Hurricane Line And Belpromo Merge
Miami Gardens, Florida-based supplier Hurricane Line/La Belle Time, Inc. (UPIC: HURRICAN) has merged with Miami, Florida-based supplier Belpromo (UPIC: Belpromo).

"We've been competitors with Belpromo since they entered the industry several years ago," says Alan Tabasky, who founded and co-owns Hurricane Line with his wife, Heidi. In an interview with PPB, Alan Tabasky said the process of merging started out as a friendly conversation.

"The founders of Belpromo grew it very quickly by offering the largest drinkware selection and lowest prices in the industry. Hurricane Line itself has had strong growth with its best year ever in 2009, but we had come to a fork in the road," he says.

Going forward, the company knew it would either have to expand operations or merge with another like-minded supplier that had the needed infrastructure in place to accommodate further growth.

"This opportunity presented itself and we felt this was perfect timing," he adds. "The current management is handing over all daily operations to us" as of January 1.

Belpromo staff will remain with the company. The entire Hurricane Line organization--including employees, machinery and systems--along with capabilities and professionalism will transition into the Belpromo organization.

Seven Suppliers Apply For QCA Membership; Five Accredited
Seven more promotional products companies have applied to join Chicago, Illinois-based Quality Certification Alliance (QCA) and five have been accepted as members.

QCA grants its seal of approval to member companies who complete independent third-party audits and comply with standards based on a combination of state and federal laws, international standards and industry-accepted best practices.

"The QCA Accreditation program provides the guidance these companies need to build comprehensive and effective internal compliance programs," says Brent Stone, QCA executive director. 

Click here to see the newest QCA candidates and members.

Boundless Network Reflects On 2009 Growth
Austin, Texas-based distributor Boundless Network (UPIC: Bound784) announced a 40-percent growth in annual revenue in 2009 despite what it says is an average decline of 25 percent across the promotional products industry. The company attributes its growth primarily to the success of its technology investments to meet the evolving needs of industry sales professionals and their customers.

J. Charles Joins Premier Promotional Group
Erlanger, Kentucky-based supplier J. Charles Crystalworks, Inc. (UPIC: JCHARLES) has joined The Premier Promotional Group, a national organization of independent suppliers and distributors.

"Relationships and trust are the two key ingredients to a great team. We at J. Charles Crystalworks are honored to be accepted into the Premier Group because it is the ultimate example of trust, and the relationships are second to none," says Fran Ford, J.Charles senior vice president.

CPSC Modifies Enforcement Rules
As announced in a PPB breaking news item last week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has revised some of its enforcement rules regarding product safety and compliance under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

The ruling was made just as a petition was released by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) CPSC Coalition requesting a stay of enforcement. PPAI is among the organizations lending its name to this petition.

Click here to read more about the CPSC's ruling.

Adventures In Advertising Welcomes Five Owners
Neenah, Wisconsin-based distributor Adventures In Advertising (UPIC: ADVINADV) welcomed five new owner-affiliates in November. The new affiliates are:

·Lane Allen, owner of Decatur, Georgia-based LA Brands
·Mike Dunaway, owner of Jacksonville, Florida-based PSI Direct
·Chris Jimenez, owner of Camarillo, California-based The Swag Source
·Bob Legge, owner of Orange, California-based Legge Marketing
·Marc Shubb, owner of Calabasas, California-based GNP Media

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Dobsch Rings The Bell
For The Salvation Army
Mary Dobsch, MAS, president of Washington, Missouri-based supplier The Chest LLC (UPIC: thechest) and PPAI board member, volunteered to ring the bell for The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign along with other members of her local Rotary Club last week. Dobsch has been volunteering through the Rotary for more than a decade.

Dobsch worked a two-hour shift on two separate occasions, greeting shoppers and helping raise funds for the nonprofit group. "Everyone says 'Merry Christmas' and they're very upbeat," she says of the people who stop to donate. "The kids love to hear the bell, and the look on their faces when they put the money in the kettle--that's the best."

Brandelope Appears on 'Ellen DeGeneres Show'
Fenton, Missouri-based supplier Brandelope (UPIC:BRANDLPE) was featured on the 'Ellen DeGeneres Show' on Thursday as part of her "12 Days of Giving" when Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) used Brandelope custom mailers to deliver gifts to the studio audience. NCL staff walked out with Brandelopes in hand, each one containing information and tickets for a free cruise.

"This entire project turned around in roughly two weeks: it all started with a phone call from me to the distributor asking him if we could make some free specs," says Ronald Williams, marketing director for Brandelope and Fenton, Missouri-based supplier Thanks A Dozen (UPIC: thnxadzn).

TRG Travel Gear Wins Strength Test on 'Early Show''
Victorinox products from St. Louis, Missouri-based supplier TRG Group (UPIC: TRG) withstood a mammoth strength test on today's edition of "The Early Show" on CBS.

Victorinox Travel Gear was put to the test at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, and beat out four competitors by being the only travel bag that kept Panya the elephant from getting to the fruit hidden inside.

TRG Group is the global licensee for travel gear for Victorinox Travel Gear.

Promotional products studies from PPAI are in focus this week on the Industry Show.

Become A Star At The PPAI Expo 2010
Have you ever wanted to be a star? Here's your chance! PPAI is collecting video testimonials. Tell us why you're a member of PPAI and your video may be featured at The PPAI Expo 2010. Send the original video tape or clip on disc to PPAI - I Want To Be A Star! Attention: Keith Vincent, 3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, Texas 75038

A distributor asks: "One of my clients told me another distributor is trying to schedule a sales call with him. He told the salesperson he is not interested in moving the business and is happy with the products and services I provide. Is it appropriate for me to call the competitor (whom I know) and ask her not to call my client anymore?"

What's your answer? E-mail answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by December 28 for possible inclusion in the February issue of PPB magazine.

Answers to this month's question are in. Click here to read advice on encouraging prospects to give projects the green light.

Coming Up: The PPAI Expo 2010
When the iconic glittery ball drops in Times Square next month, it means only one thing for those in the promotional products industry: It's almost time for The PPAI Expo 2010. The industry's longest-running and largest tradeshow will light up the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas January 11-15, 2010, and you have to be there.

Data Update
In the race to keep your company's Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts current and in line with your company's marketing objectives, you may be overlooking your UPIC (Universal Promotional Identification Code) profile. Maintaining an up-to-date profile will make it easier for others in the industry to find you and, ultimately, to do business with you.

A Battle That's Worth Fighting
PPAI upped its game substantially in 2009 as we faced more than a few challenges in the legislative and regulatory arenas. We restructured our staff to provide dedicated effort to both government relations and product safety issues. We greatly enhanced our PPAI Legislative Action Watch website to provide an efficient and user-friendly means for our members to contact their elected officials.