(April 18, 2016) - The Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA) is pleased to announce Dana Geiger will serve as the association’s new Executive Director.
Dana brings with her over twelve years of experience in the non-profit arena, including the last six as an executive director in the Promotional Products industry. Dana has served as the VAPPA Executive Director since 2010 and also as the PPAF Executive Director from 2012-2015. Her association management experience is enhanced by her expertise in marketing and her proven ability to help organizations focus on strategic growth.
In addition to welcoming Dana, the Board of Directors extends gratitude and well-wishes to long-time Executive Director Jolie Porter. Porter served the association for fourteen years with dedication and will continue as an honorary lifetime member of the Association.
CPPA Board President Marty Buddenbohn commented, “While we are sad to see Jolie go, we are grateful for her years of service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome Dana as our new Executive Director. Her strong background in association management and years of experience in the industry -- specifically in this region -- makes her a perfect fit for our group.”
Members can meet Dana in person at our upcoming NoVA Showcase. We are looking forward to what the future holds for CPPA with new management at the helm.
About CPPA
Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA) represents and serves more than 200 promotional product manufacturing firms and promotional marketing consultants from our region as well as across the U.S. and Canada. We strive to be a source of information, education and shared learning for our members. We are dedicated to supporting the increased professionalism and expertise of industry professionals, while providing an environment that allows our members to exchange knowledge and ideas, allowing them to grow and prosper.
For more information or to become a member, go to www.cppa.biz or contact Dana Geiger, Executive Director, at 410.562.0609 or email dana@cppa.biz
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Springfield, VA (April 7, 2016) The Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA) is pleased to announce that the first end-buyer tradeshow in their region will be hosted on May 12, 2016 in Springfield, VA.
This event will be held at The Waterford and will feature a one-hour, end-buyer friendly education session facilitated by Cliff Quicksell, MAS+ that will arm buyers with ideas before they enter the exhibit floor that will feature dozens of the industry’s top suppliers.
This inaugural event is open to all industry distributors however only CPPA members are permitted to invite clients to attend as their guest.
“End-buyer events are becoming very popular in the industry and our members have been asking for one for some time,” says Marty Buddenbohn, CPPA President. “We are committed to building an event that will educate buyers about the effectiveness of promotional advertising which will in turn increase sales for the members that embrace this new initiative.”
More details about this event are available by clicking here on the CPPA website www.cppa.biz.
Hub Pen Company is excited to announce the addition of brothers Tim Rosica of Rosica Marketing and Pete Rosica of Rosica Promotions to its expanding list of multi-line representatives. They will represent the company in the mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Tim has been a multiline rep in the promotional products industry for 21 plus years and started Rosica Marketing over 10 years ago. He was named one of PPB’s Best Multi-Line Reps of 2016 as well as CPPA’s (Chesapeake Promotional Products Association) Multi-line Rep of the Year for both 2015 and 2016.
Pete started Rosica Promotions 13 years ago after a long career in financial management. He has an MBA from Philadelphia University and uses his financial management strengths to help distributors make purchasing decisions.
IMAGEN Brands, parent company of Crown Products and Vitronic, welcomes Dana Zezzo as Vice President of Sales
Throughout the course of his 20-year career in the promotional products industry, Dana has worked for including Pro Towels, Jetline, and now IMAGEN Brands.
Dana has been a featured speaker at many industry events, including PPAI Expo and ASI. Dana is also one of the founding “chefs” of PromoKitchen (a 501c3 non-profit).
“I’m excited about being a part of the leadership team “, Dana commented. “I think the direction they’re headed bringing Vitronic and Crown together under IMAGEN Brands, is very exciting.”
In January, IMAGEN Brands brought together the sales teams of Crown and Vitronic creating a combined sales force of 45 professionals representing both product ranges to their customers.
Supplier Prime Line (Prime Resource Corp., has announced a deal in principle to acquire fellow supplier Jetline from Gemini Manufacturing. The transaction, the terms of which have not been released, is scheduled to formally close later this month.
Jetline founder and CEO Eric Levin will serve as Prime’s executive vice president and Jetline President Michael Honig will join Prime as a vice president.
“We are very excited to welcome Jetline to the Prime family and immediately start to give our distributor customers even more products and services to choose from,” says Prime Line CEO Jeff Lederer.
“Both Prime and Jetline have a rich tradition of customer-driven innovation and delivering world class service and support,” adds Levin. “Jetline’s success in the value-priced end of the market, combined with Prime’s reputation for excellence, will certainly enhance the value proposition for our loyal customers. We’re proud to be part of the team.”
Prime will continue to operate the Jetline facility in Gaffney, South Carolina and maintain its company headquarters in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Orders and inquiries for each product line should continue to be channeled to their respective locations.
Supplier alphabroder today announced the addition of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based supplier Bodek and Rhodes to its family of brands. alphabroder, based in Trevose, Pennsyvania, is led by CEO Norm Hullinger. Bodek and Rhodes is the third significant company to join the alphabroder family in the past three years, after Ash City Worldwide in 2014 and Imprints Wholesale in 2012. Leaders at alphabroder say the combination of these two companies establishes a new standard in the industry for product, quality and availability.
"As a family business, Bodek and Rhodes gave careful consideration to our customers and employees and we feel that we have chosen a partner that matches our values and commitment," says Mike Rhodes, CEO of Bodek and Rhodes. Rhodes and members of his family will continue as owners in the combined company, and he will serve on the Board of Directors.
Central to plans for the integration of the two companies, say the executives, is the desire to place one priority above others: current customer delivery and service levels. "The combination of these companies was born out of input from our customers, so we will honor this by continuing our sharp focus on their businesses," says Hullinger. "Bringing our organizations together will provide us with the flexibility and agility to focus 100 percent on our customers, and to deliver best-in-class solutions to help their businesses succeed. This merger provides our customers with unmatched product choice, reach, delivery and availability."
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Bodek and Rhodes, the original apparel distributor, has announced the addition of the popular Columbia Sportswear brand to their apparel lineup. Based in the Pacific Northwest, their mission is to design and deliver authentic high-value outdoor products for active consumers of all ages.
“I think that people are going to really love Columbia’s product line,” said Mike Rhodes. “Just like Bodek and Rhodes, they are a multi-generational, family-owned company that has been immersed in their business for over 70 years. They make great outerwear because they know exactly what customers want and need from it.”
Bodek and Rhodes is distributing a diverse variety of Columbia’s top-selling products, including some of their signature fishing shirts. Both stylish and practical, these favorites have become fashion statements away from the water, making them incredibly popular from the boat to the bar.
Bodek and Rhodes is carrying outerwear for every season of the year—everything from vests to 1/4-zips. A full line of jackets is also available, including the Eager Air™Interchange Jacket, which is a 3-in-1 style that features fleece lining that zips out from the waterproof exterior to serve as a standalone layer during milder conditions.
For more information on Columbia products, please visit www.bodekandrhodes.com
Dan Pigott, Director of Sales for The Hudson Valley Umbrella Company – the home of StrombergBrand, has announced the hiring of multi-line sales rep, Tim Rosica, a 20+ year industry veteran, to represent them in NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE, DC, VA and WV.
You can reach Tim Rosica directly at 609-254-6237 or timrosica@verizon.net.
Largo, Florida-based supplier Hit Promotional Products has acquired fellow supplier Admints & Zagabor, headquartered in Bellmawr, New Jersey.
“We are thrilled to have Brett Hersh, Stephen Weissman and the entire Admints team as a part of Hit Promotional Products,” says CJ Schmidt, president of Hit Promotional Products. “The Admints & Zagabor product offering helps us become an even more diverse line than we already are by adding an element we have been lacking, which is a presence in the fourth-quarter gift season. In addition, the endless possibilities we now have in the ever-evolving special packaging side of our business are very intriguing.
“More important than the products themselves are the two guys behind the products. We are adding two members to our team that have the same tenacity, determination and creativity we exude at Hit, and that will have a significant impact on our entire organization,” adds Schmidt. “Each company will continue to operate individually, and if there are any changes in the future, they will be communicated accordingly.”
Brett Hersh, president of Admints & Zagabor, says, “We started Admints & Zagabor 15 years ago, and one of the keys to our success in the industry is our philosophy of how we serve our distributor customers. Hit Promotional Products shares that same philosophy and we could not have found a better partner. What the Schmidt family has accomplished along with the hard-working team of Hit employees is record-setting in any industry, and we are very proud to be a part of their organization. Admints & Zagabor is most excited about what the future holds for our combined company efforts. One thing for sure is that our distributor partners will reap the benefits of this transaction for many years to come.”
Towel Specialties is thrilled to announce the addition of 26 year industry veteran Kirk Ross as Vice President of National Accounts. He will join the company on April 1.
Kirk will be responsible for sales growth with key partners as well as new business development from his home base in Minnesota.
Most recently, Mr. Ross worked for Top 40 Industry Distributor AIA Corporation for 5 years as their Business & Sales Development Manager. Prior to that Kirk was with the industry supplier Starline.
From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Ross represented Towel Specialties as a multi-line rep in Minnesota.
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