Pioneer Balloon

With balloons from the Pioneer Line, the only way to go is up!

Mark Jenkins is returning to Pioneer Balloon Company as sales director for the promotional markets division. A veteran of the balloon industry for 20 years, Mark had previously been with Pioneer for five years before leaving to be a regional sales manager for Bridge Marketing, Pioneer’s rep group in the Midwest.

Brandi Sawyer has been promoted to inside sales manager for promotional markets for Pioneer Balloon Company of Witchita, Kan.. Sawyer is a 16-year veteran of Pioneer. She started out in the company’s production plant and then served most recently as customer-support specialist. As inside sales manager, Sawyer will handle distributor relations; work regional, national and traveling shows; handle large-volume product quotes; and support Pioneer’s promotional markets field service force. “Brandi’s extensive experience at the plant level and in customer service give her a breadth of knowledge that will be valuable in the inside sales manager position. We are excited to have her on our

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H. Wayne Roberts, vice president of Pioneer Balloon Company, based in Wichita, Kan., announced Katherine Larson will be joining the company as national sales manager for promotional markets. Larson is a 31-year veteran of promotional and incentive markets and was previously with National Premium and Merchandising and Amity Leather Products. She most recently owned her own company, JusVal, that provided contract representation to a number of top suppliers in the promotional products industry. Roberts said he is excited to have Larson on board to head up Pioneer’s sales efforts. She brings a wealth of knowledge about both the promotional and incentive markets and has

Pioneer Balloon, based in Witchita, Kan. recognized its oustanding reps at a recent meeting during the 2008 PPAI Expo in Las Vegas. The first service award went to Michael Duke with Henrickson Associates of El Dorado Hills, Calif., for his one-year anniversary with Pioneer. Hendrickson covers Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The second service award went to Nancy Jolly of In Stepp Marketing, Lawrenceville, Ga. She received her 15-year anniversary pin. Jolly’s territory includes Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The prestigious Rep of the Year award was presented to Nancy Bercovitz for the second year in a row. Bercovitz is

Pioneer Balloon Navigates Expo Wichita, Kansas-based Pioneer Balloon announced its 2008 PPAI Las Vegas Expo drawing winners. The winners of the daily drawings were David Fields, of Barker Specialty in Celebration, Fla; Jennifer Chase of Signet in Memphis, Tenn.; and Drew Davis of Specialty Incentives in Denver, Colo. One name was drawn each day of the Expo in Jan., to win a Garmin Navigator. Founded in 1917, Pioneer Balloon Company is a leading manufacturer of promotional products, branded as the Pioneer Line. It includes Qualatex and AdRite latex balloons, Qualatex Microfoil balloons, AdMax balls, and Ad Inflatable and Walking Ad Inflatable displays.

Ray Rodriguez, managing partner of Multiline Marketing Group (MMG) and Jules Scheck, president of Jules Scheck Associates (JSA), Wayne, N.J., and managing partner of Multiline Marketing Group Northeast Division, recently announced the merger of the two companies and the supplier lines they represent in the Northeast. The merger became effective Aug. 1. Under the new organizational banner, JSA and MMG will continue representing industry suppliers in the northeast, including Spector & CO, Gordon Sinclair, Mid-Nite Snax, Pioneer Balloon, Compass Industries, Pedre and Headwear USA. Primary contact for distributors and suppliers will remain at JSA’s Wayne headquarters. When asked for a key benefit of the merger, Scheck