Skip to content
PPAI PPAI – Promotional Products Association International
  • Solutions Center
    • Categories
    • All Solutions
  • PPAI Media
    • News & Ideas
    • Premium Research
    • PPAI 100
    • Industry Awards
    • MerchMatters
    • Podcast
    • Editorial Team
    • Media Kit
  • Membership
    • Join
    • My PPAI
    • Membership Account Managers
    • Volunteer Committees
    • Regional Associations
  • Education
    • Professional Certifications
    • Online Education
    • Sustainability
    • Events
    • Be Notified
  • PPAI Expo
    • The PPAI Expo 2027
    • Exhibitor Hub
  • Initiatives
    • Digital Transformation
    • Public Affairs
    • Sustainability
    • Merch Moves Us Toolkit
  • About
    • About PPAI
    • Advertising & Sponsorships
    • Industry Jobs
    • Industry Calendar
    • Contact Us
  • Portal Resources
  • Login
  • Become a Member
  • Login
  • Become a Member

PromoWire (8/20-8/24)

News And Notes From Around The Industry

Bankers Advertising Celebrates Bill Bywater's 65 years With Company

1/7

Prime Line Appoints Industry Veteran As Senior Strategic Account Manager

2/7

Koozie Group Debuts LoudCup Tumbler

3/7

Storm Creek Launches Its First Fully Digital Catalog

4/7

Cap America Earns Second EcoVadis Gold Rating

5/7

MIPPA Names Jillian Fralick, MAS, 2026 Great Lakes Supplier Rep Of The Year

6/7

Sock Club Earns EcoVadis Bronze Medal

7/7

PromoWire

Bankers Advertising Celebrates Bill Bywater's 65 years With Company

Bankers Advertising (PPAI 101972, Silver) recently celebrated a milestone as Bill Bywater marked 65 years with the company and the branded merch industry. Bywater joined the Iowa City, Iowa-based distributorship in 1961 and has spent more than six decades contributing to the company’s growth while building customer and industry relationships. The achievement coincides with Bankers Advertising’s 130th anniversary in 2026, meaning Bywater has been with the company for half of its history.

Employees, family and friends gathered at the company’s headquarters on Aug. 21 for a luncheon honoring Bywater’s service and leadership. His industry involvement has extended beyond Bankers Advertising, including service on the PPAI Board of Directors and multiple committees. He is also a PPAI Lifetime Member, a member of the PPAI Fellows Program and was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame in 2004.

A fourth-generation member of the Bywater family, Bill Bywater has helped carry forward the legacy of one of the branded merch industry’s longest-running family-owned distributorships, now led by the fifth generation. “Bill’s 65 years represent an incredible commitment not only to our company, but to the promotional products industry,” says  David Bywater, president of Bankers Advertising. “His knowledge, relationships and dedication have had a lasting impact on our company and so many people throughout the industry.”

PromoWire

Prime Line Appoints Industry Veteran As Senior Strategic Account Manager

Prime Line, the hard goods division of S&S Activewear, PPAI 100’s No. 2 supplier, has appointed Tom Clouser as senior strategic account manager. In the role, Clouser will focus on expanding relationships with key distributor partners, supporting national account strategy and delivering hard-goods solutions in growth markets. He brings more than 20 years of sales leadership and business development experience in the promotional products industry, including previous positions as director of national accounts at Storm Creek and national sales manager at BEL Promo.

According to Prime Line, Clouser’s experience managing distributor relationships and national accounts will help strengthen the company’s strategic accounts division. “Bringing Tom onto our team is a significant win for Prime Line and a clear signal of our ongoing growth trajectory,” says Eric Levin, general manager of Prime Line. “As Prime Line continues to innovate, expand our hard goods portfolio and scale our national capabilities, experienced leaders like Tom ensure our strategic partners receive unparalleled insight, collaboration and value.”

Clouser joins Prime Line’s sales and marketing team, which focuses on identifying market opportunities, collaborating with distributors and enhancing the partner experience. He assumed the position immediately. “Prime Line has built an incredible reputation for innovation, product diversity and operational strength,” Clouser says. “I look forward to working closely with our distributor partners to unlock new growth opportunities and showcase the full power of Prime Line’s solutions.”

PromoWire

Koozie Group Debuts LoudCup Tumbler

Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 4 supplier, has expanded its partnership with The LoudCup Company and has begun manufacturing the LoudCup™ Tumbler at its Spring Hill, Florida, facility. Koozie Group added the LoudCup™ brand to its portfolio earlier this year and introduced the 23 oz. LoudCup™ Tumbler (Item #46509) to distributors.

The partnership is intended to broaden access to LoudCup drinkware through Koozie Group’s distributor network, helping the brand reach a wider range of organizations, teams, events and fan communities. The company said production of the tumbler is expected to increase in the coming months.

“LoudCup has such a great story behind it. It was invented by a father of three who transformed a garage-built idea into a crowd-favorite product, and now we’re proud to assemble it right here in the USA,” says Joe Richards, vice president of marketing at Koozie Group. Richards added that manufacturing the product in Florida is expected to support product quality and improve availability for distributors.

PromoWire

Storm Creek Launches Its First Fully Digital Catalog

Storm Creek (PPAI 438091, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 28 supplier, has launched its 2027 Collection catalog, marking the first time the sustainable apparel supplier has released a fully digital catalog without a print edition. The company said the move supports its sustainability goals while providing distributors with an online resource that can be updated as products, inventory and other information change. The catalog is accessible on mobile and desktop devices and includes product information, new offerings and brand content in a shareable format.

According to Storm Creek, the digital format ensures distributors have access to current information and allows them to customize catalog covers through ZoomCatalog. “Going fully digital does two things at once,” says Teresa Fudenberg, CEO of Storm Creek. “It’s a direct extension of our sustainability mission, and it gives our distributors something a printed catalog never could — a resource that’s always accurate and always up to date.”

The company also emphasized enhanced photography designed to showcase garment fit, movement and fabric characteristics. Storm Creek said the digital catalog is part of a broader update to its sales tools, with a new printed “Brand Book” scheduled to launch in September as a companion resource for distributors. The company will provide additional details about both the digital catalog and Brand Book during a webinar on Sept. 2.

PromoWire

Cap America Earns Second EcoVadis Gold Rating

Cap America (PPAI 111597, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 41 supplier, has earned a Gold rating from EcoVadis for the second consecutive year, scoring 86 out of 100 in the sustainability assessment. The score places the company in the 98th percentile of apparel manufacturers evaluated by EcoVadis and among the top 5% of all companies assessed globally. EcoVadis evaluates organizations across four areas: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.

The company recorded its highest scores in Sustainable Procurement (86/100) and Labor & Human Rights (88/100), both ranking in the top 1% of its industry. Cap America also received strong marks for Environment (84/100) and Ethics (81/100). More than 130,000 companies worldwide have been evaluated through the EcoVadis assessment program, which is based on international standards including the UN Global Compact, International Labour Organization conventions and ISO 26000.

Cap America, which has supplied decorated custom headwear to promotional products distributors since 1985, said the recognition reflects its ongoing focus on responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency. “Earning this rating again wasn’t just about repeating a score,” says Gerald Pinkley, vice president of compliance. “It’s proof that responsible sourcing is part of our daily approach here, not a project we revisit once a year.” The company said its continued participation in EcoVadis and Higg FEM assessments supports its broader sustainability and continuous improvement efforts.

PromoWire

MIPPA Names Jillian Fralick, MAS, 2026 Great Lakes Supplier Rep Of The Year

MIPPA has named Jillian Fralick, MAS, outside sales representative for SnugZ USA (PPAI 112982, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 17 supplier, as the recipient of its 2026 Great Lakes Supplier Rep of the Year Award. The award recognizes a supplier or multiline representative who demonstrates exceptional service, product knowledge, support and commitment to promotional products professionals throughout the Great Lakes region. Fralick will be honored at MIPPA’s Annual Awards Night & Recognition Dinner on Sept. 15, ahead of the association’s Promotions that ROAR tradeshow.

According to MIPPA, Fralick has built a reputation for providing creative solutions, responsive support and strong industry relationships. The association cited her dedication to understanding customer goals and helping clients succeed as key factors in her selection for the award, which recognizes supplier representatives who serve as trusted partners and resources to distributors.

Fralick said her experience in the promotional products industry has been shaped by the relationships she has built and by SnugZ’s company culture. “Joining the promotional products industry has been the best career move I could have ever imagined,” she said. “The genuine relationships, collaborative culture and sense of belonging make SnugZ feel like home.”

PromoWire

Sock Club Earns EcoVadis Bronze Medal

Sock Club (PPAI 692671, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 30 supplier, has earned a Bronze Medal from EcoVadis, a global provider of business sustainability ratings, in its first assessment. The company received a score of 68 out of 100, placing it in the top 35% of organizations rated worldwide and above the global average score of 57.1. Sock Club also outperformed the average first-time participant score of 51.5 and exceeded the 63.2-point average for companies that have been part of the EcoVadis network for more than a decade.

“Earning a Bronze Medal in our very first EcoVadis assessment is a meaningful milestone for our team,” says Sarah Schultz, senior operations manager. “It reflects years of intentional work across our supply chain, our workplace practices, and our environmental commitments — and it gives us a clear benchmark as we continue to raise the bar.” EcoVadis evaluates companies on environmental practices, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement using internationally recognized sustainability standards.

Sock Club reported scores above the global average in all four assessment categories. Its strongest performance came in Sustainable Procurement, where it scored 70. According to EcoVadis, scores of 65 or higher in that category are considered “Advanced,” a threshold reached by 19% of rated companies worldwide. The rating is used by thousands of organizations to measure and manage sustainability performance across their supply chains.

Home • Industry News •
Industry News
• PromoWire (8/20-8/24): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Previous PromoWire

Industry News, Promowire

PromoWire (8/18-8/19): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Industry News, Promowire

PromoWire (8/13-8/17): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Industry News, Promowire

PromoWire (8/11-8/12): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Industry News, Promowire

PromoWire (8/6-8/10): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Industry News, Promowire

PromoWire (8/4-8/5): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Industry News, Promowire

PromoWire (7/30-8/3): News And Notes From Around The Industry

Showing 1 of 70
More All
PPAI

© 2026 PPAI

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

PPAI Media

  • News & Ideas
  • Premium Research
  • PPAI 100
  • Advertising & Sponsorships
  • Press Room

Experiences

  • Upcoming Events
  • The PPAI Expo
  • Industry Calendar
  • Industry Directory

Resources

  • Solutions Center
  • Code Of Conduct
  • Online Education
  • PPEF
  • My PPAI
  • PPAI Media Assets
  • Sustainability

Connect

  • About PPAI
  • Contact Us
  • Industry Jobs
  • PPAI Careers