BAMKO (asi/131431), a Top 40 distributor, has hired Ariel Galletti to a strategic development role. Galletti comes to BAMKO from supplier Sock Club (asi/88072) and was formerly with distributor RDP Creative (asi/304992). She will be working directly with Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth Josh White to help drive a number of BAMKO’s growth initiatives. “Ariel is smart, tenacious and a great cultural fit for BAMKO,” said White.

Better Business University, an online learning platform for the promo industry, is launching a new course called “How to Start a Successful Business in Promotional Products.” The new course features videos with industry pros talking about how to set up a business, why the proper artwork can make all the difference, and why order management is how you grow. In addition, there are videos that tackle search tools and how to find customers. Learn more.

Aaron Montgomery, co-host of the decorated-apparel industry podcast “2 Regular Guys,” will host a session called “Feel the Fear and Thrive” at the online Small Business Skills Summit 2022 at 11 a.m. ET on Sept. 11. The summit runs Sept. 1 to 30; register here.

Spector & Co. (asi/88660) welcomes David Jackson as vice president of information technology. In his new role, Jackson will spearhead strategy for the Saint-Laurent, QC-based company’s technology developments and infrastructure. He brings more than 25 years of IT experience, including, most recently, seven years with Top 40 supplier Sweda Company (asi/90305). “David is a great addition to our team, as he brings a deep understanding of information technology and the promotional products industry,” says CEO Robert Spector. “His knowledge of cutting-edge processes will accelerate our company growth and deliver client success.”

Maple Ridge Farms (asi/68680) donated $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity of Wausau, as part of the Mosinee, WI-based supplier’s 2021 company giveback program. As part of the program, Maple Ridge Farms donates a percentage of profits from a specially selected line of gifts. The money will assist Habitat for Humanity as it helps its 70^th family make their dreams of home ownership a reality.

Gold Bond (asi/57653) announces the launch of its new XP FACTORY, a service that includes a set of nine different experiences the Hixon, TN-based supplier can facilitate from start to finish at a distributor’s event. The service is driven toward events like high-achiever awards, corporate sales meetings, donor appreciation ceremonies, destination events for executives and more. “We committed ourselves to reimagining our service offerings and providing truly unique experiences was a must-have that we needed to figure out how to offer,” said Britney Godsey, chief revenue officer.

PromoStandards, a nonprofit group that works to standardize and enable the quick flow of information between suppliers and distributors to reduce friction and improve the customer experience, has appointed Catherine Graham, co-founder and CEO of commonsku, and Steven Stanley, senior vice president of technology at Top 40 distributor ePromos Promotional Products (asi/188515), as its newest advisory board members. “PromoStandards’ success is built on the hard work of smart, successful and dedicated members,” said Eric Alessi, chairman of PromoStandards. “With the addition of Catherine Graham and Steven Stanley, we continue to build on this legacy.”

Top 40 supplier Logomark (asi/67866) has named Christian Brandt as regional sales manager. Prior to joining Logomark, Brandt has held various sales positions in the promo industry, including stints at The Magnet Group (asi/68507), Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) and Leed’s (asi/66887).

BotanicalPaperWorks (asi/41273) in Winnipeg celebrates 25 years of business in 2022. CEO Heidi Reimer-Epp, a former board chair of Promotional Products Professionals of Canada, founded the handmade paper company in 1997 with her mother, Mary Reimer. The company now offers a full line of plantable cards, coasters, bottle tags, banners, notebooks, grow kits, handmade soaps and more. Reimer-Epp was recently featured in a video where she shares her thoughts on a quarter century of business in promo.

ADG/Windmill Canada (asi/97249) has appointed Mike Grant of multi-line agency Halftime Holdings as its multi-line rep for Alberta. Grant has more than 30 years of industry experience.

SanMar (asi/84863) has joined Vice President Kamala Harris' Call to Action initiative, a multi-industry effort that has announced commitments of $1.7 billion in new private-sector investments in Central America. "SanMar's dedication to our communities doesn't stop at the border," said Melissa Nelson, general counsel at SanMar. "When we invest in Central America, we invest in a cycle that benefits everyone, bringing much-needed employment and economic growth that elevates lives across the region." SanMar says its investment in Central America bolsters the sourcing strategy that allows the company to deliver value to customers, maintain product inventory levels and support jobs in the United States. At the same time, the company's regional operations strive to empower women in the workforce as another avenue of bolstering local economies

ACS Affiliate Services, a division of Altitude Group, LLC and a subsidiary of AIM Smarter, has added four new partners to its affiliate community during the months of April and May. They are: Davidson Promotional Products, Inc (asi/556085); Dragonfly Marketing & Consulting (asi/5556084); Lex Branded Merch, LLC (asi/556086); and Top Results Promotions & Apparel, LLC (asi/556087). “We are excited about the future of ACS with the addition of these new affiliate partners,” said Kirk Ross, executive vice president of ACS Affiliate Services. ACS provides promotional product distributor affiliates with services that include technology tools, back-office support services, order funding, supplier advantages, strategic marketing and sales tools. 

Facilisgroup, a leading software-as-a-service company and partnering community within promo, announces that Commercio, its online store solution platform, is now available to the entire industry. First launched in April, Commercio was initially available only to distributor partners in its network. “With our experience building tech for the promo world, Commercio is going to transform distributors’ approach to e-commerce,” said Tanner Hobin, vice president of Commercio. “There’s so much potential for growth in this space, and we’re here to make the process easy.”

Team Phun (asi/342550) has promoted Ashley Larabee to national brand ambassador and Ashleigh Barbaria to brand experience manager. Larabee began at Team Phun in 2018 as a designer and operations coordinator before transitioning to a brand consultant role. Barbaria joined the team in August 2021 with Team Phun’s acquisition of the experiential marketing services division of Mirus Agency, where she was a brand consultant.

Universal Unilink (asi/526000) has partnered with International Business Solutions Alliance. “We welcome the IBSA members with open arms, we are constantly looking to grow our business and we will be adding 100 members that are currently selling promotional products. IBSA has a great reputation; our partnership will allow us to provide education, research and marketing tools that will help grow their business with our top industry suppliers,” said Sherryl Stoner, vice president of Universal Unilink, a promo industry purchasing association formed in 1995.