As first reported Monday in a Counselor Breaking News Alert, Top 40 supplier BIC Graphic (asi/40480) has appointed David Klatt, Jr. to serve as CEO.

Previously, Klatt was CEO of Clearwater, FL-based AAMP Global and president of the writing segment and specialty business segment at Newell Brands. He has also held leadership roles at Black & Decker and DeWalt. Going forward, Emmanuel Bruno will remain as president of BIC Graphic, the company said.

“This is an exciting time to join such a dynamic organization and industry. BIC Graphic is clearly an industry leader, rooted in operational excellence and committed to its employees. They have made significant investments in service, innovation and technology and are well positioned for accelerated growth,” said Klatt. “I look forward to helping drive the business forward." 

Responding to questions from Counselor, Klatt said that a key ingredient to propelling growth will be maximizing the potential of BIC Graphic’s “full-service value proposition in the consolidating promotional products market. To capitalize on that, we will aggressively explore opportunities for expansion with developing our products, fostering even closer partnerships with our current customers, and boosting operational efficiencies and technological advancements. I do see significant growth opportunities both organically and through M&A.”

Additionally, Klatt told Counselor that BIC Graphic plans to expand on strategies, such as digital workflows, that will increase efficiencies and streamline the customer ordering process. “We will build upon innovation in terms of product design and bringing new brands to the market with greater speed,” Klatt said. “The team has also been working on new decoration and service technologies, such as online self-service tools, customer integrations and simplified digital decoration, that will improve our customers’ experiences going forward.”

Helping to foster a vibrant company culture is also at the top of Klatt’s list. “At the core of this business is our people, and we will be re-defining our culture in the coming months to help drive even better results,” he told Counselor.

Bruno said BIC Graphic is excited to have Klatt join the team. He added: “We welcome David and continue to push BIC Graphic forward – faster. We are dedicated to making it easier to do business with us and will continue to evolve our business according to our distributors’ needs for a truly valued partner.”

Counselor ranks BIC Graphic as the fifth largest supplier in the industry after the firm reported 2016 North American promo products sales of $316.9 million.​