The Book Company (asi/41010) announces the exclusive availability of Rand McNally’s collection of 100^th anniversary special collector’s edition road atlases to the promo industry. The supplier is featuring three editions of the 2024 road atlas, which include a nostalgic look back at 100 years of roadside culture, cars and the highway system. “Even in the age of satellite navigation software on smartphones and computers, Rand McNally products have sold well in our industry, especially within the insurance sector,” said Roni Wright, vice president of The Book Company.  “Customers should ask their account managers about the host of road atlases Rand McNally offers, including ones created specifically for truckers and national parks.”

Penn Emblem Company (asi/77120) has won a 2023 NAUMD Innovation Award for a recent PVC emblem created for Propper, a uniform and tactical gear company for the military and first responders. The patches, given away during a trade show, had a “Dumpster Fire” theme in reference to the COVID pandemic. According to Propper, staff gave out all 2,500 pieces during the event, making it their most popular giveaway to date. Penn Emblem also received an award from NAUMD for the 3-D thermoplastic PennFlex design used for its 75^th anniversary logo.

Vantage Apparel (asi/93390), a Top 40 supplier, welcomes Ryan Finnegan and Stephanie Thompson to the sales team. Finnegan, who has more than 10 years of experience in custom apparel on both the supplier and distributor sides, will be responsible for Southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia and Pennsylvania in the Mid-Atlantic region. Thompson, who has more than nine years of industry experience with a major retail golf brand, will be responsible for Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska in the Central region.

Cap America (asi/43792), a Top 40 supplier, recently donated $10,000 to the Boy Scouts of America’s Ozark Trailblazers District of the Greater St. Louis Area Council. The funds will be used to support scouts in Madison, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Washington, Iron, and Reynolds counties. In particular, funds will help provide an afterschool Cub Scout program at Fredericktown Intermediate school in the fall of 2023. This donation ensures that students’ registration fees and materials are provided for the program. The donation will also go to scholarships and camperships for local scouts. Madeline Lasewicz, district executive for the Greater St. Louis Area Council, says: “Finances should never be a barrier to joining scouting. This donation ensures that families can be confident that they will receive the financial assistance they need.”

Cooley Group, Inc. (asi/168125), a distributorship with a more-than 75-year history, has again been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York by The New York State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, Best Companies Group and Rochester Business Journal. Headquartered in Pittsford, NY, Cooley Group has offices around the state. “We are honored to have earned this distinction again in 2023. Cooley Group has had tremendous growth in the past year, which can sometimes put a strain on an organization. I’m proud to say that my colleagues excelled during this period, supporting each other and our clients,” said President Phil Yawman.

Citadel Brands (asi/45222), a provider of blank garments for the printwear and promotional products industry, has appointed John Martin as its newest sales account executive. The University of Kentucky graduate has 40 years of experience in the apparel industry. In his new role, Martin will be responsible for driving sales, developing key relationships with clients and expanding Citadel’s customer base. “We are excited to welcome John to our team,” said Mike Hoffman, CEO. “His extensive industry knowledge and proven track record complement our existing team of expert sales professionals and will be instrumental in furthering our sales efforts and achieving our business goals.”

Navitor (asi/81500) announced the launch of its all-new 2000 Plus PrintPro self-inking stamp line. The new PrintPro line will consist of 21 sizes to meet users’ stamping needs, according to the company. Features of note include: The majority of housings are produced with a net-zero carbon dioxide emission; a new ink formulation and release provides rich color and consistent impression quality; and core sizes have a new single-locking mechanism on the back of the handle. The new line is set to be released this summer, available exclusively via Navitor wholesale partners.

Outdoor Cap (asi/75420), a Top 40 supplier, has released its 2023 Spring Market Guide. The content highlights key colors and trending looks in workwear, water sports and vintage heritage. “Our team spends hundreds of hours each season researching and gathering data and publishes this market guide as a valuable resource for our customers to inform their business,” the supplier said.

Pop! Promos (asi/45657), a Philadelphia-based firm, was awarded “Most Creative Supplier” and “Outstanding Supplier” by Peernet, a strategic alliance of promotional products distributors that work together by sharing best practices and combining purchasing power. The awards were bestowed at the PeernetWorks show on March 29. It was the second year in a row that Pop! won the “most creative” category. “We are really proud of what we’ve built at Pop! and enjoy working with distributors who take advantage of all we have to offer. It’s an honor,” said Sarah Smith, director of strategic accounts at Pop! Promos.

iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), a Top 40 distributor, has announced the winners of DunkFest, the men’s college basketball tournament bracket challenge it orchestrates for the promo products industry:

*The overall DunkFest 2023 winner was distributor Jaime Trajcevski of JJ Promotions, an iPROMOTEu affiliate from West Hartford, Ct. Trajcevski was one of only five DunkFest participants who predicted that the University of Connecticut would win the tournament, and her bracket was in the top 99.8 percentile of the more than 20 million brackets submitted in ESPN’s Men’s Tournament Challenge, iPROMOTEu said. She is also the first woman to win DunkFest since its inception in 2008.
*Supplier Kim Gasparini with Express-A-Button (asi/53408) came in a close second with a 99.4 percentile bracket. Rounding out the top three was distributor Jim Gonzalez of iPROMOTEu affiliate Stay Visible, also from Connecticut. 
*Justin Schiff of Branding Masters, an iPROMOTEu affiliate, finished in fourth place. The second and third place supplier brackets were submitted by Phil Martin of Warwick Publishing (asi/95280) and Howard Headden of H2 Enterprises. iPROMOTEu staff members Ryan Carney, Lindsay Dillon, and Neuza Tavares also finished in the top ten. Commemorative trophies and T-shirts will be awarded to all the winners.

Natural Trends (asi/73497), a supplier based in Springville, UT, has appointed Bill “BillyMac” McDonald, Nita McDonald and Doug Terry of the McDonald Terry Group to represent the company in its southeastern territory. “We are honored to have Doug, Billy and Nita on the NT team. With 63 years of combined industry trust and numerous rep awards, they are a superb fit for us,” said Paul Christensen, president of Natural Trends. The McDonald Terry Group will cover the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, plus the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. “We’re excited to represent Natural Trends. With a 24-year reputation for top quality and service, and their brands like Tide to Go, Febreze and WD-40, they are the perfect line for us to pick up,” said Bill McDonald, cofounder of McDonald Terry.

Cintas Corporation, which includes Top 40 distributor Cintas (asi/162167), is promoting Jim Rozakis to executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective June 1. The firm also said that Michael L. Thompson, executive vice president and chief administration officer, is retiring. While Thompson’s retirement is effective Aug. 31, he will cease being an executive officer on May 31. Cintas will not fill Thompson’s CAO role at this time. Thompson’s responsibilities and areas of oversight will be distributed among the company’s executive administration. Rozakis will move into the COO role which has been unfilled since Todd Schneider, the last EVP and COO, was appointed president and CEO in June 2021.

Gemline (asi/56070), a Top 40 supplier, has expanded its Igloo product offering to include Igloo Playmate coolers. Gemline launched the Igloo Playmate Pal 7 Qt Cooler and Igloo Playmate Elite 16 Qt Cooler, both Made in the USA, as part of its new Summer 2023 Collection. These new product additions were made possible by Gemline’s recently expanded digital decoration capabilities, which allow for providing full-color branding options on hard-sided coolers.

Commonsku, a software solution provider to the promo industry, has named Charlie Moscoe vice president of product management. “I'm thrilled to join commonsku and help shape the future of the commonsku community and the promotional products industry,” Moscoe said. “Creating products that help small businesses grow is my passion, and we're already hard at work fast-tracking development ideas.” Moscoe has more than 10 years of experience in software development and product management. “He will be an incredible resource for our customers as we continue to develop and prioritize the most impactful features on the platform,” said commonsku CEO Catherine Graham.

Full Line Specialties (asi/199688) a certified B Corp in Surrey, BC, welcomes Dean Longstaff as a senior account manager. Longstaff has more than 20 years of industry experience. “We’re thrilled to have Dean join our growing Sales & Marketing Department,” said the company, “and we’re excited to offer his expertise to our growing list of clientele.”

Minuteman Press in Myrtle Beach, SC is now owned by Ken Holloway, a longtime entrepreneur who also owns businesses in the automotive industry. Holloway bought the Minuteman Press franchise from retiring owners Anne and Kevin Myers. He plans to run the Minuteman Press business, while his son takes over the automotive industry businesses.