INDUSTRY NEWS

Proforma Partners With Global Source Link
Cleveland, Ohio, distibutor Proforma (UPIC: PROFORMA) announced today it has entered into an agreement with Fort Scott, Kansas-based Global Source Link (UPIC: gsl). This transaction will result in more than 100 GSL sales professionals becoming individual members of the Proforma Network. The new affiliation is expected to increase annual sales in excess of $30 million.

The new affiliation will give the GSL distributors enhanced marketing programs and sales tools, improved buying clout with industry suppliers and expanded product offerings including e-commerce and multimedia. In addition, they will have access to Proforma’s back-office support services including billings, accounts payable and receivable, credit, collections, enhanced cash flow services, free credit insurance and ProVision, Proforma’s computer operating systems.

Read more here.

Corvest Finds Investor In Siglo Holdings
As first reported in a PPB Newslink Breaking News Alert, Largo, Florida, supplier Corvest was acquired Friday by investors of Siglo Holdings, according to Bernard Findley, chief executive officer of Corvest Acquisition Inc. Corvest is a multimillion-dollar promotional products supplier and parent company of Adva-Lite (UPIC: Advalite), Toppers (UPIC: TOPPERS) and It’s All Greek To Me (UPIC: GREEK). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“It’s a very positive end to a pretty stress-filled time,” says Findley. Two weeks ago, as part of a state-required notification process, Corvest notified the state of Florida that it could be laying off up to 201 employees in April.

Read more here.

Government Uses Promotional Products For Census
The 10-question U.S. Census form will arrive next week in the nation’s mailboxes, but for those it doesn’t reach, Uncle Sam is using advertising and promotional products to increase participation.

“They’ve been a great lure to get people to come talk to us at events and find out more information about the census,” says Joy Brandon, media specialist for the Dallas Regional Census Center. “It’s been amazing to me how people want these items.”

Read more here.

Specialty Incentives Purchases Assets Of L.W. Barrett
Denver, Colorado-based distributor Specialty Incentives (UPIC: spclty) purchased selected assets of L.W. Barrett Company (UPIC: BARRETT), a Denver-based branded merchandise firm, as first reported in a PPB Newslink Breaking News Alert last week. The move represents Specialty Incentives' ongoing effort to expand its presence in the region.

Finances of the deal were not disclosed. Both companies are privately held. L.W. Barrett will dissolve, but all employees will transfer to Specialty Incentives.

Read more here.

REGIONAL NEWS

TSPPA, HPPA, PPAF And PPAM Join SAGE
Four regional associations have become affiliates of SAGE. The associations are:

•    Tri-State Promotional Professionals Association (TSPPA)
•    Houston Promotional Products Association (HPPA)
•    Promotional Products Association of Florida (PPAF)
•    Promotional Products Association Midwest (PPAM)

In addition to discounts on SAGE services, SAGE also will provide these associations with a variety of services as part of the relationship, including an association website and access to SAGE’s marketing resources.

Winners Of RAC Membership Drawing Announced
At this year’s PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, the Regional Association Council (RAC) held a drawing to give away a year’s membership in a regional organization.

Five winners were selected from 336 entry forms and the winners are Susan Kissinger, Gold Coast Promotional Products Association (GCPPA); Larry Harris, Houston Promotional Products Association (HPPA); Rita Blumstein, Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California (PMANC); Aaron Crohn, Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Products (UMAPP); and Debbie Scheibel, Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC).

ACCOLADES

Howard Miller Company Awards Sales Reps, Market Distributors
The special markets division of Zeeland, Michigan, supplier the Howard Miller Company (UPIC: clocks) announces its 2009 sales representative award winners: Barry Gorman, Directors Award; Sharon Murphy, Top Trophy Sales Award; Michele Jennrich, Top New Account Award and Top Hekman/Woodmark Sales Award; Gil Cabble, Top Sample Sales Award. The presentations were made during the PPAI Expo 2010.

The company also announces its 2009 Special Markets Distributor of the Year awards for each of the regional sales territories: Eagle Recognition/Caras LLC, Tucker, Georgia; Henderson Associates Inc., Bedford, New Hampshire; J. Brandt Recognition Ltd., Fort Worth, Texas; Stillwagon Enterprises Inc., Dublin, Ohio; Advertising Premium Sales Inc., St. Louis, Missouri; OBJM Promotions Inc., Islandia, New York.

The achievement award recognizes these distributors for the best overall sales increase in 2009.

PPAI NEWS

LEAD Participants Schedule Meetings With Legislative Offices
The schedule for PPAI’s first legislative action day will include visits to nearly 30 offices of Senate and House members from more than 20 states. LEAD, the Legislative Education and Action Day, will be held March 23-24 in Washington, D.C. The trip allows promotional products professionals to educate Congress on industry-critical issues as well as the power, impact and job-generating value of promotional products.

“The PPAI LEAD meeting in Washington is the first such gathering of our members in many years,” says Steve Slagle, CAE, president and CEO of PPAI. “While we had several of our members visit their elected officials in Congress in 2009 with our encouragement and support, we wanted to step out early in 2010 and organize LEAD to address several key legislative issues currently under discussion in Washington.”

Read more here.

PPAI Accepting Nominations For Woman Of Achievement Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the PPAI Woman of Achievement Award until May 8. The winner will be honored at the awards dinner during the sixth annual Women’s Leadership Conference in Las Colinas, Texas, on July 27.

The award recognizes an individual who has led the way in the advancement of women in the industry, demonstrated service as a role model or mentor, exhibited outstanding leadership abilities and made significant contributions to the industry and her community.

To be eligible for nomination, candidates must be employed or retired from a PPAI member company, have a minimum of eight years with a PPAI member firm and have a career spanning at least 15 years.

Click here to access the nomination form.

PPAI’s Annual Sales Volume Survey Underway
In 2008, promotional products distributor sales were down almost seven percent to total revenue of $18.10 billion. Did sales continue to slide last year, or did a pick up in the last quarter turn sales around?

Find out by participating in PPAI’s Annual Sales Volume Survey. Surveys were mailed out last week, but distributor company principals also can complete the survey online at www.salesvolumesurvey.com. Deadline for the survey is April 6.

Read more here.

PPAI Board Looking For New Directors
The PPAI Leadership Advisory Committee is looking for members with the skills, abilities, drive and determination to be a member of the 2011 PPAI Board of Directors.

Deadline for completed nominee forms is March 15. Submit your form to Lisa Beck at LisaB@ppai.org.

Click here to access the nomination form.

Robichaud Named PPAI’s Manager Of Professional Development
Rachel Robichaud has joined PPAI as manager of professional development. She brings more than 10 years of experience building and delivering education programs, working for Meeting Professionals International, Glazer’s Wholesale, Hewlett-Packard and American Airlines. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Texas A&M University.

“Rachel brings to PPAI Professional Development a unique combination of education and meeting planner expertise that will assuredly help propel the delivery of timely, relevant and compelling education content to our members and the industry,” says Melissa J. Hendrick, director of professional development and business media. “We are thrilled to have her on the team.”

Post Internship Opportunities On PPAI Facebook
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.

PPAI Creates Distributor Tool Center
In a 2009 study of end buyers, three out of four respondents said there’s one thing they’d like promotional consultants to present: facts. To help you meet your customers’ requests, PPAI has created Distributor Tool Center, an online repository of comprehensive videos. Backed by independent research, each sales video conveys to customers that promotional products not only work, but resonate with the recipient, translating into an impressive ROI.

The newest edition to the tool center, "People Love Promotional Products," is a video that delivers fast facts highlighting the American consumer’s fascination with promotional products. It’s available as a free download.

Additional videos will be released in the upcoming weeks. For more facts and figures, visit www.ppai.org/research.

Scholarship Application Deadline Is March 15
Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) will award $100,000 in scholarships in 2010 and there’s just one week left to submit applications.
As a promotional products professional, you and your college-bound children are eligible to apply for one of 68 scholarships, which include:
• $1,000 one-year scholarships
• $1,000 Vincent J. Arena Scholarship
• $1,000 Friends of PPMN scholarship for industry professionals
• $4,000 four-year scholarships ($1,000 per year)
• $5,000 Chairman’s scholarships ($2,500 per year for junior and senior years of college)

For scholarship details click here.

PEOPLE NEWS

Jeff Reed has joined Parsippany, New Jersey, supplier Avaline (UPIC: AVALINE) as national sales manager. Reed brings 23 years of experience in the industry, including jobs with Largo, Florida, supplier Adva-Lite (UPIC: ADVALITE) and Miami, Florida, supplier Bullet Line (UPIC: BULLET).