Distributors
Activate! Promotions + Marketing (UPIC: Activate)—Dave Claunch, regional president for the western U.S.; William Booe, regional president for the eastern U.S.; and Steve Howe, regional president for the central U.S.
Brown & Bigelow (UPIC: BB1896)—Sandy Nichols, MAS, director of vendor relations
Corporate Imaging Concepts, LLC (UPIC: CORP8803)—Marty Engel, director of sales
Geiger (UPIC: Geiger)—Nathaniel Bullock, CAS, promoted to product responsibility and global services manager
Summit Group, LLC (UPIC: summit)—Eleanor Andres-Cruz, Chicago division senior merchandiser; Michele Claure, DC division merchandising supervisor; Debbie Blake, Atlanta division manager of program accounts; Beth Graham, Chicago division accounts payable supervisor, and Edward Robbins, chief strategy officer
The Vernon Company (UPIC: Vernon)—Shannon Bergman, director of administration; Vicki Palm, promoted to director of marketing
Suppliers
ADG Promotional Products (UPIC: ADGPROMO)—Incentives West (UPIC: IDEAWEST) will represent the company in the western states—Mark Shinn, MAS, in the Northwest Promotional Marketing Association and Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California markets; Steve De Mars in the Specialty Advertising Association of California and Arizona Promotional Products Association regions, and
Mary Jo Bieker will provide support
The Allen Company (UPIC: ALLEN)—Jennifer Durren, human resources, and Judy Richardson, promoted to manager, CamelBak Retail and Collegiate division
BAG MAKERS, Inc. (UPIC: BAGMAKRS)—Christopher Duffy, MAS, promoted to senior vice president of business development; Courtney Carnehl and Aloisa Johnson, sales and marketing coordinators; Corinne Hardt, GCM specialist/graphics director; Mallory Johnson, graphic artist/production artist coordinator; Jason LeBlanc, marketing graphic designer, and Mark Valleskey, multimedia specialist
Heritage Sportswear/Virginia T’s (UPIC: HERI0002)—Jeff Hurl, vice president of finance, and Sarah Shifflett, promoted to director of merchandising
Jetline (UPIC: jetline)—Beth Kovanis, strategic account manager
National Gift Card Corp. (UPIC: ngcgroup)—Bill St. Clair, senior vice president of operations
Pro Towels (UPIC: PROTOWEL)—Mark and Nick Chipchase of Mac Marketing will represent the company in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia; Frank Deaner of Deaner Marketing will represent the company in North and South Carolina; Jim Miller will represent the company in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. In addition, Jules Scheck, Jason Bickoff, Nancy Bercovitz and Mark Colfer of JSA Marketing, the Pro Towels Northeast/Mid-Atlantic sales team, will now also represent the company’s Kanata Blanket Company brand.
Sweda Company, LLC (UPIC: Sweda)—Cindy O’Reilly, director of merchandise
Seville Gear (UPIC: SEVILLE)—Valerie Spiller and PJ Hemlock of Elite Marketing will represent the company in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky; Bo Turner of Turner and Associates will represent the company in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee; Mike Newcomer of Cool Swag Marketing will represent the company in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia; and Rod Williamson, Bryan Mercer and Stephanie Mercer of MW Reps will represent the company in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
In Memoriam: Myron “Mike” Adler
Myron “Mike” Adler, whose family owned Maywood, New Jersey, distributor Myron Corp. (UPIC: MYRO0001), passed away September 15 at his home in Franklin Lakes. He was 91.
Adler served in the 3rd Armored Division under General George S. Patton and was awarded a number of medals, including the Bronze Star. After leaving the military, he attended New York University. In 1949, he married Elaine Finkel and together they founded Myron Manufacturing Corp., originally a direct marketing firm. Myron Corp. has grown into one of the promotional products industry’s largest distributors.
In 1993, Adler suffered a stroke following bypass surgery. While he recovered from most of the stroke’s effects, aphasia—a language impairment affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read and write, caused by injury to the brain—proved resistant to treatment. In 2003, Adler and Elaine established the Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood. The center has since grown to include a satellite facility in West Orange and a sister program in Jerusalem’s Hadassah College, and has treated more than 1,000 people.
Adler also served on the board of Hackensack Hospital and the United Jewish Appeal, and recently expanded the School of Nursing at Ramapo College.
Adler is survived by four children—William and his wife Leslie; Richard and wife Haekyung; Donald James and his wife Dana; and Mare Adler Kravecas and her husband Saul—and 11 grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Mike’s memory to the Adler Aphasia Center, 60 W. Hunter Avenue, Maywood, NJ 07607.