American Solutions for Business (ASB, asi/120075), a Top 40 distributor, raised $13,841 from its United Way fundraiser this year. The non-restricted funds raised will be directed toward future United Way projects and efforts. “We had 88 employees donate through our online proprietary platform, ACES,” said ASB VP of Technology Mike Pfeiffer. “With a 125% increase in participation from last year, it’s no wonder we far exceeded our $10,000 goal.”

Outdoor Cap (asi/75420) employees and team members from the brand the supplier owns, JUNK Brand, recently participated in a $1,000 shopping spree to buy new toys for the Salvation Army Magical Toy Drive in partnership with television station KNWA. The Top 40 supplier hosted public drop-off spots at its facilities for donations of new unwrapped toys.

Stahls’ (asi/88984) recently launched Print Stitch Patches, a specialty addition to the premium emblems and patches transfer offering. Print Stitch Patches blend embroidery and sublimation. With Print Stitch, distributors/decorators can offer a full color, photo realistic finish paired with the dimension and texture of traditional stitching.

Terry Town (asi/90913), a supplier of towels, robes, blankets and accessories, has hired Christian Brown of CB Marketing Group to represent the company in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. “Christian has a proven track record in the Northwest and has cultivated deep business relationships in the states he represents,” said Aaron Bradley, Terry Town’s vice president of sales. “We are thrilled to have the highest level of professional coverage in such an important region.”

PCNA (asi/78897), a Top 40 supplier, has promoted Hilary Barnes to national account manager for Canada, and Alex Parkes to field sales manager. Barnes has nearly 10 years of industry experience, including three as field sales manager, and will report to Erin Harris, PCNA’s director of sales for Canada. Parkes joined PCNA nearly 10 years ago in customer service  for Trimark (asi/92121; Canada, 92122), and then moved to sales where she was most recently a strategic account manager. “Big congratulations to Hilary and Alex on their exciting endeavors,” says Harris. “I have no doubt both will continue to positively impact our business at PCNA in 2023 and beyond.”

American Solutions for Business (ASB, asi/120075), a Top 40 distributor, recently held its third-annual virtual award ceremony. This year, 26 award categories were featured, honoring hundreds of recipients. ASB introduced three new awards: The ACES Ambassador Award for Sales Associates, and the Strategic Partner and Top Importer awards for suppliers. Some additional categories were Top Vendors, The Horizon Award for Vendors and Top Importer.

Evans Manufacturing (asi/52840), a Top 40 supplier, announced that as part of its community give-back program it has donated 1,500 plush toys to the Denver Human Services Group; 100 plush toys to the Denver Foster Parents Group; 400 plush toys to the Superstition Community Food Bank in Apache Junction, AZ; and 1,600 plush toys to the Phoenix, AZ Toys for Tots program. “All of us at Evans are very proud of what we do every single day,” says Larry Frodyma, southwest strategic account Manager for Evans Manufacturing. “We also know that being a leader in our industry requires us to take not only the time but also the initiative to help those less fortunate or who are experiencing difficult times, which right now sadly is quite a large number of individuals.”

Proforma (asi/300094), a Top 40 distributor, recently sponsored the tree-lighting event at the May Dugan Center, a foundation that provides comprehensive services and programs to individuals and families throughout the Cleveland area. The May Dugan Center aims to enrich and advance the lives of people and their communities by providing essential items such as food, clothing, furniture and household goods. Proforma also participated in the community giveback event with a local chapter of The Salvation Army. “As members of the local community, we want nothing more than to support and uplift those who need it most,” explained Doug Kordel, president of Proforma. “We will continue to do good unto our community and hope our actions will continue to spread cheer.”

Reisack Sales & Marketing (asi/822223), a Texas-based multi-line rep group, won the 2022 Multi-Line Rep of the Year award from Promotional Products Association Southwest. The honor was presented at the association’s annual holiday party on December 1 in Dallas. This was the second consecutive year that the firm has been recognized for excellence. In 2021, Reisack, which has offices in Dallas and Houston, won the award from the Houston Promotional Products Association. Reisack represents suppliers that include PowerStick (asi/51566), SnugZ USA (asi/88060), Storm Creek (asi/89879) and others.

Marakae Marketing (asi/260725) announces that Owner Maria Brady was a Resiliency Award nominee at a recent ceremony hosted by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council East in Pennsylvania. Brady was recognized for her more than 25 years in business and creation of inspirational resource IChoseHappy.live.

World Emblem (asi/98264), a Top 40 supplier headquartered in Hollywood, FL, has partnered with Z Customization, a Carlsbad, CA-based full-service decorator for the golf industry. The partnership will allow the companies to offer direct embroidery, custom emblems, heat transfers and direct-to-garment printing capabilities for apparel, headwear, bags, towels and other golf and lifestyle products. 

Top 40 supplier Outdoor Cap Company (asi/75420) has hired Peter Cohen as the new head of product. Cohen began his international career in the United States Peace Corps in Ukraine as an economic consultant. His background includes consulting and management, as well as marketing and branding, supply chain and logistics and new market entry and development across multiple industries. “Peter’s vast background in sourcing and product leadership will bring a high-level focus to crafting our strategic approach moving forward. He will be leveling up that approach, and our customer, partner and product experience,” said Jeanelle Harris, CEO.

Cap America (asi/43792), a Top 40 supplier, recently presented awards to three members of its multi-line rep force. The top accolade – the Distinguished Sales Award – was earned by Jim Maddox of The Maddox Co. The honor for Largest Growth in Stock Units went to Ron Keller of Florida-based Sports Sales Inc. And Mark Fulwider of WesCo Marketing took home the President’s Award, which is based on improvement relative to the prior year. 

Evans Manufacturing (asi/52840), a Top 40 supplier, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Orange County Register Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. Evans also made Counselor’s 2022 Best Places to Work in the promo industry list.

IDProductsource (asi/62088) has collected what it described as an abundance of toys for Toys for Tots and will also be donating $500 to support the organization, which distributes toys to less fortunate children during the holiday season.

Xpres LLC (asi/52475) promoted Greg Whittington to the newly created position of chief operating officer. He had joined the North Carolina-based supplier as vice president of finance and operations in 2015. Xpres has been serving the promotional products and souvenir/gift channels as a supplier since 1990 with a concentration on drinkware.

Orbus Exhibit & Display (asi/75209), a supplier and manufacturer of display, exhibit, graphic and event solutions, has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation for the eighth consecutive year. The Best and Brightest Companies competition identifies and honors organizations that provide exceptional human resource practices and show a commitment to their employees. Organizations are evaluated on categories such as communication, work-life balance, employee education, diversity, recognition and retention. “We are very proud of this achievement, which re-affirms our commitment to best practices and employee satisfaction,” said Todd Papendick, director of human resources for Orbus. “Being given this honor eight years in a row would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our amazing employees.”

Storm Creek (asi/89879), a Minnesota-based apparel supplier, has hired Aaron Thomas Smith as an account executive and Andrea Anderson as an account manager.

Delta Apparel (asi/49172), a Top 40 supplier, has named Justin Grow to the positions of executive vice president and chief administrative officer. He will work closely with CEO Bob Humphreys and the board of directors on strategic and corporate development initiatives; oversee the company’s legal, compliance, human resources, and administrative functions; and assist with investor relations efforts. “Justin brings a wealth of versatility and subject matter expertise gained through years of experience with public and private companies competing across a variety of industries,” said Humphreys.