Hard Hat Knives & Flashlights

Tolland, Connecticut-based Gerber Technology, a business unit of Gerber Scientific Inc. and a world leader in automated CAD/CAM and product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions for the apparel and flexible materials industry, will sponsor a customer case study presentation featuring the Seattle-based golf and sportswear company Cutter & Buck at the March 23 Apparel Tech Conference West in Los Angeles. The session, entitled “24/7 Global Operations: Supply Chain & PLM--A Customer Case Study”, will be presented by Bobbie Jo Foster, business systems manager for Cutter & Buck’s Product Group in Seattle.

Bodek and Rhodes, Philadelphia, recently introduced Sam Gerber as the new vice president of business development. Gerber, a well-known apparel industry veteran, joins the family-run business in this newly created position to help lead and expand the company’s customer service and sales. “Sam is an industry pro and I’m very glad to have him join our family,” said Mike Rhodes, president. “He’s got such a diverse background and in-depth industry knowledge, it really gives him a keen eye for all the aspects of our business and I have no doubt he is going to be a huge asset to Bodek and Rhodes.” Gerber’s experience

Bill Swint has been appointed president and general manager of Seattle-based High 5 Sportswear. Swint comes to High 5 with a wealth of knowledge in the sports apparel industry. He recently served as COO and vice president of operations for Cutter & Buck and has also held executive level positions within Columbia Sportswear, ERB Industries and Glen Oak Industries. The company believes his experience is sure to strengthen the position of High 5 by keeping the focus on excellent customer service at every level and continuing to push the brand forward from product development to market penetration and growth. For more information on

Ft. Scott, Kansas-based Ward/Kraft Inc. announced proprietary improvements to the company’s coating and mag stripe capabilities. The improvements will enable distributors to offer more mag stripe options and eco-friendly, holographic, green coating on CR-80 and larger plastic composite materials. Distributors can now offer green plastic card hologram coatings and a mag stripe on a wide range of 20 and 30 mm plastic products including postcard mailers in 4x5.5", 3.5x7.5" and similar sizes. The company believes the improved offering puts it at the forefront of plastic product solutions within the distributor channel. The new mag stripe capabilities enable distributors to sell postcard mailers with any

Pittsburgh-based Pro Towels Etc. announced it will begin to distribute the Cutter & Buck golf towel collection under a new license for the promotional products industry. After announcing the agreement in early January of this year, Dana Zezzo, vice president of sales at Pro Towels Etc. has been presenting the product line to national accounts and at regional trade shows. He said, “The preliminary response in the marketplace has been overwhelmingly positive as a natural addition to the already established Cutter & Buck offerings. We are excited to carry on the Cutter & Buck tradition of quality.” The line offers six styles of premium,

Pittsburgh-based Pro Towels Etc. a leading towel decorator supplier, announced a three-year licensing agreement with Cutter & Buck, the premier golf-inspired sportswear and outerwear brand. The Cutter & Buck Golf Collection will initially include seven styles of golf and caddy towels sold exclusively through supplier Pro Towels Etc. to the promotional products industry beginning April 2008. “Cutter & Buck is very excited to be partnering with ProTowels Etc,, as they are the leader in innovation, production and service in the category for the ad-specialty marketplace.” said Joel Freet, manager of international and domestic licensing for Cutter & Buck. Once launched, the Cutter & Buck

The 2007 “Brand the Holiday” catalog from Leed’s, Pittsburgh, includes the addition of Dockers, Alicia Klein and Day-Timer branded products. The catalog features 128 pages dedicated to new products in six categories: lifestyle gifts, business and travel, drinkware, executive and desktop, stationery and technology. The three new brands join Cutter & Buck, High Sierra, Laguiole, Wenger, Slazenger, Stanley and Garrity branded products, in addition to a wide selection of exclusive items. “This year’s holiday gift is a labor of love,” said Erin Lewis, manager of marketing promotion. “We know that our customers share suppliers’ catalogs with their customers, so we’ve taken the time to

Cutter & Buck, Seattle, recently introduced the expansion of its corporate offering for Fall 2007, with the latest technical applications from its CB ProTec family of apparel, including CB DryTec and CB WeatherTec. The Fall 2007 offering marks the first time Cutter & Buck has taken a two-season approach to the corporate wearables market. Silhouettes in Fall’s latest hues will be prevalent, including long-sleeve knits, wovens and outerwear. “We’re continually evolving our product line to meet the diverse needs of both customers and their end-users by providing compelling new technical benefits, as well as highest level of quality and product diversity,” said

Alan Goldfarb, widely regarded as the organizer of the industry’s most successful traveling trade shows, has launched his own company, SHOWTIME, LLC, Greenland, N.H. Florida’s Gold Coast Promotional Products Association (GCPPA) is the first to take advantage of SHOWTIME’s services, with an event scheduled for Oct. 10. A schedule is already announced for events in Aug., Sept. and Oct. 2007, and a full calendar of SHOWTIME events in 2008 will soon follow. Suppliers planning their exhibit schedules and budgets will receive a SHOWTIME contract before June 1, 2007. Goldfarb, a 30-year industry veteran, began his career as a distributor. He is credited with the

Leed’s, Pittsburgh, has introduced its full-line catalog with a host of options and ideas, complete with superb feature images, collection shots of entire branded lines, and a layout that is easy to navigate. With 1,167 product styles in multiple color options spanning 11 categories and including 10 retail brands, the 596-page resource provides a one-stop shop for distributors. According to David Nicholson, president, Leed’s primarily focused on “quality and innovation” during the development of the 2007 product line. “We designed, researched, investigated and tested thousands of options before we honed in on this exciting combination of products.” And the company’s products come in a