Hauppauge, NY – Tekweld’s Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Ray Rodriguez, has announced the promotion of Dan Jenne to Director of National Accounts. The company’s newly created position has the goal of developing strong working relationships with larger promotional products distributors with a national presence. Jenne will report directly to Rodriguez. The promotion was effective January 1, 2019. 

“We are excited about the creation of this important position within Tekweld, and the promise that it holds for the company’s continued growth. We are equally excited that Dan has accepted the position and its challenges,” remarked Rodriguez while attending the recent ASI Show in Orlando, Florida.  With 22 years experience in the promotional products industry, most recently as Tekweld’s Southeast Regional Sales Manager, Rodriguez sees Jenne’s strong technology background critical in his new role.” Jenne added, “I'm continually learning new programs and how they might improve our sales potential and distributor relationships.” Rodriguez added, “Dan is a tech savvy guy. He has the uncanny ability to show accounts how to leverage our product line with technology to expand their sales, and therefore Tekweld’s.” 

When asked about his goals at Tekweld, Jenne quickly replied, “I am very excited about this new opportunity. As Tekweld continues to grow, we need to be cultivating relationships with our larger national accounts, and unearthing all the opportunities that holds.” He continued, “I believe with my team’s support, and Tekweld’s high-quality product line, I am ready and willing to lead that charge.” 

Inside of the industry, Dan has served as past president, and currently as trustee, for the Promotional Products Disaster Recovery Foundation (PPDRF), aiding industry members applying for natural disaster assistance. He also served as past president of Carolinas Association of Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAAMP). Outside of the industry, he is a single father to his 14-year-old daughter, McKenzie. Both Dan and McKenzie are accomplished musicians, active members of their church, and reside in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. 

Located in Hauppauge, NY, Tekweld (PPAI 266346, UPIC: TEKWELD, SAGE 67569, ASI 90807) founded in 2001, is a Top 40 ASI Supplier offering a vast collection of custom printed and packaged promotional products including lip balms, hand sanitizers, sunglasses, retro lunch boxes, and microfiber cleaning cloths.  For more information on the company, visit www.tekweld.com

SHARON, Ma. (March 1, 2019) – We are excited to announce that we have recenetly hired Incentive Source sales representative Jillian Heilman to cover the Pacific Northwest for Charles River Apparel. 

Jillian has an extensive background in the industry, as she has spent the last 10 years at BDA, Inc. Her last role with them was as their Supplier Development Manager at the Corporate HQ in Woodinville, WA. 

While at BDA, she has earned several awards, including: “2013 BDA Incentive Trip", “2013 Circle of Excellence Winner" and “2008 Circle of Excellence Nominee". Prior to BDA, she worked for 6 years as a Marketing Analyst and Product Development Manager among other roles for Nordstrom, Inc.  Jillian has earned her B.A. in Finance and Economics from Eastern Washington University.  

She started as a multi-line sales-rep a little over a year ago while working for Incentive Source. Jillian is carrying several premium lines, and is now adding her first apparel line in Charles River. She is a welcome addition for us and we are looking forward to what she will bring to the Charles River team!

ABOUT CHARLES RIVER APPAREL

Charles River Apparel, founded in 1983 and based in Sharon, Massachusetts, is a leading manufacturer of active apparel for corporations, businesses, school teams, athletic groups, and college students nationwide. The family-owned company, now in their 3rd generation, has been nationally recognized for the quality, style, and value of their apparel as well as their various philanthropic efforts throughout the year.  Charles River Apparel has been listed as one of the top 100 Sporting Goods Manufacturers in the U.S., named a top 10 Small Businesses of Massachusetts by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in 2011, Named as a top 25 Family owned business in Massachusetts, Humanitarian of the year by NEPPA in 2016 and was awarded Massachusetts Family Business of the Year in 2012.   For more information, please visit www.charlesriverapparel.com

HANOVER, MD (February 5, 2019) – The Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA) is pleased to announce that Kendra McDougal was inducted into the CPPA Hall of Fame during the 12^th Annual Peake Award Ceremony on February 5, 2019 in Hanover.

The CPPA Hall of Fame originated in 2007 and was designed to recognize individuals that make an outstanding and lasting contribution to the regional association as well as to the promotional products industry. Individuals inducted have made a significant difference in the association, for our membership and ultimately in the community.  McDougal joins previous inductees: Jim Hayes, Steve Yaniga, Hersch Wellman, Mike Harper Senior, Murray Siegel, Robert Titelman Senior and Jolie Porter.

For more information on the CPPA Peake Awards, go to www.cppa.biz, or contact Tiffany Kanak, CPPA Executive Director, at 410.562.0609.

HANOVER, MD (Feb 5, 2019) – The Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA) honored regional performers at the annual Peake Awards Ceremony, sponsored by J Charles Crystalworks, at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover on Feb 5, 2019.

Each year CPPA proudly presents the Peake Awards to honor excellence and creativity in our association and industry.  The Peake Award Event honors recipients in nine categories in addition to any Excellence In Promotions (EIP) Campaigns submitted. The EIP awards are designed to recognize campaigns that feature excellence in the practical application of promotional items. 

CPPA Board President, Jeff Franklin with Headwear USA said, “The Peake Awards has become a signature event for CPPA. It gives us the opportunity to recognize excellence in the region and celebrate those who advance the industry in which we work.  It is important to take pause and recognize the individuals that serve our region so diligently.  The Peake Awards gives us the opportunity to do just that as well as thank them for their commitment to the industry. I hope the 2019 recipients take pride in being the best in the business.”

In addition to the annual performance awards, this year’s ceremony, hosted by emcee Robert Titelman, Sr. of Skylight Creative Ideas, honored Kendra McDougal by inducting her into the CPPA Hall of Fame.  This high honor recognizes individuals that make an outstanding and lasting contribution to the regional association as well as to the promotional products industry.

CPPA would like to congratulate the 2019 list of recipients on this accomplishment and thank them for their dedication to excellence.

A full list of this year’s honorees are as follows:

Distributor of the Year – Summit Group
Distributor Sales Representative of the Year – Susan Hysen, Summit Group
Distributor Support Person of the Year – Anna Kokoszka , Summit Group
Supplier of the Year- Showdown Displays
Supplier Representative of the Year- Kelly Rothman, SanMar
Supplier Support Person of The Year- Jonathan Horowitz – Prime Resources Corp
Multi-Line Representative of the Year – Seth Friedman, Friedman & Associates
CPPA Rising Star – Melanie Pope – Summit Group
The Peake Aware (Volunteer of the Year) – Jeff Franklin, Headwear USA
Hall of Fame – Kendra McDougal

Excellent in Promotions Campaign Winners:
GOLD WINNER Non-profit Category – Joyce Ponton, Halo Branded Solutions
SILVER WINNER Business to Business Category – Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MAS+, iPROMOTEu
BRONZE WINNER Distributor/Supplier Collaboration Category – Janice Tippett, Millennium Marketing Solutions

For more information on the CPPA Peake Awards or CPPA, go to www.cppa.biz, or contact Tiffany Kanak, CPPA Executive Director, at 410.562.0609.

GLENWOOD, MN – February 7, 2019 – This past week, ASB held a 5K Run/Walk to raise money for the local United Way while hosting their national sales conference in conjunction with the ASI Show Fort Worth. Over 130 individuals donated and nearly 100 participated in walking or running the race on Monday, February 3^rd. In addition, 13 suppliers stepped up as event sponsors to donate product and monetary contribution. These suppliers include: SanMar, Dubow Textile, BamBams, Spector & Co., Raining Rose, Catania Medallic Specialty, Showdown Displays, Logo Mats, OTTO International and Evans Manufacturing.

“We’re incredibly grateful for this opportunity to give back to our host city,” said Dana Zezzo, ASB’s VP of Marketing, Vendor Relations & Events. “We set off with the intention to raise awareness and hopefully get 20 or 30 people to participate – we had no idea it would blow up like it did! We have some of the most passionate associates and vendor partners and are looking forward to exploring even more ways to give back to our communities.”

About American Solutions for Business
American was founded in 1981 in Glenwood, Minnesota, and has evolved into a leading distributor, providing our customers with print, promotional products, marketing collateral, fulfillment and more. Despite our growth in technology, resources and sales, we maintain our grassroots attitude by operating as the only large employee-owned distributorship in the industry. This results in a team of personally-invested employees that care for our customers’ branding, spend and creative reach to help achieve their goals.

Irving, TX, January, 2019   HUB Promotional Group’s Hub Pen Company accepted the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Gold Pyramid Award at the PPAI Pyramid Award Celebration held January 15, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in conjunction with The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas.    This is the third consecutive year the pen supplier received the Gold Supplier Star in their revenue category. Winners are recognized for outstanding service in areas such as responsiveness, on-time shipping, product quality and sales aids.

Since 1958, the PPAI Pyramid Awards have recognized and honored promotional products businesses and helped shine the spotlight on the collaborative business model unique to the industry. HUB Promotional Group member Beacon Promotions was also awarded in the 2019 Pyramid Award Competition, as the company was presented a Silver Pyramid Award in Marketing for their name badge kit.

“We are honored to receive these awards,” says Joe Fleming, President of HUB Promotional Group.  “We have a great team at Hub Pen and everyone understands the needs of our distributor customers.  We are thankful to our PPAI Distributors for their continued support and for awarding us the gold three years running.”

"Our marketing team works closely together to bring the best sales tools to our distributors,” Fleming adds. “Beacon has always taken a very creative approach to marketing and truly deserves the award for the name badge kit.”

These winners were selected by a panel of industry professionals and independent, outside marketing and advertising professionals. For more information about the PPAI Pyramid Awards program visit www.ppai.org/awards or contact the PPAI Awards and Recognition department at awards@ppai.org.       

Salt Lake City, Utah, January 14, 2019 – In a deal finalized on December 21st, 2018, HandStands PROMO (www.handstandspromo.com) joined HUB Promotional Group (www.hubpromotionalgroup.com) which is now comprised of eight A+ rated Suppliers:

HUB Pen (www.hubpen.com), Beacon (www.beaconpromotions.com), Best USA (www.bestusa.com), Cooler Graphics (www.coolergraphics.com), Debco (www.debcosolutions.com), BCG Creations (www.bcgcreations.com), Origaudio (www.origaudiopromo.com), HandStands (www.handstandspromo.com)

Established in 1983, HandStands® was one of the first companies to bring mouse pads to the marketplace. Today, HandStands® PROMO offers a wide variety of unique promotional products, from phone and tablet accessories to air fresheners, stress relief, lifestyle and automotive accessories.

With a 35-year history of market-leadership and innovation, HandStands® is known for Remarkable Products - Remarkable Service - Remarkable Experiences… HandStands’® Salt Lake City location enhances HUB’s expanding nationwide footprint. The HandStands® product lineup complements the market-leading technology and lifestyle products of the HUB Group.

Strengthening the leadership team, Chris Anderson, Chairman of HandStands, will become the Chief Operating Officer of HUB Promotional Group. “I am super excited for HandStands’ next chapter and the opportunity to play a larger role in the growth and development of HUB,” says HUB COO, Chris Anderson. “Given the rapid evolution that is occurring in the promotional products industry, we were looking for more than just growth capital. We wanted a strategic partner to help us become an industry leader on a far more rapid timeline –and our partnership with HUB provides exactly what we have been looking for.”

Rodd Steuart, HandStands CEO, who will continue to lead HandStands Promo, adds, “I am excited to leverage the reach and resources of HUB Promotional Group for the benefit of HandStands’ customers and employees. By teaming up with HUB, we are greatly enhancing the customer experience we are able to offer as a result of this combination of businesses.”

Joe Fleming, CEO of HUB Promotional Group says, “We are delighted to have HandStands join our portfolio of companies and we welcome Chris, Rodd and their entire team to HUB. The HandStands team has worked very hard to consistently deliver innovation and value to their customers and their rapid growth and exceptional reputation in the industry speaks for itself. Working together, we will share and incorporate best practices across the entire company to make HUB even better for our customers. The addition of HandStands to the HUB family of companies enables us to expand our product lineup, add a production facility and expand our distribution network to become the leading hard goods supplier in the promotional products industry.”

Midnite Snax, the leading candy, snack and gourmet food manufacturer and supplier to the promotional products industry, is proudly reuniting with Jules Scheck Associates (JSA) come January 1, 2019.  JSA is a prominent manufacturer’s representative and consulting agency to major supplier firms and distributors in the promotional products industry.  JSA manages the entire Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, with offices in New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

“This is a very exciting time for us at Midnite Snax,” says David Katz, Executive Vice President and Partner.  “When the opportunity to work with Jason Bickoff and his team arose, we jumped at it.  We are experiencing tremendous growth here at Midnite Snax and to have a premier organization like JSA represent our brand of almost 28 years can only enhance our relationships up and down the east coast. “

“Everyone at JSA is enormously excited to be reunited with Midnite Snax and to be working directly with Craig, David and the entire Midnite Snax family,” said Jason Bickoff, President of JSA.  “To say the facilities are impressive is an understatement.  Between the pharmaceutical SQF certified clean rooms and the never ending supply of every fresh and delectable treat imaginable, we are very enthusiastic about the upcoming start of our partnership.”

Jason and his team will be combining efforts with Sean Kurtzman, Midnite Snax Director of Business Development, to manage this territory and to co-develop relationships.   “JSA has a stellar reputation throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions.  We’re going to be an amazing team,” says Kurtzman.  Although the official start date of the partnership is January 1, 2019 a tremendous amount of planning is already underway to ensure a successful launch.  “We have big plans,” says Katz.  “ this is just the beginning of great things to come.”

API Staff, Clients, Family, and Friends mourn the loss of the Brown Family Patriarch.
Lanham, Maryland, November 21, 2018 ------

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness and heartfelt sympathy that we inform you of the passing of API’s founder, Mr. Charles G. Brown. Mr. Brown passed away peacefully with family by his side the morning of November 21, 2018.

Charles, or Charlie, as we all know him, opened the doors of Charles G. Brown Inc. in Maryland, 1965.Operating as a sole proprietorship in the formative years of the company, Charlie eventually brought on additional team members, including his son Michael Brown and longtime family friend Leo Boone to help grow the business, which included a name change. Originally focusing on emblematic jewelry, Charlie and the team eventually added additional products and services to the API portfolio, including branded merchandise, screen printing, and embroidery to name only a few. Over the years API has continued to evolve into one of the top Branded Merchandise Companies in the United States, receiving top awards from both clients and respected industry publications. API currently sits at number 31 on the Promo Magazine Top 50 list.

Always quick with a witty retort as well as an intelligent solution to any challenge, Charlie always made an impression on whoever he met. Charlie was a mentor and friend to many and kept an active role behind the scenes over the years for which we are all appreciative and grateful.

Charlie is survived by his loving wife, Mary, six children, Michael Brown and Sherrie (wife of Michael), Robert Brown, David Brown and Cindy (wife of David), Cindy Wendt and Pete (Husband of Cindy), Jennifer Stone and David (Husband of Jennifer), and Julie Brown. Charlie is also survived by his grandchildren, Michael, Lesley, Shelby, Hannah, Claudia, Hunter, Elliot, and Lucas as well as Great Grandchildren on the way.

We will have a celebration of life get together at API which is being planned now. Once plans are finalized, we will be sure to let everyone know, as you will all be welcome to join us for some refreshments and some stories about Charlie.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society in Charlie’s memory. American Cancer Society Donations

API would not exist if it were not for Charlie. The relationships that we have built with our clients, our suppliers, and our friends on the API team all started with him. For that, we are eternally grateful.

Rest in Peace Charlie.

GLENWOOD, MN – November 16, 2018 – The American Solutions for Business senior leadership team volunteered at the local United Way this week in Alexandria, MN. They packaged boxes of food for children and families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. The following day, a team from American delivered these boxes to the local elementary school, where they will be distributed. This effort is part of a company-wide campaign to raise money for the United Way. American’s goal is to raise $10,000 overall.

“We’re strongly rooted in our community, and these efforts can truly change people’s lives,” explains Justin Zavadil, ASB President. “We’re excited to participate in such a worthy cause.”