California Manufacturing Company

Paterson, New Jersey-based Colter & Peterson, North America’s only distributor for the complete line of Wohlenberg perfect binders, completed installation of a Wohlenberg City 5000 perfect binder for Seattle-based SanMar Corporation, the largest apparel and accessory supplier in the U.S. for the imprintables industry in the company’s Issaquah, Wash. facility. “This is a big upgrade compared to the system SanMar had in terms of speed, quality and binding,” said Tom Welby, vice president of perfect binder products for Colter & Peterson. According to Mark Suda, production supervisor for SanMar’s catalog printing department, the new arrival will increase productivity. “We’re excited about adding the perfect

THERE’S NO OTHER industry that appeals to and satisfies the five senses quite like the promotional products industry. If a treat is needed to sweeten a business deal, there is no shortage of companies offering up the right confections. If a tune is required to spread good will, a selection of suppliers can be found on the playlist. The five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell battle for equal airtime in an industry that’s all about getting customers’ names out there. Following, industry suppliers offering products representa-tive of each sensory category share their take on why their items are the most

EVER SINCE PRODUCT recalls hit the promotional and retail sectors this past summer, Proposition 65 has been the watchword on the lips of both suppliers and distributors. With the start of the 2008 trade show season, the sense of greater awareness became especially evident. “Prop 65 compliant” signage is more prominently displayed. Education programs on the law are offered. And suppliers are adopting product designations and new testing procedures to ensure they’re keeping pace with Prop 65, which is said to be the most strict product-safety law in the country. Otherwise known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986,

Journalbooks/Timeplanner Calendars, Charlotte, N.C., has announced the promotion of Jamie Raynor to national sales manager, effective immediately. Raynor has worked at Journalbooks for more than eight years and most recently served as creative sales director. She will continue to lead the creative team, and in her new role, will work directly with Tim O’Boyle, vice president of sales, to develop the company’s inside and outside sales teams, in addition to managing national accounts. “Jamie brings 20 years of advertising, printing and promotional product experience to our clients,” said O’Boyle. “Her ability to create marketing solutions with our products is unparalleled in the industry,

FROM THEIR INCEPTION as appropriate-for-daytime-wear wardrobe standby (or inappropriate, depending on who’s doing the judging), T-shirts have been the put-upon younger brother of the apparel clan. Slacker. Underachiever. Slob. Uniform of the basement-dwelling video-game player, or worse, the go-to garment for sweaty work outside or on a treadmill. Yet, in the last 10 years or so, there’s been a bit of a shake-up in the hierarchy. T-shirts grew up. In fact, they became king. In an effort to emanate a more offbeat vibe, many designers began adding them to their collections, emblazoned with rock-and-roll icons and/or ironic witticisms. Likewise, in a nod toward

The following article is the third installment in our monthlong Promo Marketing Headlines series titled, “From Reactive to Proactive: Redefining Safety Standards in the Promotional Industry.” Throughout the next four weeks, we will discuss product testing, quality assurance and how both suppliers and distributors can work in tandem to ensure the items they sell are safe for children and adults alike. Part 3: Testing Issues and Areas of Concern At the heart of the recent California lunch-box recall—and others like it—was something perhaps more alarming than simple carelessness. Reduce the event down to a common denominator, and it becomes clear that a

Norwood Promotional Products, Indianapolis, recently announced a number of additions to its sales staff. Joel Jahns joined the Norwood field sales team as account manager, covering the state of Wisconsin. Prior to joining Norwood, Jahns served as the national sales manager at Mille Lacs Corporate Gifts (Gourmet Foods) in Sun Prairie, Wis., and the national accounts manager at Admanco, Ripon, Wis. Norwood has also added four inside sales representatives to its team. Christopher Dell will cover the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Dell has more than 13 years of sales and management experience.

iPROMOTEu, Wayland, Mass., announced 16 promotional products distributors have affiliated with the organization in April. The annual sales volume represented by the new affiliates is approximately $2 million. Already this year, a total of 64 promotional products distributors have affiliated with iPROMOTEu, representing an annual sales volume of approximately $14 million. Following are those among the new Affiliates: Jeff Benesch of Jeff Benesch Enterprises, California; Jean Camp of Paradise Promotional Products, New Jersey; Robert Deutsch of Advantage Incentives, Pennsylvania; Teresa Fesmire of Ad Concepts by Teresa, North Carolina; Ed Garcia of Viva Idea Promotions, Florida; Ken George of KBG

“UNBELIEVABLE, ONLY ONE California distributor had a link!” In my recent opening keynote presentation for a group of industrial distributors, I made this alarming announcement. Upon visiting a major manufacturer’s Web site, I conducted a distributor search for California. When the list appeared on my screen, only one distributor listed had a link to its site from the manufacturer’s site. It’s unfortunate so many distributors are slow to partner with their principal suppliers. For some distributors, it is because they do not yet have a Web site, hard as that is to believe. And for others, it is a trust issue. Some distributors still

The company’s new look and logo were the highlight of Bridgeport, Connecticut-based Prime Resources’ recently held national sales meeting. “We want to remind distributors that Prime Line has always stood for innovation, new ideas and forward thinking,” noted Jeff Lederer, vice president. “Our items are so exciting and fresh, and we wanted the new logo to represent this.” Lederer pointed out the change was not only to give the company a face lift, but it is “a new commitment to service and quality and a new philosophy of form, function and fun.” He also introduced a system of customer care representatives with