility (the largest of its kind in the world), and added a 750,000 square foot distribution center on the East Coast of the U.S to support its wholesale distribution partners.

Chris Blakeslee, BELLA+CANVAS’ President commented, “The growth of our business necessitated the creation of the COO role, and for us the choice was simple. I personally had the privilege to work closely with Norm for several years at alphabroder and witnessed his leadership, professionalism, and drive for results. It’s now my pleasure to welcome him, on behalf of the entire BELLA+CANVAS team, to join our company, where he’ll lead our pursuit for operational excellence and unparalleled service that exceeds our customers’ expectations.”

Norm Hullinger added, “My relationship with BELLA+CANVAS goes back nearly fifteen years, and I’ve admired what the company and team has accomplished both as a partner, and as an industry disruptor. I’m excited to now lead the efforts which will solidify the company’s infrastructure as it becomes the largest basics brand in the industry.” 

TJ’s role will be working collaboratively with our clients to develop business opportunities, establishing and maintaining client relationships through communication and project management, ensuring clients receive high quality service from our internal team.

She attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX and Hillsboro Community College in Hillsboro, TX. She is a graduate of Walnut Springs High School.

TJ began her career with distributor Health Impressions in Waco, TX where she became a million-dollar sales rep. With a move to the Dallas area, she worked for Communications Marketing Group in Richardson, TX. In 1999 she joined the Norwood Group. She spent 5 years with Adva-Lite, Inc. out of FL and then spent nearly 15 years with Evans Mfg. out of Garden Grove, CA. She’s made the return to Richardson, TX to join MetroPak. TJ earned her MAS in 2020.

TJ’s love of all things football, especially her Dallas Cowboys, keeps her weekends busy. She keeps in shape by training and walking yearly in at least one Susan G. Komen 3Day walk. That’s 60 miles over 3 days. In 2021 she hopes to fi nish her 15th walk. That would be 900 miles for her.

TJ can be reached at MetroPak, Inc. at tj@metropak.com or 972.638.5943 x143.

HALO Branded Solutions (PPAI 106462, D15) announces the addition of Paul Bellantone, CAE, to the company’s executive team in the newly created role of senior vice president of sales for the Western U.S., effective today. Bellantone was previously president and CEO of PPAI. He reports to Jim Stutz, HALO executive vice president of sales, marketing and business development.

“Paul’s leadership at PPAI the past 20 years will prove to be an exceptional resource for our sales team,” says Stutz. “He will also be responsible for developing relationships with industry distributors and sales professionals who can use HALO’s selling tools and technology to grow their business.”

Marc Simon, CEO of the Sterling, Illinois-based distributor, adds, “Paul is highly respected in our industry and throughout HALO. Many of our senior executives have volunteered at PPAI, and they all hold Paul in the highest esteem. His deep knowledge of our unique industry dynamics and forward view of how industry sales professionals can succeed in the new normal will bring great value to HALO. He is a perfect fit for our executive leadership team and the many initiatives we have in place to continue our successful growth. We feel very fortunate that Paul chose to join HALO.”

Bellantone says, “I have had deep respect for what the HALO team has accomplished since I came into the industry. Their capabilities and culture as an organization are an excellent fit for me and I look forward to collaborating with this talented team as I begin this new and exciting chapter in my life.”

Bellantone had announced late last year that he would be leaving PPAI in March 2021, after more than two decades with the Association. He had been president and CEO since 2011. “It is indeed good news that Paul will remain in the promotional products industry and, on behalf of PPAI, we wish him all the best in this new role,” says PPAI Board Chair Todd Pottebaum, MAS+.

American Solutions for Business is excited to announce that Brady Johnson has been promoted to Director of Strategic Operations Support (SOS) and Stan Klarenbeek has been promoted to Director of Vertical Markets, expanding his role to oversee Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO).

Brady Johnson joined the company in 2016 as an SOS coordinator and has been acting supervisor of strategic operations support (SOS) for the last two years.

“Brady has done a wonderful job leading the SOS team, onboarding new sales associates and managing large program implementations,” said Amy Spychalla, VP of SOS.

Stan Klarenbeek joined ASB in 2017 with over 30 years of experience in management, sales and marketing across various markets. In this transition, Stan will continue to support the financial vertical, but will also be a key resource to our GPO contacts, working diligently to gain new GPO business across markets and to solidify contracts for years to come.

“The teams are working harder than ever and providing excellent support to all stakeholders including sales associates, customers, vendors and support staff,” adds Spychalla. “I’m proud of the hard work everyone has put forth and am confident that both Brady and Stan will help lead us into the next exciting chapter at American.”

Last week at SAGE Conference Virtual, SAGE’s popular annual users’ conference, SAGE debuted several new features and updates to their products and services. Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO, unveiled SAGE Online 17, the latest version of the company’s flagship research and business management solution. Other releases include highly anticipated advancements and capabilities for SAGE Web, SAGE’s web-based service for Macs and any other device with a web browser, and fresh, new, modular SAGE Websites.

"Our goal at SAGE has always been to build powerful solutions for the industry that are also easy to use," said Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO. "We are continuously streamlining our products and processes to make them even more efficient, and with the updates in this release, we know our customers will be able to save time and be more productive."

SAGE Online 17 reveals a refreshed overall look and feel and a number of new, user-driven additions within each module, each designed to maximize ease-of-use. The product search area upgrades include new search criteria such as the ability to search for Canadian friendly suppliers, filter product results by decoration availability, and more. Users will also see increased functionality within the presentations area, allowing them to choose a template when creating a presentation and drag presentation items to orders, email campaigns, or print publications.

The new SAGE Online 17 also incorporates popular customer-requested features such as an increased page count for custom printed catalogs created in the Print Studio. Users can add a clients’ text messaging preferences in the CRM module, and send invoices that include payment links through SAGE Order Management. Other exciting additions include new scheduling options in the Email Campaigns area, the ability to add products from presentations to an email campaign, and more.

Substantial upgrades have also been made to the immensely popular Project Management area where distributors can easily view and manage all projects, track their status, and improve their team’s organization. With added workflow steps, additional client customization options, and new organization options, distributors can further tailor the tool to their specific needs.

Eagerly awaited updates to SAGE Web, SAGE’s web-based research tool, will also be released over the next few months. SAGE Web will soon include added features like Project Management, SAGE Chat, Print Studio, and Email Campaigns, as well as enhancements to the presentations area, giving Mac users and others using web browsers the same core functionality that exists in the Windows-based SAGE Online.

Also arriving in March, the brand-new SAGE Websites signal a new era with fresh, contemporary design and more customization options than ever before. In addition to modern features like video backgrounds and mega-menu support, the latest SAGE Websites are built with modules, allowing distributors to turn on and off, reconfigure, and reposition each module to create the website they’ve always wanted. Other exciting enhancements include filter options to drill down search results, the addition of the SAGE Virtual Design Studio in the admin area to easily add logos to product images, and carts can now be pushed to SAGE Order Management, streamlining the ordering process.

“We’re excited for this release because a lot of the new features and updates were specifically designed in response to our customers’ feedback,” Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO, commented. “We always do our best to listen and when we have an opportunity like this, to implement their ideas to help them be more successful.”

SAGE Online 17 is available now. Subscribers will receive an “update available” prompt upon logging into SAGE Online as soon as the new version is available to them. The new SAGE Websites will be available within the next week. The SAGE Web updates will be rolling out over the next few months, starting in April. Distributors can expect to receive automatic, unintrusive software updates throughout the duration of the release. There is no additional charge for any of these updates.

SAGE customers who could not attend the SAGE Conference can view recordings of the sessions in SAGEmember.com.

SAGE encourages distributors who are not already SAGE subscribers to take advantage of its complimentary 30-day Total Access subscription. Visit their website to get started with SAGE Total Access, which includes SAGE Online, SAGE Web, and SAGE Mobile.

Today Polyconcept North America (PCNA) launched a new full-service website, the centerpiece of a company-wide rebranding designed to make its best-in-class experience even better for distributors.

“Today is truly an exciting day,” Polyconcept CEO Neil Ringel says. “The new website and overall rebranding represent another milestone on our continuous journey to provide distributors with the very best experience in the promotional products industry.

“Our promise is this,” Ringel continues. “To provide an easy, reliable service experience and perfectly decorated products delivered on time, every time.”

While the new website still can be found at www.pcna.com, it’s got a fresh look and feel with a variety of functional enhancements that will allow distributors to do their jobs more quickly and effectively. Highlights include:

• Quick, accurate product quotes: Distributors can now configure a line-item quote with product, quantity and decoration, get an accurate cost, and place an order on the spot.
• Better product search: Distributors can search by brand, product, quantity, SKU or price range, returning results that allow them to find more of what they need faster.
• Easy-to-create virtuals: Initial deployment of a new visualization tool that uses refined decoration data to instantaneously produce lifelike virtuals.
• A faster, more modern platform: The site features quick access to expert service through live chat and a responsive design that’s optimized for both desktop and mobile users.

In addition to the new website, PCNA has simplified how distributors place orders, introducing a single process for its large family of brands. The change underscores the company’s commitment to creating an easier, more reliable customer experience. Other recent service initiatives include Perfectly Packaged, which provides decorative packaging and unlimited drop shipments, and an enhanced large-order quoting process that promises a response in as little as an hour. The company also has invested an additional $10 million in inventory to ensure deep in-stock positions for its most popular items, so distributors can be assured their favorite products are readily available.

Ringel emphasizes that the new website and rebranding are important steps on a continuous journey. He says distributors can look forward to additional enhancements to the PCNA service and product offering in the weeks and months to come, including a simplified decoration program, expansion of Perfectly Packaged to include more gift options, and new retail brand partners for both hardgoods and apparel.

“Our commitment to distributors has never been stronger,” Ringel says. “They deserve a reliable partner who makes their job easier. Because what we do together is more than just deliver promotional products. Together we inspire pride.”

Learn more about the new ways PCNA is supporting distributors at www.pcna.com.

The Stromberg family has announced with great sadness that Richard Stromberg passed away on March 17, 2021.

Known for his boundless positive energy and enthusiasm, even in recent years while coping with the increasing challenges presented by Multiple Sclerosis, Mr. Stromberg worked every day until his passing. Continuous development of the business and its product line was his focus, as well as directing creative projects and providing his years of wisdom to the StrombergBrand team.

Mr. Stromberg began his career at his family’s retail/wholesale umbrella business, which was founded by his father, Jaye Stromberg, in 1942. He worked his way up from what he fondly described as “chief broom pusher” to assuming ownership in 1967.  From then on, he made it his life’s work to learn more than just about anyone about umbrella production. He wanted to know every detail about stitching, fabric, frames, components, and more -- traveling around the world from France to Italy, the UK, Germany, China, Taiwan, and South Korea to meet and work with top manufacturers.

After offering his products in the premium market, Mr. Stromberg entered the promotional products industry and exhibited at his first trade show in 1968, in New York City. He was interviewed on his 50^th anniversary in the industry and said: “Before I signed up for that show, I didn’t even know what ‘ad specialty’ was! A neighboring exhibitor filled me in on many details of the industry. I grew to love the business and the people in it.” He was a lifelong supporter and active participant of industry groups and associations, having served on various committees over the years, and earned his CAS designation in the 1970s.

Helen Stromberg, Mr. Stromberg’s wife, who has been with the company since 1981, continues in the position of President. Their daughter, Jennifer Stromberg, assumed the role of company Vice President in 2020, ensuring a strategic third generation management transition.

“Richard has left us with a business that is thriving and with a wonderful team in place to continue operating in his legacy. Those of us who knew him were constantly uplifted by his favorite sayings, which were always ones of optimism: ‘Think positive,’ ‘Where there’s life there’s hope,’ and of course, ‘Carpe Diem.’  We have many things to thank him for, but most importantly, his constant encouragement to push forward, work hard, and believe in ourselves,” said Helen Stromberg.

Mr. Stromberg is survived by his wife, four daughters, five grandchildren, and countless lifelong and industry friends.  In addition to his family, friends and work, his passions included reading, history, art, jazz music, astronomy, etymology, billiards, his country home, traveling to warm places, and murder mysteries.

Those that would like to reach out to the family to offer condolences or share memories of Richard are welcome to do so at http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000198135740X. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society  in his memory.