Distributor News

The majority of top performers in the S&P 500 (INDEX: .SPX) this year are as the result of a takeover, keeping a teetering stock market near the unchanged mark for 2010 in the face of fears of a global debt crisis, continued problems with the the U.S. consumer and higher interest rates.

The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) just released the first in a series of video tools for distributors titled, “Consumers Love Promotional Products.” The videos are based on a two-part study designed by PPAI and fielded through independent research company MarketTools, Inc.

HALO/Lee Wayne, Sterling, Ill., announced the acquisition of the business and operating assets of Relay Gear LTD, a promotional products distributor based in Columbus, Ohio. Relay Gear LTD’s sales team will join HALO/Lee Wayne, eventually selling under the HALO Branded Solutions brand.

Scott E. Siegel, MAS, president of R.S. Owens & Company, Chicago, a 72-year-old privately held manufacturer and distributor of recognition awards and gifts, has been named chairman of the board of Promotional Products Association International (PPAI).

A Montreal man is seeking permission to launch a class-action lawsuit against a manufacturer of reusable aluminum water bottles, alleging the company made false claims the bottles were free of the chemical bisphenol A, also known as BPA.

One year in, the Recovery Act is at work across the country creating jobs and driving economic growth. From major highway projects to green retrofits of military facilities and manufacturing of advanced batteries, more than 55,000 projects across the country have now been funded through the Recovery Act.

The nation’s top entrepreneurs will be honored at the Washington-based U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week events to be held May 23 to 25. A series of events and educational forums will mark the 57th anniversary of the agency and the 47th annual proclamation of National Small Business Week.

Toronto-based Artmetal Promotional Products president Evan Krofchick, MAS was honored at the general opening session of the Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC) 2010 national convention for outstanding achievement as the youngest MAS in Canada. Krofchick also spoke at the general assembly on the value of the CAS/MAS program.

I often hear executives struggling to understand the power and promise of mobile devices as it relates to their business. "I would never want to receive an ad on my phone for nearby pizza," they say. Or, "The iPhone is a small percentage of the phone market.

As part of a media outreach effort, the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is calling on promotional products professionals to help build a case in support of safety incentive programs.