eLead Promo mourns the passing of Dan Feldman, senior account manager, on April 20 in Thousand Oaks, California.

• Feldman joined the company in 2017 bringing his passion for navigating logistics, solving problems, hunting down products and providing his clients with honest service. The company’s news release says he had a calming voice and the best dad jokes, and will be greatly missed as a colleague, collaborator, mentor and friend. 
• Previously, Feldman owned a series of distributorships and a print shop.
• He is survived by his wife Marcy, son Jake, daughter Emilia, granddaughter Olive and his dogs Athena and Mikey.

Kati Sportcap & Bag, a seller of Sportsman Cap & Bag products, has paired up with Imperial Headwear, a major player in the headwear industry for more than a century.

• Imperial's products can be found at 98 of the Top 100 and at more than 70 percent of the Top 400 golf courses in the United States.
• The best-selling performance cap is the Original Performance X210P, along with trendy looks including the Night Owl 7055 and the Wingman 7054, plus cozy knits like the Mammoth 6015.

“Imperial’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship is second to none,” says Danny Spier, president of Kati Sportcap & Bag. “Not only are they a trusted brand with a long history in the industry, but Imperial is also the headwear choice for golfers. We’re excited to add such an in-demand brand to our roster.”

Published with Permission from PPAI

Distributor Indoff has been acquired for approximately $69.2 million by distributor Global Industrial Company, the two sides announced on Monday.

Based in St. Louis, Indoff has been named among promo’s Greatest Companies To Work For by PPAI in multiple years, including as recently as 2023.

Global Industrial was founded more than 70 years ago, and shares its mission with Indoff of providing customers with the products and solutions to keep them operating and successful.

“Indoff is a strong and growing company and provides a great strategic fit with Global Industrial’s business and multi-channel sales model,” says Barry Litwin, CEO of Global Industrial Company.

In outlining what the deal brings to the table, Global Industrial has cited strong product alignments in material handling, indoor and outdoor furniture, storage and shelving, appliances, and other core categories, as well as new service capabilities and project-related expertise.

“This is an exciting time for our employees and our customers,” says Jim Malkus, CEO of Indoff. “As part of Global Industrial, we will be in a stronger position to drive the value we provide our customers and support the continued expansion of the business.”

Litwin says, “We see a number of opportunities to enhance the value we collectively provide, including opening a new channel to deliver Global’s Exclusive Brand offering and national brand assortment and the broader utilization of B2B e-commerce platforms.

“We are excited to welcome Indoff’s employees and customers to the Global Industrial family and look forward to supporting their continued success.”

Written by: Jonny Auping

Published with Permission from PPAI

Simon Perutz, founder of Orbus Exhibit & Display Group, has died. He was 64.

A statement from the company reveals that he died suddenly on April 19 while in England with his wife, Kim.

Remembered as a loving family man and a titan in the exhibit industry, Perutz lived a life of accomplishments before his sudden passing. Simon’s father, Gerald Perutz, founded Nimlok Limited in 1970 with Neil Nimmo, the inventor of the Nimlok lock and clip, an innovation for exhibition displays.

As the business grew, and Gerald relocated his family from the United Kingdom to the United States in 1977, a young Simon joined Nimmo and his father in establishing Nimlok in the U.S. in 1981. Simon would lead Nimlok’s product development, sales and marketing efforts, helping form Nimlok into a greater international presence in countries such as Canada, Italy and Australia.

Twenty years after helping bring Nimlok to the United States, Simon would establish Orbus Exhibit & Display Group in the U.S. in 2001. He led the Nimlok business in the U.S. until 2010, when Nimlok merged with Orbus.

Simon and his brothers, Tim and Gerald, established 15 exhibit and display-focused companies around the world and formed the P3 Group – representing the three Perutz brothers.

“Words cannot express what a truly incredible person Simon was,” says Gary Keefer, CEO of Orbus Exhibit & Display Group. “We are deeply saddened, yet extremely thankful to have had such a wonderful founder, mentor and caring leader. Simon will be profoundly missed and honored.”

He is survived by Kim; his sons Andrew and Matthew; daughters Kate, Tessa and Lucy; granddaughter Daisy; and his siblings Tim and Sandie.

Published with Permission from PPAI

‘Hey look,’ you must’ve thought before clicking on this article, ‘it’s that guy who’s always posting on LinkedIn about wearing pink on Wednesdays.’

Guilty. “Pink Wednesday” is a weekly reminder to spread love and kindness to others in our industry and beyond. Those posts helped me make a name for myself and put me on PPAI’s #Online18 ranking of the promo industry’s best follows on social media for 2023.

The odds are overwhelming that you don’t know me personally even though I’ve been in this industry for a decade. You might not even follow me on LinkedIn or Facebook – it’s not like I have millions of followers. But because of the way I use these platforms to market myself and the work I do for Hirsch, you’re still pretty likely to have seen my posts shared into your feed and have at least a vague awareness of who I am and what I do.

And in this industry, which is built on relationships, that means something.

We all recognize that our digital lives are a massive representation of ourselves and our businesses. You can no longer afford to handle your marketing in only print, or even through digital ads or email blasts. Social media is now the public square. Whether you’re a supplier or distributor, it’s where all of your customers go to hang out on a daily basis – especially LinkedIn.

But so many of us are still hesitant or unwilling to embrace this vital piece of the customer funnel.

In fact, that was me not too long ago, before coming into my own online and in my career within the last five years. If that’s your feeling about social media now, I hope that the lessons I’ve learned can be helpful for you.

Find A Purpose

How did I get here?

It started by allowing myself to fall in love with social media despite my previous feelings about it. Years ago, I had actually deleted all of my social platforms. I felt they were wasting my time and not doing me any good. Then, while volunteering for the Houston Promotional Products Association, I was put on the social media committee. This got me back on social with a new profile and an intention to get involved for work, but post nothing personal.

Once back on all the platforms, I started to see and appreciate them in a totally different way. I loved connecting with so many people in the industry and becoming friends before even meeting in person. I discovered a new purpose for the way I used social media, and the rest is history.

Recognize Your Audience

After rejoining social media and focusing my efforts on posts related to my work, I discovered that, despite what can sometimes feel like shouting into the void, people actually do listen and read what you put on social media.

Some come to know you through your posts, and truly care about your words. I started posting about wearing pink on Wednesdays as a way to bring positivity during the pandemic. I figured most people would find it annoying, but they did not. They embraced the insane positivity and let me do my thing.

Aim For Consistency

The Pink Wednesday posts are now a staple in my life. I make a point to stop what I am doing every Wednesday to make that post. People expect it now – it’s part of my online identity, which is something you have to purposely craft and be mindful of to market effectively on social media.

You can’t be spotty in your posts if you want to gain any sort of traction or following. You have to establish routines. Sometimes breaks are needed, and that’s OK. But overall, aim for consistent posting.

It’s not just once a week, either. Some experts say you should post daily. Some say three times a week. Do what works for you: Rarely do I post multiple times a day, because I feel people do not want one person or company monopolizing their feed. Remember, you do have an audience. There’s no need to oversaturate them.

Be Yourself, Fearlessly

Don’t be afraid to show your passion for your work and things that matter to you. Allow your expertise to shine. This will make your messaging meaningful to people.

You don’t want to take the audience for granted: This is about creating a mutual trust and friendship. Let everyone see the true you, and a lot of people will gravitate to it.

Every one of these social media platforms could tank and be gone tomorrow. But you will still be you. So own who you are, what you care about and what makes you great and what you do.

And run with it!

WRITTEN BY: JOSHUA POSPISIL, MAS - MAY 17, 2023 

Published with Permission from PPAI

The promo industry’s largest company is also one of the best run overall in the United States, according to Deloitte and The Wall Street Journal.

Washington-based supplier SanMar has been named by the two entities as a US Best Managed Company for 2023.

According to the Best Managed Companies program, a recipient of the honor has “demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people and fostering a dynamic culture, as well as strong financials.”

Digital transformation, action toward sustainability and a commitment to DEI are all criteria to be given the designation.

• Private U.S. companies with revenues of at least $250 million are considered.
• Each company applicant is evaluated and ultimately chosen by a panel of external judges.
• The four key areas that the panel evaluates are strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and governance/financial performance. 
  
  

More than 45 countries are represented tin the Best Managed Companies program. In the U.S., 56 companies earned the honor for 2023. It was SanMar's second time to make the list.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition for all the hard work and dedication of our team,” says Jeremy Lott, SanMar president. “As a family-owned company that empowers team members to drive positive change, we are always working to create the most dynamic workplace culture and invest in the long-term future of our employees.”

The company was founded by Marty Lott, Jeremy's father, in 1971. Jeremy Lott joined the family business full time in 2003. 

"The only way I knew how to run the business was the way my dad ran the business; he's my mentor. That was to be really engaged and hands-on," Jeremy Lott tells PPAI Media. "I travel almost every week, because for me, being on-site in our warehouses or being with our customers or in our factories, that's how I gain a huge amount of knowledge."

SanMar continues to expand its reach. Earlier this year came word of a new SanMar distribution center in Ashland, Virginia. The 1.1 million square foot facility is SanMar’s ninth distribution center in the United States, and is expected to employ 1,000 people.

The company has evolved its brand positioning in recent years, shifting from the vision tagline of "A Canvas for Good" to, more recently, "Together for Good," meant to emphasize its efforts to improve the lives of SanMar workers across the world, particularly women, and create connections through its products.

"We made a really conscious decision as a company... to say it's not good enough for us to just not do bad things, and have an auditing program to make sure we're not doing bad things," Jeremy Lott says. "We need to make sure that we are doing good things in the world and that we are a positive influence in the communities of the people who make our products and for our customers and the communities that they're in."

Published with Permission from PPAI

Goldstar has promoted three North American sales and global marketing team members following the recent merger of its North American and European operations.

• Charles Duggan has been named vice president of sales, North America, and will lead the development and execution of corporate strategic goals for the North American market field sales and national account teams.
• Rob Baumgardner steps into Duggan’s previous role as national accounts manager, North America. He joined the company in 2018.
• Lane Hokanson becomes global marketing manager after two years at the company as key account marketing coordinator.

HALO has earned an EcoVadis Silver Rating, signifying its dedication to sustainability, ethical practices and corporate social responsibility, and placing the distributor among the top-performing organizations in the industry.

• EcoVadis, a globally recognized provider of sustainability ratings, evaluates companies based on their environmental, social and governance performance.
• Attaining the EcoVadis Silver Rating required HALO to undergo a rigorous evaluation of its sustainability initiatives, policies and practices, and covered a broad range of criteria, including environmental impact, labor practices, human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
• The benefits and implications for HALO and its stakeholders include demonstrated sustainability leadership, enhanced reputation and market advantage, supply chain excellence and continuous improvement.

HALO CEO Marc Simon says, “This recognition validates our efforts to operate in an environmentally conscious and socially responsible manner. We extend our gratitude to our dedicated team members and partners whose collaborative efforts have made this achievement possible.”

iPROMOTEu (PPAI 218870, D12) has announced four promotions within its executive and management teams. 

• Joe Hoffmann has been promoted to senior vice president of operations. Formerly of alphabroder, Prime Resources and Jetline, he joined iPROMOTEu in January 2021 as vice president of vendor management. 
• Dave Kneram is now senior vice president of software engineering. He had been vice president of information technology since joining in December 2020 and previously worked in IT with VistaPrint and Cimpress.
• Emily Codner is the new director of affiliate services. A 10-year veteran at iPROMOTEu, she was most recently senior manager of affiliate services.  
• Mike Segal has been promoted to director of accounts receivable. He was previously senior manager of accounts receivable.

FedEx Corp., a PPAI Affinity Partner, recently announced at its DRIVE Investor Event that it will consolidate its operating companies into one organization, creating efficiencies that will enhance the company's ability to meet the evolving needs of customers and ultimately build a stronger, more profitable enterprise.

• This phased transition, with full implementation expected in June 2024, will ultimately bring FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Services and other FedEx operating companies into Federal Express Corporation, becoming a single company operating a unified, fully integrated air-ground network under the FedEx brand.

This new structure will help facilitate the company’s DRIVE transformation, including Network 2.0, the multi-year effort to improve the efficiency with which FedEx picks up, transports, and delivers packages in the U.S. and Canada.

Raj Subramaniam will serve as President and CEO of the combined organization.

“We are building a simplified experience for our customers, who are at the center of everything we do, so they can adapt to the market,” says Subramaniam. “This combination will allow us to provide customers with even greater value, offering the most advanced data-driven insights to help them make smarter decisions for their business.”

• FedEx Freight will continue to provide less-than-truckload freight transportation services as a stand-alone company under Federal Express Corporation.