Bay State Specialty Company (PPAI 113896, Standard-Base) has promoted Eric Cardoza to president.

As part of a long-term succession plan, current president Michael Moore will move into an oversight role. Cardoza, who has been with Bay State for more than seven years, most recently served as vice president of operations.

“Over seven years ago, we brought Eric on board, and it was immediately clear he was smart, knowledgeable, skilled and hardworking,” say owners Joel and Michael Moore in a joint statement. “He proved a tremendous asset navigating COVID-19’s ups and downs and the supply chain issues that followed. Eric quickly rose to VP of operations, proving his ability to run a company. We’re thrilled to have him at the helm of Bay State and excited for his continued success.”

Hufferman and Zenith Pro Holding dba The Proinnovative Line (PPAI 111156, Standard-Base) have announced the successful integration of their operations.

As part of this strategic move, Hufferman has relocated to the Proinnovative facility in Phoenix.

• Hufferman brings expertise in rotary screen printing and laser engraving with a focus on USA-made drinkware, while Proinnovative excels in pad and digital printing, the companies said.

“Both companies consistently earn A+ and 5-star ratings, a standard we are committed to maintaining,” says Andrew Reichlin, GM of The Proinnovative Line. “The dedicated teams from both companies are remaining in place to make sure that happens. Proinnovative will manage all order processing and customer service support, streamlining operations and elevating the overall customer experience.”

Fey Industries, parent company of Fey Promo (PPAI 113944, Silver), PPAI 100’s No. 89 supplier, has announced the appointment of Melinda Marr, CAS, as sales director.

Marr brings nearly 40 years of experience in the promotional products industry, with a background spanning both distributor and supplier roles. Most recently, she served as vice president of ACS Affiliate Services.

In her new role at Fey Promo, Marr will focus on driving distributor growth, strengthening key account relationships and identifying new business opportunities across the company’s expanding product portfolio. This includes recently acquired brands such as Promopet and The Bandana Factory.

As part of this continued growth, Fey Promo also welcomes two additional team members who joined through the recent product brand acquisition: Jeff Mann, national account manager, and Wendy Haldemann, sales support and customer experience specialist.

“Melinda is a perfect fit for us,” says Mike Fey, president of Fey Industries. “As Melinda and I discussed the best ways to add value to customers and grow in today’s promo industry, I found myself saying, ‘Yes, exactly.’ That tight alignment is like fuel to get further, faster. Her unique experiences with ACS in developing distributor success strategies is a game changer.”

Prime Line (PPAI 112744, Silver) has announced the addition of Paige Millard as an outside sales representative, supporting key accounts across the West Coast.

Millard brings decades of experience in the promotional products industry.

“After S & S decided to bring Prime back, we were tasked with putting a team on the field within three months,” says Eric Levin, GM of Prime Line. “This year we are focused on putting a winning team on the field adding industry veterans who can truly enhance the customer experience. Paige brings decades of experience and relationships to Prime. We are excited to have him on our team.”

Vantage Apparel (PPAI 113235, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 14 supplier, welcomes Jerry Chierchio as sales account manager, covering Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and South Jersey.

Chierchio brings more than 10 years of experience in the promotional products industry to Vantage Apparel. He began his career in 2014 at alphabroder as an inside strategic account executive, where he spent seven years managing national accounts, including iPROMOTEu and Geiger. During that time, he was recognized as IPU Supplier Rep of the Year twice and earned a spot in alphabroder’s Presidents Club three times.

• In 2021, Jerry moved into an outside sales role, managing the Eastern Pennsylvania territory.
• Following the S&S integration, he also managed the Philadelphia territory for eight months.

“Jerry brings a well-rounded background working with distributors that will translate seamlessly into success across his territory,” says Sean Macilvain, vice president of business development at Vantage Apparel. “His experience working with national accounts like iPROMOTEu, along with distributors throughout the region, adds a wealth of knowledge to our growing sales team.”

Starline (PPAI 112719, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 27 supplier, has announced the addition of Jackson Medina as regional sales manager.

Medina will oversee sales efforts across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado.

“We’re excited to welcome Jackson to the Starline team,” says Brian Porter, CRO at Starline. “His energy, industry knowledge and commitment to service align perfectly with our values, and we’re confident he will make an immediate impact across his territory.”

SanMar (PPAI 110788, Platinum), the No. 1 supplier in the PPAI 100, has announced it will serve for the second year as the presenting sponsor of Seattle’s Beat the Bridge for Breakthrough T1D, a charity race now in its 44th year.

The event benefits Breakthrough T1D, a global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, formerly known as JDRF. This year’s event will take place at Husky Stadium on the University of Washington campus on Saturday, May 9, beginning at 8 a.m.

“Breakthrough T1D isn’t just an organization we support. It has provided a community for my family and for others at SanMar who live with type 1 diabetes,” says Jeremy Lott, president and CEO of SanMar. “I’ve seen firsthand how our shared commitment is translating into real progress across research, advocacy, and care. By continuing this work together, we’re helping advance better treatments and move closer to a cure for millions.”

Lott’s personal commitment to T1D began in 2022 when his son was diagnosed, and the family connected with Breakthrough T1D’s resources and community.

On April 23, nationally recognized as Bring Your Child To Work Day, iPROMOTEu (PPAI 218870, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 6 distributor, welcomed children of team members into its Wayland, Massachusetts and Appleton, Wisconsin offices for a full day of activities centered around career awareness, creativity and collaboration.

“Opportunities like Bring Your Child To Work Day reinforce the importance of connection and community that are foundational to iPROMOTEu’s core values,” says Tammi Ouillette, VP of HR. “When you see the workplace through a child’s eyes you remember why you love what you do and today reminded our team of our shared purpose.”

In addition to speaker sessions, children took part in hands-on crafting and drawing activities. The day concluded with a special ceremony to present official junior team member certificates to participants.

“This year’s Bring Your Child to Work Day was a highly anticipated event, offering a joyful and educational experience for children while energizing the entire team,” says Lori Bauer, CEO of iPROMOTEu. “We look forward to welcoming our junior team members back again next year.”

Vernon Company (PPAI 109323, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 26 distributor, recognized its top supplier partners at its annual national sales meeting on April 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas.

• Gemline was selected as Supplier of the Year.
• Venus Thom of Koozie Group was named Account Manager of the Year for the second consecutive year.
• Marissa Holman of SanMar received the Customer Service Rep of the Year.
• Starline received the Marketing Synergy award.
• The Engagement Excellence was awarded to Goldstar.

“Recognizing our supplier partners is both important and genuinely rewarding because they’re an extension of our team,” says Lisa Hubbard, vice president of sales and marketing at Vernon. “Our success is built on strong, trusted relationships, and NSM gives us the chance to celebrate partners who consistently show up, innovate and invest in us the same way we invest in them.”

commonsku (PPAI 552077) gathered 17 distributor leaders in Toronto for its annual CEO Summit on April 29.

The exclusive event brought owners and senior executives from across the United States and Canada into a single room to share what’s working inside their businesses, talk through common operational challenges and look ahead to where the promotional products industry is heading.

Attendees included:

• Ben Adams of ADVOC8 / &drop
• Nevin Bansal of Outreach Promos
• Vern Boyles of Andrews
• Taylor Conradt of Goodmerch Supply
• Payton Dahlke of Strategies Ltd.
• Carol De Ville of Branding Company Global Solutions
• Morgan Edgecombe of Edgecombes Branded Solutions
• Kjell Ellefson of Promotion Select
• Randy J. Ficke of Associated Premium Corporation
• Matt Fischer of Probitas Promotions
• Gus Koniaris of Bulkamania Promotions
• Corey Kopacek of Synergy Imports
• Christina MacDonald of Accent Group
• Gary Sikes of Black Box Merch
• Brian Vella of United Image Group
• Landon Wade of Goodson Clothing & Supply Co.
• Michael Wolaver of Magellan Promotions

“To bring this group of forward-thinking distributor leaders together for a day of candid conversation about AI, growth and the future of our industry was a privilege,” says Mark Graham, president at commonsku. “I would rather start a distributorship today than in 1997. The respectability of our medium has never been higher, and the best distributors – the ones with an original point of view – are going to thrive in what comes next.”

Graphik (PPAI 113486, Standard-Base) has announced it will relocate its New York production facility to Mason City, Iowa. The move will create 25–30 skilled positions in Cerro Gordo County and bring several experienced team members and their families from New York to North Iowa, the firm says.

Graphik currently employs more than 50 employees at its Mason City location.

The consolidation includes a $1 million capital outlay for a 126” hybrid LED-UV press that

• handles rigid sheets and roll media up to 3.2 m wide and 2 in. thick
• prints four colors plus opaque white in single-pass, multi-layer builds for backlit or day-night graphics
• switches between continuous-board and dual-roll modes to maximize throughput
• delivers photo-quality resolution for POP displays, short-run packaging, fleet graphics, and interior signage while reducing waste thanks to cool-cure LED technology

“North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corp, the City of Mason City and city leadership have been instrumental as we considered this move. We evaluated several different cities in which to relocate our NY operation, and, in the end, Mason City was the right choice because of the people,” says Graphik Vice President Sean Fraser.