Top 40 promotional products distributor Proforma (asi/300094) has made a big technology push of late, most notably spending $12 million and four years to develop a new business management technology platform, ProVision, for its affiliate owners.

The industry’s sixth largest distributorship recently continued the emphasis on tech by hosting/sponsoring a forum in Tampa, FL in which developers and data scientists of all skills levels engaged in structured coding challenges with professionals from Proforma’s 75-member technology team.

Tech talk at Proforma’s Code Kata.

Called a “Code Kata,” the event centered on attendees digging into coding exercises with peers and mentors. The term “kata” refers to an exercise that is repeated many times, making minor improvements by increasing the level of difficulty or introducing new challenges. Proforma intends to hold katas on a monthly basis at its Technology Innovation Lab, which is located at its Worldwide Support Center in Tampa.

“It gives me great pride to invest in the next generation of technology leaders,” says Proforma CEO Vera Muzzillo. “We are honored to be a community leader in creating a collaborative workplace that empowers productivity and encourages education. At Proforma, we are just as committed to the investment of our community and our employees as we are to our investment in developing technology solutions.”

Proforma’s Code Kata had benefits for novice and experienced tech pros, attendees said. “I am proud to work for a company that fosters this culture of innovation,” said Charles Bayley, a Proforma developer. “Because each exercise can be coded in different ways and in different languages, these events have challenged me to find new approaches to problems we may already have solutions for.”

In addition to ProVision and Code Katas, Proforma also kept tech at the forefront recently with its first-ever technology user conference.

With reported 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $378.8 million, Proforma ranked sixth on Counselor’s latest list of the largest distributors in the industry.