Cap America (PPAI 111597, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 18 supplier, has promoted Stephanie Fults to sporting goods supervisor within its customer service department.

Joining Cap America in 2015 as a sample embroidery operator, Fults has worked her way up the company ladder, most recently being an account executive in the sporting goods division.

“Stephanie has grown through multiple areas of our company and brings valuable insight to the customer experience,” says Paige Karius, customer service manager at Cap America. “Her knowledge, paired with her account management experience, makes her a great fit to lead this team.”

The Vernon Company (PPAI 109323, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 25 distributor, closed its annual national sales meeting on April 10 after nearly a week of collaboration between account executives and supplier partners. The event was hosted at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Clearwater, Florida.

• The annual meeting included educational sessions, a trade show, networking opportunities and an awards banquet.
• The event also included guided tours of two of Vernon’s top supplier partners, Hit Promotional Products and Koozie Group.

“There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing a team come together with such respect, camaraderie and a shared commitment to lifting one another up,” says Lisa Hubbard, vice president of sales and marketing at Vernon.

Jennifer Savor, co-founder of distributor LinJen Promotions, has officially transitioned into retirement following its acquisition by Firebrand Global Marketing (PPAI 304784, Standard-Plus).

The deal is part of Firebrand’s strategic growth track, in which the Illinois-based firm is focused on acquiring values-aligned distributor companies in the $200K–$2M revenue range. Each acquisition prioritizes seamless transitions, cultural fit and customized pathways for outgoing owners – from short-term consulting to phased retirements.

• Both companies are certified Women Business Enterprises.

“This was never just about business – it was about trust,” says Lisa Greyhill, president of Firebrand. “LinJen built deep relationships with its clients. It was something personal, and we’re proud to carry that forward.”

SwagCycle, which helps companies repurpose, recycle and donate their obsolete branded merchandise in a sustainable way, has surpassed $10 million in charitable donations.

The Sommerville, Massachusetts-based firm has also kept more than 3 million items out of landfills.

“As we close out Earth Month, it’s especially meaningful to celebrate this milestone,” says Ben Grossman, founder of SwagCycle and co-president of distributor Grossman Marketing Group. “Thanks to the generosity of our partners, we’ve been able to help countless communities through donations to amazing organizations like Delivering Good, Provision Ministry, Baby2Baby, Birth Brite Foster Closet and the YMCA, among others. Millions of branded items that once faced a landfill fate have instead been repurposed to create real, lasting impact.”

Business services provider eXtendTech (PPAI 678500), a leading developer of specialized NetSuite solutions, has announced a fully optimized update to its integration with ASI’s ESP+ platform.

This latest release reflects eXtendTech’s commitment to innovation and efficiency, connecting the robust capabilities of NetSuite with the power of ESP+ for product discovery, order management and supplier connection.

“This release brings the speed and intelligence of ESP+ directly into NetSuite,” says Dale Denham, CEO of eXtendTech. “Our goal is to simplify every step of the workflow for distributors – less time on systems, more time serving customers.”

Business services provider PromoPulse (PPAI 772580) and WePromo, a buying group exclusively for promotional products distributors, have announced they’re strengthening their partnership.

As a result, WePromo members will have access to AMP, PromoPulse’s Automated Marketing Platform, which will send curated content highlighting preferred suppliers to their customers automatically via email and social media campaigns.

“Our strengthened relationship with WePromo is a game-changer for the promotional products industry,” says Jason Nokes, founder of PromoPulse. “PromoPulse’s deep experience in merging branded merchandise with technology, combined with WePromo’s unique approach to buying groups, will help their members succeed in this competitive market.”

“WePromo is changing the way distributors drive more profit and get more competitive,” adds Sherryl Stoner, vice president of WePromo. “Our strengthened partnership with PromoPulse is a no-brainer, as we constantly look for ways to service distributors. Its Automated Marketing Platform means distributors can stay top-of-mind, and sell the very products our hand-picked, industry-leading suppliers are offering.”