Spector (PPAI 168328, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 18 supplier, has announced the promotion of Shashi Singam to executive vice president of marketing.

• Singam joined Spector in 2016 as vice president of marketing.

“This is a true testament to his fierce dedication, tireless work and brilliant creative abilities that has helped move Spector to the top of the ranks from a marketing perspective in our industry,” says Samantha Kates, president of Spector and a member of the PPAI Board of Directors. “Shashi has been an incredible leader to his entire team, helping to foster thoughtful collaboration, loyalty and is always unlocking potential in others around him. We could not be more thrilled to promote him to EVP.”

Proforma (PPAI 196835, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 3 distributor, has announced that three of its distributor owners recently expanded their presence and service offerings through acquisitions. Collectively, the deals bring millions in annual sales to the Proforma Network.

• In addition to Proforma Color Press and Proforma Printhouse landing deals, IdentiBrands Powered by Proforma acquired Absolute Ink Promotional Products.

“Proforma’s Mergers & Acquisitions Team provides Proforma Distributor Owners with support throughout the acquisition process, serving as a strategic resource from initial opportunity identification through transition,” says Vanessa Edwards, vice president of business development at Proforma. “Using Proforma’s AI-powered acquisition software, ProMatch, we help Distributor Owners grow their businesses by acquiring qualified companies and hiring top-tier sales professionals.”

Warwick Publishing (PPAI 114154, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 66 supplier, has announced a strategic expansion of its Midwest sales coverage.

To better serve distributor partners and accelerate regional growth, Warwick has divided its Midwest territory into two focused regions: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska; and Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

• Warwick has partnered with Joe Keely of Select Lines Marketing to represent Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
• In Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Michael Wickham has assumed expanded responsibility and has been named strategic sales manager – Midwest.

“I’m grateful for the support of the Warwick leadership team and excited to leverage my experience to bolster existing relationships and build new partnerships across the region,” Wickham says. “Together, we’re focused on helping our distributor partners achieve their growth goals.”

commonsku (PPAI 552077) – a cloud-based CRM, order management and social collaboration platform tailored to the promotional products industry – has announced a new strategic partnership with Office Beacon (PPAI 255089), which provides remote staffing solutions designed specifically for the promotional products industry.

• Through this collaboration, commonsku distributors gain access to remote professionals skilled in order management, sales support, artwork and graphics, invoicing and web support.
• commonsku distributors will receive a $100 monthly credit toward each new hire’s commonsku license for the first 12 months – a $1,200 annual value per role.

“The launch of this partnership with Office Beacon signals a commitment by commonsku to strengthening our strategic partnership framework for distributors,” says Dave Shultz, chief partnerships officer at commonsku. “We’re building a comprehensive ecosystem of best-in-class partners, and Office Beacon compliments a critical piece of this ecosystem: affordable, fully trained and professionally managed remote staff who already understand the nuances of the promo industry.”

“Distributors shouldn’t have to choose between growth and operational stability,” adds Pranav Dalal, CEO and founder of Office Beacon. “By partnering with commonsku, we’re embedding trained, promo-savvy remote professionals directly into the workflows distributors already rely on, so teams can scale efficiently and stay focused on serving their customers.”