Vantage Apparel (PPAI 113235, S10) – ranked the No. 17 supplier in this year’s PPAI 100 – has announced that Rob Watson has returned to the Avenel, New Jersey-based company as CEO.

Ira Neaman, MAS, founder and president/CEO of Vantage Apparel, is transitioning to the role of president/executive chairman to focus on the company’s vision, strategy and continued business development.

“Rob's return to Vantage Apparel as CEO is an exciting development for our company,” Neaman says. “Rob’s extensive industry experience, combined with his prior contributions to our organization, positions him to lead Vantage to new heights. We are confident that under his leadership, we will continue to provide our customers with the highest-quality promotional apparel and new, innovative services.”

Global Expansion

With more than 20 years of experience in the promotional products industry, Watson has held leadership roles at several firms, most recently serving as vice president at Tempe, Arizona-based Zing Manufacturing (PPAI 517185, S7). 

“Vantage has a long-standing reputation for quality, innovation and exceptional decoration services, and I'm committed to building on that legacy,” Watson says. “We have an exciting journey ahead, and I look forward to collaborating with our team and our distributor partners to drive our company forward in the industry.”

Under Watson’s direction, Vantage's global footprint – through its 2021 acquisition of Lynka, a full-service European corporate apparel supplier – will be a major strategic focus for the company.

• John Lynch will continue as president of Lynka and “help strengthen the vision of continued international programming for the network of companies.”

Watson’s Background

"Rob brings the unique skill sets of both technological prowess and a deep knowledge of our industry, as well as superb leadership and communication skills," Neaman says.

In his previous role at Vantage as chief experience officer, Watson played a pivotal role in enhancing customer experience, streamlining operations and driving business development initiatives. 

He has also served as:

• managing director at Holland, Ohio-based The Image Group (PPAI 103424, D10) – ranked the No. 41 distributor in the PPAI 100;
• chief marketing officer at New York City-based Axis Promotions, which was acquired by HALO (PPAI 106462, D15) – promo’s second leading distributor in the PPAI 100 – in 2020;
• president at Parsippany, New Jersey-based MediaTree (PPAI 192068, S6);
• managing director at U.K.-based distributor Outstanding Branding;
• and senior vice president of marketing and user experience at the Advertising Specialty Institute, a Trevose, Pennsylvania-based business services firm.

Written by: John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI

OrderMyGear has acquired DistributorCentral, the Kansas-based technology provider for suppliers and distributors in the promotional products industry.

• Dallas-based OrderMyGear, an online platform for selling custom-branded merchandise, announced the acquisition today.
• DistributorCentral will continue to exist and operate under its current name while owned by OMG.
  
  

OMG Continues To Grow

The news comes almost exactly one year after the announcement that OMG had acquired BrightStores, another provider of online stores for promotional products.

• Combining the resources and abilities of Distributor Central with OMG creates a single technology partner to sell, manage and order promo merchandise across sales channels.
  
  

The company anticipates the deal to bring several benefits to the promotional product distributors, apparel decorators and team dealers it works with. These include:

• One platform to discover products, generate sales and manage orders across sales channels.
• Access to additional technology solutions, including product search, eCommerce websites and order management.
• Access to high-quality, order-ready product data that eliminates costly order errors and reduces order turnaround times.
  
  

Additionally, OMG expects supplier benefits to include:

• One platform to manage and distribute high-quality product data to the entire industry.
• Ability to promote and advertise products to promotional product distributors, apparel decorators and team dealers across all channels, including product search, online stores and eCommerce websites.
• Technology to transform raw, unstructured product data to the industry standard PromoStandards without any technical expertise or resources.
  
  

As a result of the acquisition, DistributorCentral, which was founded in 1999, is now independent of promotional product supplier TradeNet, allowing all suppliers to utilize the company’s full suite of business management technology.

PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham notes the important role that companies like OMG and DistributorCentral play in the industry and how a move like this can play a part in shaping the future.

"The growth of OMG since committing to the promotional products industry has been impressive," Denham says. "When business service providers make a commitment to solving industry-specific challenges, they win and the industry wins. This acquisition should create more opportunities for success. I’m particularly hopeful about the commitment from OMG to support PDX inventory and order status with this acquisition."

• PDX – Promo Data Exchange – an open standards formula supported by PPAI is designed to make it easy for suppliers to share order status and inventory with distributors with a single integration which will eliminate thousands of hours of wasted effort, friction and unnecessary phone calls.

Hear It From OMG

Leonid Rozkin, CEO of OMG, says that product data management is a core element of what OMG is now able to provide suppliers because of combining with Distributor Central.

“Product data is at the core of OMG online stores,” Rozkin says. “It’s also a difficult element of the tech stack to get right. Suppliers often don’t have the resources to manage their product data across countless channels or to become PromoStandards compliant, so their data is available in the industry standard format.

“With DistributorCentral, OMG will be able to provide the best technology paired with the highest quality product data.” 

Much like the BrightStores acquisition in 2022, Rozkin says that the move was motivated by the possibility of combining two strengths and addressing a need by looking toward a reliable name in the industry.

“DistributorCentral’s deep expertise in supplier product data complements our strength in online stores, allowing us to address a critical pain point for stakeholders on both sides of the equation: accurate, up-to-date product data,” Rozkin says. “DistributorCentral provides high-quality product data to numerous players in the industry, including OMG and other service providers, which is the top request we hear from clients who partner with OMG for online stores. Together, we are uniquely positioned to eliminate the friction of selling branded merchandise for all parties while driving innovation for the entire industry.”

Dawn Olds, MAS, immediate past chair of the PPAI Board of Directors and senior vice president of industry relations and DEI at HALO – ranked the No. 2 distributor in this year’s PPAI 100 – is retiring. 

A 35-year veteran of the promotional products industry, Olds has spent her entire career at the Sterling, Illinois-based distributor. She’s been in management for more than two decades, overseeing accounting, IT and general operations functions. 

“It has been an honor to contribute to our company’s success and to witness the incredible growth and innovation that has taken place over the years”, Olds says. “I’m grateful for the friendships, the challenges and the countless opportunities to make a difference.”

Olds has also volunteered in the promo industry for several years and joined the PPAI Board of Directors at the beginning of 2020. Her time in the Association’s leadership tracked along considerable changes and challenges in the organization and industry at large, and she was instrumental in helping PPAI navigate the pandemic, leadership changes and revitalizing The PPAI Expo.

Olds plans on staying with HALO through 2023 and will end her tenure at The PPAI Expo 2024 in Las Vegas.

SnugZ USA has made a strategic addition to its sales team with the hiring of industry veteran Kevin Mullaney as an additional national sales manager effective November 1. This position will add to SnugZ’s strong and dedicated sales team providing sustained success and innovation moving forward.

• Mullaney has been in sales for more than 17 years. For the past 12 years he has been vice president for distributor Brandito, LLC, in Richmond, Virginia. He also served as a member of the VAPPA Board of Directors from 2019-2022.
• In 2016, Mullaney was recognized as a PPB Rising Star, in 2018 he was named an ASI Sales Rep of the Year Finalist, and in 2019, 2020 and 2021 he was honored as Distributor Sales Rep of the Year by Virginia Promotional Products Association (VAPPA). His “work hard, play hard” motto also earned him the Randy Shippam Award at the 2023 Facilis Group TASA awards.

Goldstar – ranked the No. 16 supplier in this year’s PPAI 100 – has hired Heather Smartt as its new global director of merchandising.

In her new role, Smartt’s top objectives include advancing the San Diego-based company's commitment to manufacturing alternatives, expanding product categories and enhancing global product design. Currently based in Lisbon, Portugal, Smartt’s talent for bridging the North American and European markets is a key driver in Goldstar's global product expansion, the company says.

• Under her leadership, the company will unveil a four-piece Coastal Threads bag collection designed in Europe, crafted with REPREVE Our Ocean Recycled Plastic.

Smartt’s Background

A 17-year veteran of the promotional products industry, Smartt rose through the ranks of Polyconcept, eventually becoming director of category management at PCNA (PPAI 113079, S15) – the No. 7 supplier in the PPAI 100. She most recently served as global director of product development at National Pen (PPAI 107176, D12).

“I’m deeply honored to lead Goldstar's global product development efforts,” Smartt says. “My goal is to leverage my experience in both North America and Europe to create products that meet the needs of our diverse customer base and align with our commitment to sustainability. Together, with our talented team, we’ll help expand how the world perceives promotional products.”

Each year, SAGE proudly presents industry suppliers and decorators with A+ and A rating awards based on an aggregate of their distributor ratings collected through SAGE Total Access, the industry's most popular product research and business management solution.

This year, 883 exceptional companies received the coveted A+ rating, while another impressive 190 earned a top A rating. These award-winning supplier and decorator companies comprise a total of 45% of all active Advantage or Decorator Members in the SAGE database. As part of the relationship between SAGE and PPAI, suppliers with SAGE A+ and A ratings are also considered for eligibility in the industry's annual renowned PPAI Supplier Star Awards competition.

"We are so excited to recognize and celebrate our supplier and decorator partners that continuously go above and beyond to provide exceptional service and raise the bar for the industry's standard of quality and integrity each year." said Dana Porter, MAS, SAGE's Vice President of Information Services.

Widely known within the industry for having the most robust, accurate, and truly representative supplier reviews, the SAGE rating system empowers distributors to make well-informed decisions with invaluable data.

Through SAGE Online and SAGE Web, distributors can view a supplier or decorator's real-time ratings and comments, as well as a comprehensive overview of their award information, including any additional industry accolades. With SAGE's latest innovations, distributors can also now utilize AI-powered, consolidated review summaries to gain these important insights at a glance.

Ratings can be submitted through SAGE Total Access or via the "Rate Us" link provided by both suppliers and decorators. Distributors can score factors such as customer service, delivery, and problem resolution, as well as leave a detailed comment. They can only rate each company once to provide their unique perspective; however, they may update their ratings at any time, ensuring the most precise depiction of their experience.

Award-winning supplier and decorator companies will have access to a variety of marketing collateral to promote their A+ or A-rated status, including logos for their catalogs, websites, and email signatures. For more information, award recipients should contact their SAGE Account Advisor at 800.925.7243.

Click below to view the complete lists:
A+ Supplier Ratings
A Supplier Ratings
A+ Decorator Ratings
A Decorator Ratings

HPG – ranked the No. 8 supplier in this year’s PPAI 100 – has announced that Alex Symms, MAS, will expand his director of sales role to cover all three of the Braintree, Massachusetts-based company’s West Coast brands: Evans Manufacturing, Handstands and Origaudio.

A 20-year veteran of the promotional products industry, Symms joined HPG in June after previous roles at suppliers PowerStick, Chameleon Like, Admints & Zagabor and KTI Networks / KTI Promo.

“We already knew Alex would be an excellent addition to the team and he proved us right even faster than expected,” says Trina Bicknell, chief revenue officer at HPG. “I’m excited to expand his influence even further within the HPG enterprise and consolidate our West Coast sales leadership for our customers.”

Brand Evangelist

As a result of Symms’ expanded responsibilities, Nick Lateur – director of sales at HPG – has transitioned into the newly created role of brand director.

Entering the promo industry in 2015, Lateur worked in national sales for suppliers AP Specialties and IMAGEN Brands before joining HPG at the end of 2020 as director of national accounts for HPG’s specialty channel.

• In August, Lateur assumed a development and sales management role at Origaudio after co-founder Mike Szymczak announced his retirement.

“HPG is the fastest-growing supplier in the industry with the top talent in the industry,” Lateur says. “We’re constantly launching exciting new products and impactful sales tools like Storyboard+. The formula for success in promo is: be top of mind, be easy to work with and maintain strong human relationships. This new role, with the support of the HPG marketing team, will allow me to truly evangelize our brand, our superior products, our unique services and our incredible people; all of which enable our customers to win more business.”

Written by: John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI

Starting in 2024, Koozie Group and IMAGEN Brands are consolidating under the Koozie Group brand.

The Integration Process

Combining the sales and services teams under the Koozie Group brand – IMAGEN Brands will no longer be used once the integration is complete – as well as the support teams and technology of the two businesses, is expected to create efficiencies and a better customer experience.

By the end of the integration process, the Koozie Group website and ordering process will have a more complete set of offerings than either business currently presents. That is expected to include:
No facilities under the Koozie Group umbrella will close as a result of the integration.


"After three years of working together, this seemed like the right time to align common and best practices from across our sites and functions to deliver impactful products and best-in-class service to our distributor partners.”

What They’re Saying

Recently promoted Koozie Group CEO Pierre Montaubin says that careful deliberation had led to the conclusion that this integration will most benefit the company’s distributor partners.

“This integration will bring our customers a thoughtful assortment of best brands and products all in one place,” says Montaubin. “We will combine our sales and service teams, which allows us to increase our support coverage, provide easier order management via the Koozie Group Tracker and deliver faster lead times, improved flexibility and additional value-added services.

While the company will take the time and care to make sure the integration process goes smoothly, Chief Revenue Officer Melissa Ralston says that plenty of factors are already in place for this to be a natural and organic transition.

“Many of our back-of-house teams were already supporting both Koozie Group and IMAGEN Brands and have been working hand in hand since 2020,” says Ralston. “We’re excited to be able to leverage the strengths of both companies to provide increased coverage and enhanced tools to help our customers grow their business. We’ll be here to help customers through the transition and know they’ll be encouraged by the new benefits we are now able to offer.”

Proforma has achieved a significant milestone by securing the 126th position on the prestigious Franchise Times Top 400 list. This marks a substantial leap from the company’s 2020 ranking at #158.

• The Franchise Times Top 400 is an exclusive annual ranking of the largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global system-wide sales. The project is the result of a five-month research and reporting effort that leads to the most credible and objective franchise ranking available.
• Proforma's impressive growth trajectory, increased sales and strategic planning have helped solidified its standing surpassing household names such as Steak ’n Shake, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Dale Carnegie Training. Proforma's sales surged from $540,000,000 in 2021 to $620,000,000 in 2022.
  
  

“As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we are not resting on our laurels. We are actively engaged in the strategic planning stages for business development in preparation for 2024,” says Vanessa Edwards, director of business development. “Our focus remains on empowering our distributor owners, sales professionals and their team members, and expanding our network.”

The recent terrorist attacks in Israel hit close to home for many in the promotional products industry.

Some colleagues have found themselves near harm's way, and many others have family members and friends in Israel left to pick up the pieces following unconscionable violence perpetrated by Hamas. Countless more industry professionals are praying for peace and healing.

Suppliers, distributors and business services alike are rallying to the cause, and PPAI Media is committed to amplifying their efforts so that we all may have the opportunity to contribute and ease the suffering of innocents. 

If your promotional products company has established a humanitarian response, click here to share details if you would like to be included.

Hirsch

PPAI 100's No. 12 supplier, Houston-based Hirsch (PPAI 221823, S10) has announced that it "stands unwaveringly with Israel" and made donations of support to Friends of the IDF and American Friends of Magen David Adom.

Advertising Specialty Institute

Pennsylvania-based business services firm Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) has announced that, in conjunction with the family of its chairman, Norman Cohn, it will offer matching donations for contributions to organizations helping the victims of violence in Israel.

For every $2 donated, ASI and the Cohn family will donate $1. Qualifying donations must be made to either of two organizations:

• United Hatzalah, an organization provided urgent, free medical aid

• IsraAID, an international humanitarian aid organization

Contributions should be made directly to one of the organizations, with receipts sent to ASI President and CEO Tim Andrews (tim.andrews@asicentral.com). ASI will match up to $50,000 in donations.