Ross brings 38 years of experience in the promotional products industry, beginning with Awardcraft in 1988. His background includes 22 years on the supplier side, 14 years with distributors and two years representing multiple product lines. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles focused on sales growth, operations, organizational development and business strategy.

“Kirk and ASB have had a close relationship for a number of years during his time in our industry,” says Justin Zavadil, CEO and president of ASB. “He has an incredible reputation, and we are so pleased he’s made the decision to work directly with us to help grow the American Family.” Ross said he looks forward to leveraging his industry experience and relationships to help expand ASB’s distributor network and welcome new sales partners to the organization.

Eckhardt joins S&S from Casa Del Sol Tequila, where he served as chief commercial officer and helped expand the brand’s national distribution, attract new investors, and develop long-term growth strategies. Earlier, he was senior vice president and managing director of U.S. sales at Bacardi USA, where he led a transformation of the company’s commercial organization, and he also built and led a national sales organization at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. His career additionally includes sales leadership roles with distributors such as Reyes Beverage.

“Sean is an accomplished commercial leader whose collaborative style and customer-first mindset make him a tremendous addition to our team,” says Toby Whitmoyer, chief commercial officer at S&S. Whitmoyer said Eckhardt’s experience and perspective will help strengthen the company’s sales organization while maintaining its focus on customers. Eckhardt said he looks forward to joining S&S, citing the company’s reputation for customer service, innovation, and execution, and said his focus will be on listening, learning and working alongside the sales team to continue delivering value to customers.

The addition builds on Par One’s more than 30 years of providing customized golf merchandise, decoration, fulfillment services and support to corporations, golf facilities and promotional products distributors. “At Par One, we’re continually looking for ways to provide our customers with the brands they know and trust,” says Ron Miller, president and CEO of Par One. “Adding Original Penguin Golf, Callaway Apparel and PGA TOUR Apparel gives our customers even more options to create premium branded apparel programs that perform on the course and look great everywhere else.”

The expanded apparel collection includes performance polos, outerwear, layering pieces and lifestyle apparel designed for a variety of golf and corporate applications. The new brands complement Par One’s existing lineup of golf balls, accessories, bags, gifts and custom merchandise, further positioning the company as a single-source provider of golf merchandising solutions.

In his new role, Newman will oversee national account relationships as Starline continues to focus on growth within that segment. The company said his experience leading sales efforts in the Northeast region helped prepare him for the expanded responsibilities.

“I’m thrilled to announce Mike’s promotion to director of national accounts,” says Brian DeBottis, chief revenue officer at Starline. “Mike is an excellent combination of effort and enthusiasm, and I’m confident these qualities will help us sustain and build on the strong momentum we’ve generated with these key accounts. As our highly productive director of northeast sales, he has consistently delivered results, and I look forward to seeing him drive even greater success on a national stage.”

Through personal stories and conversations, Roadside Attractions examines the decisions, defining moments and lessons that contribute to long-term success in the industry. The series will premiere through PromoEQP’s digital channels this summer and fall, with the first episode scheduled for release in August. PromoEQP members will also have access to live “Workshop Hours” with Brown, providing opportunities to discuss key takeaways from each episode before the content is later released through Branded Merch Network.

“I’ve been fortunate to spend a lifetime learning from remarkable people in this industry,” says Brown. “Roadside Attractions is my way of passing a few of those lessons along and hopefully helping someone else enjoy the journey just a little bit more.” Jeremy Chacon of PromoEQP said the series aligns with the organization’s commitment to supporting independent distributors, noting that Brown’s willingness to share knowledge and foster connections reflects the values PromoEQP seeks to promote within the industry.