The longtime veteran executive and sales leader within the promotional products industry has joined Sharon, MA-based Charles River Apparel (asi/44620) as the Top 40 supplier’s new Vice President of Sales.

The move comes about 11 months after Saracino retired following more than 35 years with Clearwater, FL-based Top 40 supplier Koozie Group (formerly BIC Graphic; asi/40480). He had served as Vice President of Sales and Senior Vice President of Business Development at Koozie.

Dave Saracino, Charles River Apparel

“Dave’s impressive track record is unmatched for this role and we are overjoyed to have him come aboard,” says Barry Lipsett, CEO and Owner of Charles River Apparel. “Dave’s energetic spirit, market expertise, sales acumen, and ability to build genuine relationships align seamlessly with our goal of driving our leadership position in all the markets we serve.” 

Saracino will head the Charles River Apparel sales department, which includes the inside sales team, direct sales reps and multi-line reps across all market channels.

“I am both excited and honored to be accepted to the senior leadership team of Charles River Apparel and look forward to working closely with the entire CRA team,” said Saracino. “Being part of a family-owned company with a strong branded product is precisely what I was looking to do.”

Saracino’s position with Charles River Apparel marks the return of a man who is nothing short of an icon in the promotional products market – a much-loved and respected industry celebrity. He was Counselor magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2016 and is a former member of the Power 50, a Counselor ranking of the most influential people in promo.

“Some people cruise through life under the radar, affecting a precious few in their closest circle; others have personalities so large and charisma so palpable, they change the temperature of a room just by walking into it,” wrote Michele Bell, ASI’s Vice President of Editorial, Education & Special Events, in a 2016 Counselor article about Saracino. “The original smooth operator, Frank Sinatra, had that kind of swagger in spades – the chairman of the board, the straw that stirred the cocktail. In this industry, if Sinatra had a funnier kid brother, it would be Dave Saracino.”

Charles River Apparel was Counselor’s Family Business of the Year in 2017. The company ranked 40th on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry based on 2019 North American promotional product revenue of $45 million. The new rankings are due out in the summer of 2021.