Premier Press (PPAI 823346, Standard-Plus) has acquired POD4Print, a direct mail company that has served clients across Oregon for over 23 years. The acquisition strengthens Premier Press’ position in the direct mail space, with a strong emphasis on the healthcare and financial sectors.

“We’re excited to welcome the new team to our organization,” says Juli Cordill, CMO and managing director at Premier Press. “This acquisition brings together complementary strengths, creating new opportunities for growth, innovation and shared learning for both companies.”

With a combined team of over 200 employees and sustained business growth, Premier Press says it’s poised to deliver even more efficient, secure and enterprise-scale direct mail solutions to a broader range of clients.

“Joining forces with Premier Press is an exciting next step for us,” says Rob Williams, president of POD4Print. “We’ve built our business over the past 23 years by focusing on quality, service and trust – and those are values Premier shares. Together, we’ll be able to offer even more to our clients, with speed, scale and innovation.”

Starline (PPAI 112719, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 27 supplier, has announced the launch of ClearPath – a new universal sourcing solution.

Through ClearPath, distributors can now easily access a full range of customizable promotional items via Starline’s website.

“ClearPath represents a major leap forward in how we support our distributor partners,” says Brian Porter, CRO of Starline. “With this program, we’ve created a sourcing experience that removes the usual complexities of global procurement. It’s fast, reliable and supported by a team that understands what it takes to bring custom projects to life – on time and on budget. We’re incredibly excited about the possibilities this opens for our customers.”

iClick (PPAI 254537, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 47 supplier, has announced the addition of eco-conscious technology brand Xoopar to its product portfolio.

• Xoopar is headquartered in Paris with product development and production facilities in Shenzhen, China.
• Every Xoopar product is crafted using 100% GRS-certified recycled materials.

“We’re beyond excited to welcome Xoopar to our mobile tech lineup,” says Jeff Roberts, CEO of iClick. “It’s not just an international brand with a unique design and global reach. It’s a company deeply rooted in sustainability, innovation and creativity. It’s a perfect fit for who we are and the direction we are going.”

Storm Creek (PPAI 438091, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 33 supplier, announced that it has received a Gold Medal from EcoVadis, which places the promo firm among the top 5% of more than 130,000 rated companies worldwide.

Last month, Storm Creek announced that it has earned B Corp certification.

“We’ve always believed in seeking better,” says Tersa Fudenberg, CEO of Storm Creek. “Our Gold Medal from EcoVadis is a powerful validation of our mission to seek better for people and planet.”

commonsku (PPAI 552077), the cloud-based CRM and order management platform powering over $1.8 billion in network volume, has announced the launch of The AI Promo Brief – a weekly newsletter that delivers insights on artificial intelligence through the lens of the branded merch world.

• In addition to email, the newsletter will soon be available in a short-form audio format for on-the-go listening.
• You can subscribe to the newsletter here: commonsku | The AI Promo Brief

“AI is the most transformative shift in technology we’ve seen and it’s evolving faster than most businesses can track,” says Bobby Lehew, commonsku’s chief content officer. “We created The AI Promo Brief to help our industry cut through the noise. In a fast-moving world, promo pros don’t need more information – they need relevant insight, fast. Insight that’s tailored to our industry and focused on helping teams harness AI for real growth. That’s the insight we will deliver in every issue.”

Facilisgroup (PPAI 493664), a software-as-a-service provider and partner community in the promotional products industry, has announced the rollout of its Syncore Summer Release.

Previewed to distributors and suppliers at the recent Facilisgroup Summit in New Orleans, the continual quarterly releases bring more distributor-driven innovations to Syncore, a 360° Promo Platform.

Syncore Summer Release highlights include:

• Easily charge convenience fees
• Sync Outlook emails
• Faster AR follow up
• Track custom goals with job tags
• Request digital proofs easily
• Send rush ePOs confidently

“These product updates are a direct reflection of what our distributor partners told us would bring them the most value across their business,” says Matthew Cromar, chief product officer at Facilisgroup. “Every quarter, we release new updates that will help sales, service, finance and management teams work more efficiently, ensuring Syncore continues to be the 360° Promo Platform that helps them scale faster and smarter.”