American Solutions for Business is excited to welcome Steffany Rivera as the organization’s new Marketing Specialist & Graphic Designer. Located near Houston, Texas, Steffany will be a remote team member and is tasked with creating marketing content, tools and resources for ASB sales associates to successfully market to their end user buyers.

Steffany began her work in the industry as Marketing Manager of KTI Promo, a promotional vendor that works closely with American. The shift from supplier to distributor is Steffany is excited to make.

Steffany explains, “I am excited to join American Solutions for Business because the way I live aligns 100% with the way ASB operates: family, relationships, and community. Working for the distributor side will be an adjustment, but I plan to advocate for the suppliers and serve as a liaison to American sales associates.”

“We’re so happy to welcome Steffany to our team and ASB family,” expressed Director of Marketing, Events & PR, Taylor Borst. “I’m confident she has the talent and passion to be successful here and will create valuable content and resources to help our salespeople succeed.”

Kara Keister, MAS, who holds the title of “Promise Keeper” at her Ohio-based distributorship Social Good Promotions (PPAI 758284, D1), has been appointed as the Regional Relations Committee (RRC) delegate to the PPAI Board of Directors.

Keister began her career in promotional products 12 years ago in distributor sales, working at City Apparel for over eight years as a corporate image and sales consultant. “My role allowed me to use my marketing background and love of all things brand to become a top-level salesperson within the company and eventually birth and grow Social Good Promotions,” Keister says.

Keister will replace Lindsey Davis, MAS, who filled the position from January 2021 until joining PPAI’s staff as the Association’s Promotional Products Work manager in July. Keister will fill Davis’ unexpired term, set to conclude in January 2023.

“I am so happy to hear Kara will be joining the PPAI Board as the RRC Delegate,” Davis says of her successor. “In my time working with her I’ve always been impressed by her passion for all that she does, her brilliant mind and her drive to make great things happen.”

Keister’s predecessor in the regional delegate role, Davis came from the supplier side of the industry, having worked in promotional sales at Raining Rose, but the new RRC Delegate brings a small business perspective to the board.

Social Good Promotions does not operate at the scale of the industry’s largest distributors, but as its name implies, the company puts a priority on direct community investment, financial contributions to the causes its employees believe in and increased supply chain transparency. The company’s ideal clients “are in search of greater meaning for the dollars they spend and non-profits wanting to better communicate the value they present to their communities,” it says on its website.

“Kara’s experience and passion for the regional community will be very valuable to the PPAI Board of Directors,” says Dawn Olds, MAS, PPAI board chair and senior vice president of industry relations and DEI at HALO. “I sincerely appreciate her willingness to serve the industry at a broader level and am looking forward to working with her."

Social Good Promotions has received PPAI Silver Pyramid Awards in the Social Responsibility Program category and Digital Self-Promotion category. Keister was named to the PPAI Rising Stars list in 2021.

“I have survived injuries, breast cancer and mental hurdles, all while advancing my career and building a successful small business,” Keister says. “I attribute that survival to my tribe, my amazing support system and my work ethic.”

As the new RRC delegate, Keister will bring the PPAI Board of Directors the perspective of a young company, a small business and a CSR-focused organization; all of which make up a large and growing number of companies PPAI is built to serve.

“My passion is for education, advocacy and volunteerism for the promotional products industry and organizations close to my heart like the Special Olympics, local schools and leadership programs for youth.

“Volunteerism is in my blood. I’ve been volunteering in various capacities most of my life, and when the opportunity came for me to serve at the regional board level, I jumped at it…. Moving through the Regional Association Council and participating in the formation of the Regional Relations Committee has further solidified my love for the industry and its members, and I look forward to continuing to serve.”  

Also this week, voting for the PPAI Board of Directors election slate continues. Nominated for terms to begin in January 2023 and expire in 2027 are Dan Pantano of alphabroder|Prime Line and Joshua White of BAMKO. Voting ends September 6.

IMAGEN Brands is excited to welcome Mallory Forester and Thomas Lovelace to their sales team. Both Forester and Lovelace are reporting to Jackie Walker, National Sales Manager.

Lisa LeMond, Vice President of Sales and Service at IMAGEN Brands, said, “Mallory and Thomas are joining us at an exciting time! Considering their proven track records, industry experience, and established relationships, Mallory and Thomas are the perfect addition to help us accelerate our brand awareness throughout their territories and showcase our decoration, products, and service offerings that set IMAGEN Brands apart.” 

Forester brings over four years of promotional products experience, working on both the supplier and distributor side at companies such as Koozie Group, Strideline, and iPROMOTEu. Her experience with iPROMOTEu has given her a true “inside” perspective that will help to better support and understand customer needs.

Forester is now covering the Texas and Louisiana territory and is excited about reconnecting with her accounts that she had developed strong relationships with.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has lived in Texas for the past seven years with her cat, Bugs.

Outside of work, she volunteers for Sky High for Kids (an organization working to end childhood cancer) and loves Pilates, indoor cycling, and watching Formula 1 racing.

Lovelace comes to IMAGEN Brands from the apparel side of the promotional products industry, where he spent 14 years of his career. His roles have included Strategic Account Executive and Regional Sales Manager at TSC Apparel and Broder Bros. Co./Alpha Shirt Company, respectively. Lovelace holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Presbyterian College of South Carolina.

Lovelace is now covering the Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee territory where he looks forward to building working relationships with both new and former customers. His passion for finding the right promotional product to fit his customers’ needs has earned him several awards, including Rookie of the Year, Representative of the Year, Margin Award, President’s Award, and Private Label Growth Award.

Outside of work, Lovelace volunteers for Dress For Success and spends time restoring a train-style townhouse on the historic register of Ansley Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stran & Company, Inc. ("Stran" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: STRN) (NASDAQ: STRNW), a leading outsourced marketing solutions provider that leverages its promotional products and loyalty incentive expertise, today announced the completion of its acquisition of the assets and business of Trend Brand Solutions under its previously-announced asset purchase agreement. As contemplated under the agreement, the Company also announced that Mr. Michael Krauser, Chief Executive Officer of Trend, has become Regional Vice President of Stran, where he will lead the Company’s Texas region operations. As further contemplated by the asset purchase agreement, the Company entered into employment agreements with all retained Trend sales representatives.

“We remain committed to our M&A growth strategy, targeting acquisitions that are highly synergistic with our existing operations and support the expansion of our products and services into new geographies. With this acquisition, we are broadening our presence in the South and entering the Houston market, which ranks third among metro areas in Fortune 500 headquarter locations and is home to two dozen Fortune 500 companies,1” commented Andy Shape, President and CEO of Stran. “Additionally, we are thrilled to have Michael join the team as our regional Vice President given his success with Trend as well as delighted to welcome the entire Trend team to the Stran family. We are excited to have executed this agreement and look forward to benefiting from the tremendous talent within their organization.”

 Trend is a leading global brand solutions company strategically headquartered in Tomball, Texas. Trend has a demonstrated record of delivering on customers’ brand marketing needs and developing solutions that are creative, original, dependable, cost-effective, and that meet or exceed product safety standards.

Formed in 2010, Trend has evolved with the changing needs of customers within the promotional products industry by eliminating common barriers and obstacles through utilization of its proprietary technologies solution, SMART BUY custom buying sites. Trend is vertically integrated to deliver efficiency and convenience to each client relationship. Annually, Trend builds over 100 SMART BUY sites, while managing over 35,000 website transactions and shipping over 8,000 orders from inventory. Trend ships globally from its Houston, Texas area distribution center and has international factory partnerships to source as close to the end user as possible.

Additional details of the transaction will be included in the Company’s Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and will be available at www.sec.gov.

On August 31, pre-installed Pantone Color Books were phased out of Adobe applications. While users rely on Pantone color options in their Adobe products, Pantone and Adobe are separate companies, which has presented issues in providing the most up-to-date Pantone services. Pantone libraries had become outdated with missing colors and inaccurate information.

The proprietary color design company says that purchasing Pantone Connect is the solution that will allow Adobe users to access all 15,000 Pantone colors.

What Impact Will The Phase Out Have?

The following Pantone Color Books will not be immediately affected by the change and will remain in the 2022 versions of Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop:

• PANTONE CMYK Coated
• PANTONE CMYK Uncoated
• PANTONE Metallics Coated

Existing documents containing Pantone References will keep those color identities.

Adobe Photoshop will be affected as follows:

• Photoshop files using swatches from Pantone Color Books, when opened, placed or edited in releases prior to August 2022, will continue to function as they did in those releases.
• Photoshop files with spot channels where the color used is from a non-available Color Book will open with a color rendering error.
• When the spot channels have color from non-available Pantone Color Books, the information is fetched from those Color Book for appropriate rendering. If the color is not fetched due to absence of parent Color Books, such spot channels will render in black/gray.
• The color details are preserved, so files will continue to support production workflows, but will display as gray/black when opening, placing or editing the file in Photoshop.

Adobe Illustrator will be affected as follows:

• Illustrator files having swatches from Pantone Color Books, when opened or placed in previous or future releases, will continue to function without any impact.
• When Illustrator files have place-linked Photoshop files that have spot channels, and such spot channels have colors from Color Books that are no longer available, placed Photoshop content will render gray/black in Illustrator.

InDesign files having swatches from Pantone Color Books, when opened or placed, in previous or future releases, will continue to function without any impact. When InDesign files contain Photoshop files that have spot channels and such spot channels have colors from Color Books that are no longer available, placed Photoshop content will render gray/black in InDesign.

Pantone Connect Can Be The Solution

All 15,000 Pantone colors and color design tools are available through Pantone Connect and will negate any of the above impacts of the phase out. 

Purchasing a Pantone Connect subscription ensures consistency and accuracy with Pantone’s offerings. The platform also allows for sharing and collaborating with team members and clients, supports a remote work environment and is accessible at all times through its app.

Features include:

• Search any colors.
• Pick any colors visually.
• Measure any colors in the physical world.
• Convert RGB/CMYK/HEX/L*a*b* data to closes Pantone Color.
• See Color Data, Color Psychology and Cross Reference against all Pantone Libraries.
• Build mood boards with Color Story.
• Accessibility support for color blindness.
• Compare color choices with Light & Dark Simulations.
• Share Palettes with anyone.
• Change and update shared palette in real-time.
• Trend and palette exploration

Pantone Connect is available through connect.pantone.com, IOS/Android mobile application or Adobe Extension in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Higher pricing for a Pantone Connect subscription will go into effect September 15, so there is still time to take advantage of lower pricing.

Let PPAI Help You

Any interested end users looking to purchase a subscription to Pantone Connect should be directed here.

Pantone is a PPAI Affinity Partner, offering discounts on most products to the Association’s members. Any larger business accounts should reach out to shop@ppai.org in order to get in touch with PPAI’s Pantone contact.

(Editor's Note: The second of PPEF's Live Concert Series events, originally scheduled for September 7, has been rescheduled to November 10 at 4:45 p.m. ET.)

The Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) is inviting industry professionals to groove to a new beat this year with the launch of its Live Concert Series. A virtual experience drummed up by industry veteran Roni Wright, MAS, of supplier The Book Company, attendees will rock out while learning about PPEF and how they, too, can get involved.

The Live Concert Series, which kicked off with its first livestreamed event on June 8, raised more than $5,800 for the (c)(3) nonprofit, which grants education scholarships to accredited universities, community colleges, trade schools and career colleges to the children of industry professionals. As PPEF’s first major fundraiser since the pandemic, the series was created to collect donations to fulfill the organization’s mission, but also to educate industry professionals of the eligibility requirements for their children for a PPEF Scholarship, and to inform interested companies about the options for giving.

“Yes, we want to raise money for the foundation, but we also want to raise awareness and create an experience by which all of our industry can participate,” says Wright, who also sits on the PPEF Board of Trustees and is chair of its fundraising committee.

Sydra Newell of supplier SnugZ USA is another member of the PPEF Board of Trustees and is chair of its marketing/recognition committee. She says, “In addition to bringing awareness, the concert series also brings industry veterans closer together, especially for those who do not normally travel within their profession.”

The idea for the concert series came to Wright when she was reflecting on a pre-pandemic experience. “Before Covid, I was living in this little city and I learned about a program called The Listening Room, where someone in a home setting would have a noteworthy musician come in and invite people who are part of their network, to come to a concert in their home and give a donation that goes 100% to the artist,” Wright says. “I thought, ‘Wow,’ is there a way that I can transpose that idea into an online event, have an industry concert where we have musicians who are in our industry and extremely talented?”

The first concert was broadcast on YouTube and Facebook. Three industry musicians showed off their talent for a good cause, which included Matt Wagner of Fields Manufacturing, Brett Garran of Edwards Garment and David Schultz of commonsku. Nick Lateur of HPG emceed the event, and the Braintree, Massachusetts-headquartered, supplier donated the hosting platform. T-shirts were also donated that featured a relevant graphic and were given to those who gave $100 or more to PPEF.

“We’re very excited that we can support students; the children of our industry people,” says Wright. “Anybody who has children in college or will be attending college is eligible to apply for this scholarship. It doesn’t matter if you work in the warehouse or work at home, if you’re full-time in the promotional products industry and you work for a company in our industry, your children can apply for scholarships.”

New to this year, Wright says PPEF is expanding its scholarship eligibility to include accredited trade schools. “We feel there are students who want to pursue a trade, and why shouldn’t we support their endeavor?” she says. And to get the word out there even more, PPEF has issued flyers in English, French and Spanish, so a more diverse group of employees can both spread the message and consider the opportunity for their children. In the future, PPEF aspires to open a Live Concert merchandise store, Wright says, and to invite former scholarship recipients to share their stories on-camera with concertgoers.

The other side of the Live Concert Series entails charitable giving from interested donors, and Wright says that PPEF is working hard to connect with prospective companies to encourage their involvement and explain their options. She’s particularly dedicated to reigniting the Tomorrow Fund, which commits donors to one of six giving tiers under a six-year term and makes it possible for PPEF to ensure future scholarships. Wright also notes the other giving options, which include the Named Scholarships, where companies can recognize their standout employees or create a long-lasting legacy in memory of an industry icon.

“PPEF makes a positive impact by bringing people together,” says Newell. “This platform also helps elevate talented musicians within our industry all in the name of creating a better future for our children. PPEF exemplifies what makes this industry so special.”

Register for the next concert here: www.ppef.us/live/.

To watch the first PPEF Live Concert Series, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mecdK08XT8.

For more on how to participate as musical talent, contact Nick Lateur at nick.lateur@hpgbrands.com.

For more on opportunities to volunteer with PPEF, contact sarab@ppai.org or roni@thebookco.com.

Droughts across the U.S. cotton regions, especially in Texas, have led agricultural forecasters to predict that 40% of currently planted cotton will be abandoned. This would account for approximately five million acres of failed cotton.

The Severity Of The Shortage

If these predictions indeed come to fruition it would result in the smallest area of cotton harvested since 1868, during Reconstruction when the country was recovering from the Civil War.

Droughts across Texas, the nation’s leading state for cotton production, have severely impacted the cotton output. The USDA is predicting a record for lowest ratio of harvested-to-planted acres. Even after record rain in parts of Texas for a few days in late August, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that 95% of Texas is still at some level of drought.

The price of cotton as of August 29 is $1.22. This is a drastic rise compared to the price of $0.94 one year ago.

Many climatologists believe that droughts will become more frequent in Texas over the coming years. Benjamin McKnight, state cotton specialist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, says that farmers are working on developing more “drought tolerant” strains of cotton to combat this problem, but it won’t be a saving grace for current conditions.

Along with India and China, the United States is one of the largest producers of cotton in the world. India has faced its version of the opposite problem recently; losing cotton to heavy rains and pests.

The Promo Perspective

Less available cotton at higher prices has a direct effect on the apparel business, including promotional products.

“The reduced cotton harvest will most likely pressure global prices,” says Mark Lawrence, chief operating officer, alphabroder | Prime Line, which offers branded apparel in various forms. “To what extent? It is too early to fully quantify, but we are working to mitigate as much as we can while continuing to build inventory and maintaining full product line availability.”

Between May and July, 40 industry professionals chose to invest in their professional development and earned their Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) and Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) certifications.

Professional Development:
PPAI’s Trained Advertising Specialist (TAS) certificate, and CAS, MAS and MAS+ designations are achieved through a combination of active employment in the industry, education, industry contributions and the successful demonstration of expertise. The CAS and MAS certifications require continuing education and recertification to remain in good standing.

CAS and MAS certification holders have joined an elite group of individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the industry and to continuing their education in it. Each has met rigorous educational requirements, demonstrated an exemplary commitment to their field and established their professional credibility to colleagues, clients and peers. Click here to learn more about the PPAI Certification Program and PPAI’s professional development opportunities.

The Recipients:
Congratulations to these recipients of the CAS and MAS certification:

Jake Blackstone, CAS, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.
Tracey Bohmbach, CAS, Geiger
Brooke Bostic, CAS, TCB Promotions
Tricia Cunningham, CAS, Geiger
Lydia Dagneau, CAS, Geiger
Krista D'Ateno, CAS, Geiger
Keaton Deranek, CAS, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.
Lauren Dustin, CAS, PromoShop, Inc.
David Glassman, CAS, The David Erwin Group
Diego Gonzales, CAS, 1338Tryon
Victoria Gonzalez, CAS, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.
Megan Hawk, CAS, Geiger
Paul Hirsch, CAS, Hirsch Gift
Alyssa Huseth, CAS, Geiger
Erin Kennealey, CAS, Geiger
Kristin Long, CAS, Gemline
Kimberly Martin, CAS, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.
Johnna Meyer, CAS, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.
Christina Moncke, CAS, Staples Promotional Products
Monique Overton, CAS, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.
Monica Scott, CAS, PK Promotions, LLC
Greg St. Martin, CAS, Custom Branding Solutions
Jolanda Thomas, CAS, Preferred Document Solutions, LLC
Savannah Bennett, MAS, Geiger
Theresa Benson, MAS, Geiger
Patrick Doyle, MAS, Durham Promotional Products
Eliana Franklin, MAS, CAAMP & PMANC
Christopher Gagne, MAS, Geiger
Kaitlynne Gibson, MAS, Geiger
Dylan Harrington, MAS, Geiger
Candice Johnson, MAS, TK Promotions, Inc.
Susan Heneson Kornblatt, MAS, HALO Branded Solutions
David Peters, MAS, A-Z Office Resource
Kaitlin Pickard, MAS, CE Competitive Edge, LLC
Lori Plummer, MAS, Geiger
Joshua Pospisil, MAS, Hirsch Gift
Kristin Prosper, MAS, Geiger
Sheri L. Ridgeway, MAS, Geiger
Monica Scott, MAS, Logotology
Cheryl Simpson, MAS, Geiger

A company get-together is always an excellent bonding opportunity for employees. It gives them a chance to swap stories, share a laugh, and grab a bite to eat with one another.

The recent IMAGEN Brands summer barbecue in Doniphan did all that and more, featuring delicious meals and games. But in addition to fun and food, the event also served something even greater: the company’s own employees and the community.

Looking to make a positive impact, IMAGEN Brands employees who attended the barbecue stepped up during to pack 500 backpacks with markers, crayons, pencils, water bottles, and more. The company decided to donate 200 of the backpacks to their own employees with school-age children. The remaining 300 backpacks will be donated to a local organization to distribute to area families for their back-to-school needs.

In addition to filling up the backpacks for their co-workers and the community, the employees were able to enjoy some tasty burgers and hot dogs that were cooked up by company leaders. Speaking of which, Koozie Group CEO David Klatt and COO Blair Hawley led a town hall during the event to provide some updates on the company. A great time was had by all!

PowerStick, the industry’s leading designer and manufacturer of personal technology products, announces that Alex Symms, MAS, MASI, will be joining the company as national account manager.

Symms comes to PowerStick with 19 years of industry experience in sales and marketing. He has spent the past seven years at Chameleon Like, where he was most recently national account manager/digital marketing manager. His career also includes a year at supplier Admints & Zagabor as southwest regional manager and 10 years at KTI Networks/KTI Promo where he was southeast regional sales manager.

In his newly designed role at PowerStick, Symms will be responsible for the ongoing growth of the supplier throughout North America, says CEO Nigel Harris, adding, “Alex is a tremendous and well-respected resource with the skillsets I really wanted on our team. His nearly 20 years of experience will greatly benefit this company and help us continue our leadership role in the areas of tech and custom packaging.”

Symms says, “I'm thrilled for the opportunity to join Nigel and the incredible team at PowerStick. I've always been fascinated with the creative innovation that PowerStick releases and also the ability to stay ahead of the trends. Nigel has built a team of highly-talented and forward-thinking industry leaders, and I am just so excited that I will be surrounded with such great talent and inspirational leadership. Ultimately, I'm looking forward to my future at PowerStick as we continue to drive innovation and industry-leading service.”

Symms will be based in Houston, Texas.