Distributor News

With QR code usage continuing to grow, Newton Manufacturing Company has published a free white paper about the technology. "How to Sell QR Codes" is a guide for industry distributors, agencies and suppliers for implementing QR codes in promotions.

Western Associates, Marion, Kan., has announced the dates for its annual "Christmas in October" events featuring top manufacturers of corporate apparel and promotional items.

Each event will feature the nation's top promotional manufacturers including Swiss Army Brands, Cutter & Buck, Cross, Callaway, Leed's and more. Attendees must register but the trade show formatted event is free to qualified buyers of promotional material.

"We appreciate the opportunity our clients get to 'touch and feel' products as well as interact directly with and learn from our factory reps," said Dave Crofoot, president of Western Associates.

Every year nearly 30 million people visit the 19 Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C. to see some of our nation's prized historical artifacts.

But visitors seeking souvenirs from "our nation's attic," as the museums are known, have recently been surprised to find one very un-American artifact in the museums' gift shops: a stamp that reads "Made in China."

"I think it is utterly absurd and frankly insulting that the patriotic American mementos [visitors] are taking home today are stamped with the words 'Made in China,'" said U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia, top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Corporate Incentives Inc., located in The Woodlands, Texas, has merged with Brady Hull & Associates L.C., a similarly focused distributor company.

Corporate Incentives and Brady Hull & Associates, also based in The Woodlands, individually have represented the largest independently-owned logo specialty companies in Montgomery County and have each consistently earned a spot in the top three percent of the advertising specialty industry in the nation. Together, their merger will move them up in the top one percent in the industry.

InnerWorkings Inc., Chicago, announced an enterprise print management agreement with Morningstar Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research.

Teresa Moisant, MAS, owner and president of Moisant Promotional Products was named one of six winners of 2011's Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees by The Journal Record.

I'm making a list of everything I want to check out at PROMOTIONS EAST next week. What's on your itinerary?

Proforma, Cleveland, welcomed 11 new offices to its network in May.

PROMOTIONS EAST 2011, June 5-8, begins in just three days and will feature industry-leading education, more giveaways than before and networking events to both engage attendees and benefit sponsoring exhibitors.

There's still time to cast your vote for the 2011 Supplier Excellence Awards! Come watch our video and go vote!