Top 40 distributor Fully Promoted (asi/384000) has hired a new director of vendor relations – an appointment that comes as the West Palm Beach, FL-based firm says its recently launched office-based business model is attracting a bevy of franchisees.

This week, Fully Promoted said that it’s named Tom Kronberger to the vendor relations director role to help meet the demand for brand expansion. Kronberger’s primary job will be to grow the amount and depth of vendor resources available to Fully Promoted franchisees.

Tom Kronberger, Fully Promoted

Kronberger most recently worked as a national account manager for Top 40 supplier Chocolate Inn/Lanco (asi/44900). The son of a promotional products distributor from Philadelphia, the Penn State graduate has learned the promo business from a young age, executives said. “With 30 years in distributor and vendor roles, Tom is uniquely suited to provide our company a fresh perspective,” said Fully Promoted President Mike Brugger.

Kronberger is excited for what lies ahead. “The two major factors in Fully Promoted’s future growth are the level of support and quality of resources we provide our franchisees,” Kronberger said. “It’s what made the opportunity of working with this brand so enticing. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and relationships with franchisees in years to come.”

Mike Brugger, Fully Promoted

And that list of franchisees is growing.

Fully Promoted, rebranded in recent years from its former name EmbroidMe, had long been synonymous with brick-and-mortar storefronts where franchisees perform apparel decorating and sell hard good promotional products. That model still exists and is doing well, executives said. To give more options to potential franchisees, however, Fully Promoted this year launched a new office model concept that enables entrepreneurs to enter the firm’s franchising fold without having to open a store and invest in/oversee in-house production. Under this new option, franchisees just open an office.

Since debuting in the spring, the office model has attracted about a dozen new franchisees in the U.S. and Canada. By year’s end, Fully Promoted expects an additional 20 to open. “Franchisees are finding our new office locations the ideal blend of career autonomy and expert support,” said Brugger. “The desire our business owners have shown for a new working landscape is what drives us to deliver the level of service and support to satisfy their needs.”

The positive momentum comes as Fully Promoted also launched a revamped website, got featured on Entrepreneur’s “Franchise 500” list and introduced a new cloud-based management software platform that’s designed to streamline processes and eliminate busywork. “We believe in our brand’s continued growth and are confident we’ll achieve this goal with the help of Tom Kronberger,” Brugger said.

With reported 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $104.1 million, Fully Promoted ranked 19^th on Counselor’s latest list of the largest distributors in the industry. Fully Promoted is one of a number of subsidiaries of United Franchise Group, which has some 1,600 franchisees in 80 countries around the world.