Gemline, the 13th-largest supplier by revenue in the North American promotional products industry, announced Wednesday, Jan. 6 that it will now provide Paper Mate and Sharpie products to the promo market.

The landmark move comes through what the Lawrence, MA-based supplier said is a new strategic long-term partnership with Atlanta-based Newell Custom Writing Instruments (asi/84833).

The Sharpie Fine Point is one of the Sharpie products Gemline is offering.

Gemline executives said the partnership increases Newell’s reach in the industry, expands Gemline’s presence in the writing instrument product category and adds to Gemline’s growing portfolio of premium brand partners. Gemline will be the first supplier that Newell, formerly Sanford B2B, has partnered with in the industry, with the goal of expanding their reach. Newell will continue to also sell directly in the channel to a small number of house accounts. Gemline will handle the vast majority of sales in the promo space.

“We are proud to add the iconic Paper Mate and Sharpie brands to our expanding brand portfolio by partnering with one of the largest writing instrument companies in the world,” said Frank Carpenito, president of Gemline. “Known for tried and true quality writing instruments, we are confident that our customers will share in our enthusiasm as we continue to provide them with more branding solutions than ever before.”

Jen Cleveland, senior sales manager for Newell Brands Writing Division, said the company is excited about what the new partnership will mean for Gemline and Newell – and distributors keen to meet end-buyers’ demands for high-quality writing instruments.

“It was important to choose a partner with a solid reputation in the industry that will help expand our reach and grow brand awareness of Paper Mate and Sharpie within the promotional products industry,” said Cleveland. “We are confident Gemline will help us achieve our growth targets.”

The Paper Mate Ink Joy pen (with black ink) is one of the Paper Mate products Gemline is offering.

Executives noted that Paper Mate, with its recognizable two-hearts logo, has been providing performance-writing instruments for more than 60 years. Sharpie is the original permanent marker with ink that dries quickly and resists both water and fading.

“The addition of Newell Custom Writing Instruments to our expanding retail brand portfolio is a huge win for Gemline as we strive to significantly increase our market share in the writing instruments category,” said Jonathan Isaacson, chairman and CEO of Gemline. “We were one of the first suppliers to pioneer retail brand partnerships in the early 2000s, and they continue to fuel our company growth with our distributor partners, as end customers demand more branded promotional products.”

Indeed, Gemline struck five major brand partnerships in 2020, a year in which the firm introduced more than 250 new products to the promo market. The brand partnerships were with Osprey, Modern Sprout, American Red Cross-branded items, Soapbox and Beekman 1802. In addition, Gemline acquired bag/accessory brand RuMe in December.

With reported 2019 North American promotional product revenue of $105 million, Gemline ranked 13th on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry.

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