See it and Sell it First at ASI Show Orlando – January 4-6, 2025.   Register Now.

News

FBI Investigates At Ohio Promo Firm

The Federal Bureau of Investigation spent about seven hours investigating at the offices of a promotional products company in Coldwater, OH on July 11th, a special agent in the FBI’s Cleveland office confirmed to Counselor.

FBI Investigates At Ohio Promo Firm

The company, Totally Promotional, put out a statement saying that agents were there as part of an investigation into alleged price fixing within the promotional products industry. Totally Promotional is not an ASI-listed company.

FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson said she could not confirm the content of Totally Promotional’s statement or share many details because the investigation is ongoing. Still, she did say that FBI agents were on scene at the company from 7:45 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. on July 11th.

“We were spotted at that location and the media was tipped off,” Anderson told Counselor. “Normally we wouldn’t disclose” anything about the investigation while it is ongoing.

Anderson noted that no charges have been filed and that no one is in custody. “There’s really very little we can say,” she said.

Totally Promotional, however, was sharing some details. The company put out a statement that read, in part: “The FBI arrived at the offices of Totally Promotional in Coldwater, Ohio, to investigate alleged price fixing activity on items within the promotional products industry. Totally Promotional executives were interviewed and were fully cooperative with the investigators on site. Totally Promotional has been made aware of other companies within the promotional products industry who are also being investigated per this issue. Totally Promotional has not participated in any wrongdoing as it relates to any activity, including price fixing with any of our competitors.”

The company said it is continuing with business. “Totally Promotional is committed to serving our customers both locally and nationwide and will continue to offer great service, quality products and competitive pricing,” the statement read.

Price fixing occurs when competitors collude to maintain prices at a certain level.