AIA Corporation (asi/109480), a Top 40 distributor, will host a series of regional meetings for Owners, select suppliers and members of the AIA leadership team. The events, each running a day and a half in conjunction with industry suppliers, will include opportunities for peer networking, professional development and supplier meetings. The series includes stops in the following cities:

• Los Angeles, with alphabroder (asi/34063) and BELLA+CANVAS (asi/39590)
• St. Petersburg, FL, with Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125)
• Minneapolis, with Showdown Displays (asi/87188)
• Pittsburgh, with PCNA (asi/78897)

Prominate (asi/300426), a global promo distributor headquartered in the United Kingdom and with a presence in North America, has launched a new website. Executives said the latest www.prominate.com offers improved functionality and illustrates the successes of promotional programs that the firm has orchestrated. The site aims to emphasize how Prominate strives to streamline the supply chain and improve marketing procurement outcomes, while also increasing brand awareness and loyalty and delivering measurable ROI, executives said. CEO Sarah Daniel said: “Our website truly reflects who we are as a business. It connects Prominate with its target audience, showcasing our entire solution.”

ASI Canada representatives will be exhibiting at the Promotional Marketing Events (PME) series of trade shows, hosted by Promo Expo. This is the first time the events will be held in person in three years. Of the six shows in April and May, ASI Canada is headed to the following:

1. Vancouver: Tuesday, April 18
2. Edmonton: Thursday, April 20
3. Calgary: Friday, April 21
4. Halifax: Wednesday, May 3

Distributors can register with Promo Expo here and find out more information about the show series here.

Facilisgroup, a software-as-a-service company and partnering community within the promotional products industry, has integrated its flagship sales and operations suite, Syncore, with its new online store platform, Commercio. Online orders from Commercio Company Stores now flow into Syncore’s order processing system automatically in real time. Previously, distributors had to manually re-key data from online stores into their order processing system, which was error-prone and slow.

Zing Manufacturing (asi/99025) has hired Parker Stephens as a regional sales director who will serve distributors in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Stephens, a Dallas, TX resident, will also be national sales manager for Zing’s business with Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616). Stephens is a promo veteran who was a territory sales manager for T-Shirt Tycoon (asi/87000) for nearly a decade, executives said. “Parker’s knowledge of our industry and passion for client satisfaction will continue to propel Zing as the industry’s top source for unique, personalized experiences between Distributors and their customers,” said Rob Watson, vice president of Zing.

City Apparel + Merch, a Findlay, OH-based distributor, has joined the Premier Group Network, a promo partnering network for distributors and suppliers. “Joining Premier Group is exciting for our entire team,” said City Apparel President Andrea Kramer. “We look forward to building with other members of the group as we continue our mission to serve clients and our community. I believe the resources available to us through this organization will help fuel our growth as individuals and as a company. Those that collaborate well, win!” said Kramer. Premier Group Network Board Chair Matt Wagner of Fields Manufacturing (asi/54100) welcomed City Apparel to the group. “We are excited to grow with like-minded businesses like City Apparel + Merch who we know will bring a fresh and unique perspective to the group,” Wagner said.

Maple Ridge Farms (asi/68680) has launched eight new products to its line of popular snack boxes, bringing the total number to 11. The boxes, with themes that include “Special Delivery,” “Energy Booster” and “Let’s Play,” contain a number of brand-name snacks such as Chex Mix, KIND Bars and Famous Amos cookies.

Lahlouh Inc. (asi/229428) has joined The Peernet Group, an alliance of 16 distributors with locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico representing $335 million in revenue. Lahlouh is a distributorship based in Burlingame, CA. “We are very excited about the addition of Lahlouh, Inc to the Peernet Group,” said Darlene Blaum, CEO of the The Peernet Group. “Lahlouh has built a strong and growing family-run business over 40 years, with an eagerness and commitment to rapid growth. In addition to promo, they bring an expertise in the print business, along with a fresh perspective and additional leadership to our group.” Ivonne Lahlouh, principal at Lahlouh, Inc, said: “As a family-owned company, we know that when we work together, we drive better results –- for ourselves, our clients, and our communities. We can’t wait to begin this new journey with Peernet and are eager to learn, share, teach, and collaborate.”

ADG Canada (asi/97270) has partnered with multi-line rep Chad Maybury of Monarch Agency to represent the company’s line in the GTA. Maybury has extensive multi-line experience in Ontario, and currently represents suppliers such as Augusta Sportswear Brands (asi/37461), Corporate Confections (asi/46725), Bravo Awards (asi/41638), Castelli Canada (asi/44294) and others. “With our recent re-brand and new product launch, Chad will bring a strong and fresh presence to the continued success and growth of ADG Canada,” said the company.

Williams Advertising (asi/360402) has promoted Jessica Bueno to the position of creative director. In her new role, Bueno will oversee creative strategy for both Williams Advertising’s marketing services and Branded, the promotional products division, as well as client content marketing. Bueno joined Williams Advertising in 2019 as graphic designer and brand specialist, and since then has worked on branding design, promo project design and digital marketing campaigns.

IDProductsource (asi/62088) has promoted Dawn Rechtorovich to accounting manager. Rechtorovich has worked with IDProductsource for 10 years. “This is a well-deserved promotion and we are so proud of Dawn,” the company said in a statement.

PromoStandards has announced its official 2023 board of directors and released a new set of goals for the nonprofit organization committed to improving supply chain and transactional efficiencies in the promo industry. The board has begun transitioning its previous responsibility of making operational decisions to the nonprofit’s committees, freeing it up to focus on strategic goals such as membership growth and increased adoption of its standards. The 12-person board of directors for 2023 consists of:

• Chair: Eric Alessi, president and CEO at Essent Corp.
• Vice-Chair: Catherine Graham, co-founder and CEO at commonsku
• Treasurer: Philip Gergen, senior vice president of technology at Top 40 supplier Koozie Group (asi/40480)
• Immediate Past Chair: Jon Norris, chief operating officer at Top 40 supplier Starline (asi/89320)
• Standards Committee Chair: Eric Shonebarger, president at Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125)
• Steven Stanley, senior vice president of technology at Top 40 distributor ePromos Promotional Products (asi/188515)
• Amy Rabideau, vice president of product at Facilisgroup (asi/475998)
• Shawn White, vice president of information technology at Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900)
• Irwin Goldstein, vice president of enterprise and solutions architecture at Top 40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000)
• Edward Streiff, senior manager of application development at Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/78897)
• Mike Knapick, chief information officer at Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863)
• Dan Kroymann, director of information technology at Top 40 distributor Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601).

Bluewater Ideas (asi/141985) has relocated to 1 Miller Lake Shore Rd., Miller Lake, ON, N0H 1Z0. Phone numbers and email addresses will stay the same.

ACS Affiliate Services has added five new affiliate partners: TBG Swag (asi/556058), P3 Perilli Promotional Products (asi/556095), Private I Print Promotions (asi/273725), RAM Specialty Products (asi/304513), and Branding Solutions, LLC (asi/556099). “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 is a division of Altitude Group, LLC and a subsidiary of AIM Smarter, LLC. ACS provides solutions to its distributor affiliates, including industry-focused technology tools, back-office invoicing support, order funding and more.

Gemline (asi/56070), a Top 40 supplier, is hosting a free, live webinar today, Wednesday, March 8 at 1 p.m., featuring former Defense Secretary and CIA Chief Leon Panetta. Panetta will help attendees try to understand ongoing global events and their potential future impacts. His presentation will be followed by a Q&A session led by Jonathan Isaacson, Gemline’s executive chair. Space is limited. Register now to reserve a spot.

Royal Apparel (asi/83731), a Hauppauge, NY-headquartered supplier that specializes in U.S.-made clothing, has launched its new catalog. A digital offering, the 102-page catalog showcases new and popular styles, as well as a new fabric portfolio. Videos help show the garments in action.

Terry Town (asi/90913), a California-based supplier of towels, blankets, robes and accessories, has hired Taryn Sanders as a strategic national account manager. Sanders will represent Terry Town in the Midwest region. “Taryn came to us already knowing what it takes to be successful in this industry,” said Aaron Bradley, vice president of sales and compliance. “She understands that it is built on long-lasting relationships and that customer service is the number one priority. We are very excited to have Taryn on board.”

Orbus Exhibit & Display Group (asi/75209), a supplier of visual communications solutions for tradeshows and events, retail environments and corporate interiors, says that its Florida Territory Manager, Kara Barker, has been named 2023 president of the board of directors of the Promotional Products Association of Florida. Barker has served as PPAF board treasurer since January 2020 and vice president in 2022-23. As a non-profit trade association, PPAF advocates for suppliers and distributors.

BAG MAKERS (asi/37940), a Top 40 supplier, has named Frankie Gashler to the position of regional business development manager, serving Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Oregon, and Washington. Gashler has more than 15 years of sales experience. Most recently, she was director of sales and marketing for Georgia-based PromoMatting (asi/35750), a division of Americo Manufacturing Company. Gashler is active in the industry as a public speaker and mentor to incoming professionals. She also was named to ASI’s Hot List in 2012 as an up-and-coming industry supplier.

Toddy Gear (asi/91411) is offering free ground shipping for a limited time for its promotional division. “We understand the daily challenges our business partners face, especially regarding volatile shipping costs,” said Jason Emery, president. To be eligible, purchase orders must be received between March 1 to March 31, 2023. The promotion applies to orders delivered within the 48 contiguous states, excluding Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Orders must have a total value of $500 or greater to qualify. More information is available on the company’s website.

Orbus Exhibit & Display (asi/75209), has been recertified to the IDEAlliance G7 Master Print Specification for the 12^th consecutive year and is celebrating 15 years of membership with the Printing United Alliance, a trade association for printers and other professionals in the industrial, graphic, garment, textile and packaging industries. “I’m extremely proud of our ability to provide clients with premium print quality and service, while experiencing record growth,” said Jaime Herand, vice president of graphic operations at Orbus.