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INDUSTRY NEWS
Healthcare Bill Passage Will Affect Small Business
President Obama today signed into law The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) healthcare reform bill, which will dramatically impact small businesses.
On Sunday, the House also passed a reconciliation bill, H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (HCEARA) that modifies aspects of PPACA. The Senate still needs to pass HCEARA, and if it does not, the country could be living with the healthcare system built by the Senate when it developed PPACA, says a Washington source.
There are differences in each bill that will affect the penalties to employers and payroll taxes.
Read more here.
HIRE Act Becomes Law, Provides Incentives To Businesses
The HIRE Act, signed into law by President Obama on March 18, creates a temporary payroll tax forgiveness/job retention credit and increases the direct expensing allowance, among other actions.
The law reduces the current payroll tax obligation for an employer that hires a qualified unemployed individual. The new law also permits the employer to take a one-time credit if the employer retains the individual for at least a year.
Read more here.
Distributor Granted Minority/Women Business Status
New Bedford, Massachusetts, distributor Diversified Marketing Group (UPIC: DIVE0010) has been granted State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistances (SOMWBA) status by the Massachusetts Department of Economic Development. SOMWBA promotes the development of certified minority business enterprises, women-owned business enterprises and minority nonprofit and women nonprofit organizations.
For the last 15 years, Diversified Marketing Group has worked with a variety of local and international businesses helping them market themselves with a full line of printed clothing, employee and corporate gifts, fundraising items, tradeshow items and more.
Read more here.
SanMar Expands Next-Day Service In Utah And Southern States
Seattle, Washington, supplier SanMar Corp. (UPIC: SNMR) has expanded its next-day service to include all of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as parts of Alabama and Utah.
“Next-day service is crucial for our customers, who are constantly staying on top of deadlines to meet their clients’ needs,” says Larry Batson, SanMar’s logistics and traffic manager. “And because this expansion affects so many states, this will be a welcome development for many of our customers.”
Spector & Co. Auditing Items For Social Compliance
Champlain, New York, supplier Spector & Co. (UPIC: SPEC0038) is being audited by a certified auditing firm to ensure social compliance and fair employee practices and policies. The company lists items that have passed the audit on its website.
REGIONAL NEWS
MAPPA Honors Long-Time Members
The Mid-Atlantic Promotional Products Association (MAPPA) honored two long-time members in an awards ceremony held in February in Newport News, Virginia.
Alice R. Clark, owner of Richmond, Virginia, distributor Rennie’s Advertising (UPIC: RENNIES) was honored with the first-ever MAPPA Hall of Fame Award for her many years of dedication and volunteerism with MAPPA.
John Bennis, owner of Virginia Beach, Virginia, supplier rep Sequel, Inc. (UPIC: SEQU8266) was honored for his leadership and volunteerism with the regional association’s largest event, the end-buyer show in the fall each year that serves businesses in Hampton Roads and Richmond.
PPAMS Announces Board, Membership Cards
Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS) has named its board of directors for 2010. (Click here for a list of new members.)
PPAMS members will soon have their industry numbers in their wallets as PPAMS will issue new credit-card style membership cards that include each company's UPIC, PIN number for CEU reporting and PPAMS number. The card will also double as a reusable name badge that members can wear to PPAMS meetings. The cards are donated by PPAMS’ past president and founding member Greg Johnson of The Imagery Group.
ADvocate Regional Challenge Underway
The fifth leg of the ADvocate Regional Challenge is underway and the standings are as follows: Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Products (UMAPP) is in the lead with 10 points, Promotional Products Association of the Southwest (PPAS) is in second place with two points and Tri-State Promotional Products Association (TSPPA) is in third place with one point. This competition started January 18 and will end June 7, just before the 2010 Leadership Development Workshop.
The Challenge is a friendly competition between individuals and the regional associations and offers a financial incentive to both the individual and the regional association that delivers the greatest number of ADvocate presentations. For more information or to participate in the ADvocate Regional Challenge, contact Erica Edwards at EricaE@ppai.org.
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PPAI NEWS
Follow LEAD Congressional Meetings On Twitter/Facebook
On Wednesday, 35 industry leaders and PPAI staff representing 18 states will meet with 67 offices of the U.S Senate and House to discuss pending legislation relating to the promotional products industry.
Industry members are invited to be part of PPAI’s first Legislative Education and Action Day (LEAD) through PPAI’s Facebook page. Or, see what’s being said on Twitter by using the hashtag #PPAILEAD2010.
Read more here.
Carol Gauger Returns To PPAI As Manager Of Awards And Recognition
Carol Gauger, most recently vice president of sales and marketing at Dallas, Texas, supplier Senator Promotional Group USA (UPIC: DART), has returned to PPAI as manager of awards and recognition. Gauger previously worked as PPAI’s sales manager in the membership services department.
“We’re very pleased to have Carol back on board,” says Steve Slagle, CAE, president and CEO of PPAI. “She will be responsible for coordinating all respects of our industry awards ranging from the Pyramid, Suppliers Achievement, Supplier Star, Hall of Fame, Distinguished Service and other company and individual forms of recognition.”
Take The PPAI Annual Sales Volume Survey
There’s still time for distributors to participate in PPAI’s Annual Sales Volume Survey. Complete the survey online at www.salesvolumesurvey.com. Deadline for the survey is April 6.
Participants will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win two round-trip tickets anywhere in the continental United States or hotel and round-trip airfare to the PPAI Expo 2011 in Las Vegas. There will be 10 other surprise prizes awarded valued at between $50 and $100.
Read more here.
Post Internship Opportunities To PPAI's Facebook Page
Have a summer or fall internship opportunity available at your company? Post the internship details to the PPAI Facebook page or e-mail them to EricaE@ppai.org and PPAI will repost it to the American Marketing Association’s Marketing Career Network job board. The board is made up of 47 partner organizations, including the Business Marketing Association, American Advertising Federation and the Direct Marketers Association.
ACCOLADES
Prime Resources Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary
Bridgeport, Connecticut, supplier Prime Resources Corp. (UPIC: PRIME) is celebrating 30 years in the promotional products industry. Built in 1980 by current chairman and owner Bob Lederer, CAS, the company has grown from a start up to a major promotional products supplier and employs nearly 200 individuals, many of whom have been with the company since its inception.
Read more here.
Moisant Promotional Products Named Best Of Business By OKC Business
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, distributor Moisant Promotional Products (UPIC: MOISANT1) has been named Best of Business in the promotional products category by OKC Business for the third year in a row.
Started in 1990 by Teresa and Bill Moisant, the company has been a three-time winner of Metro 50’s Oklahoma City Fastest Growing Business and the State of Oklahoma’s Minority Business of the Year.
Cintas Customers Win NAUMD Awards
For the 11th consecutive year, customers of Chicago, Illinois, distributor Cintas Corp. (UPIC: CINT0001) received Image of the Year (IOY) awards during a banquet held by the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD) in Las Vegas. Cintas customers Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, Panda Express, The Pierre Hotel and Florida Hospital Cardiovascular Institute were honored based on the fashion, function and quality of their apparel programs.
"The IOY awards recognize the leaders in corporate image apparel," says Richard Lerman, president and CEO of NAUMD. "Each year, the judging panel is comprised of a number of industry experts who base their decision on the style, wearability and functionality of each design. They look at the goals of the program and the way each program evolves to meet those objectives."
PEOPLE NEWS
Eric Daniel recently joined Austin, Texas, distributor PrintGlobe (UPIC: PrintGlo) as an account manager. Daniel was an independent wine representative at Wine Shop at Home prior to joining the PrintGlobe team.
Heidi Forsyth, who has 14 years of promotional products experience, joined the sales team of Braintree, Massachusetts, supplier Hub Pen Company (UPIC: HUBPEN). She will represent Hub in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Eric Veres has been hired by Dallas, Texas, supplier Senator Promotional Group USA, Inc. (UPIC: DART) as a member of the outside sales team. He will oversee and develop accounts in the Northeast. Veres was eastern regional sales manager at Almo Corp.
MAINSTREAM MEDIA
PPAI’s President and CEO, Steve Slagle, CAE, discusses the MarketTools study “Effectiveness Of Promotional Products As An Advertising Medium” in this article in Dallas Business Headlines Examiner.
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