China To Allow Its Currency To Appreciate
In advance of an American summit this week that will be attended by its President Hu Jintao, China appears on the verge of allowing its currency, the yuan, to appreciate by as much as 3% per year. Analysts say the much-anticipated move will not have a major immediate effect on global trade, but will gradually help to ease tensions with U.S. leaders who believe China has brazenly manipulated its currency.

While a stronger yuan will help contain inflation in China, it will also benefit much of the U.S. economy, creating a slightly more balanced trade ratio. Currently, the U.S. imports four times as many goods from China as it exports, but a revalued yuan will make American products cheaper for Chinese buyers. However, as the yuan is allowed to appreciate, the change will also result in higher prices for Chinese-made goods, including promotional products imported from China.  

Publicly, leaders in Beijing have maintained a stoic front regarding the yuan, but privately reports suggest officials at China's central bank and Commerce Ministry have been at odds. It now appears officials at the central bank, who favor appreciation of the yuan, have won out, agreeing that a stronger currency is better for global trade and safer for China's booming economy. For its part, the Obama administration has opted for diplomacy over confrontation, delaying a Treasury Department report that potentially would have formalized claims of currency manipulation.

In July 2005, China allowed the yuan to appreciate more than 2% against the dollar virtually overnight. Then, between 2005 and 2008, the yuan appreciated 19% against the dollar, before China pegged its currency in the early stages of a worldwide recession.

4Imprint Increases Q1 Revenues 20%
European-based 4Imprint, which is the parent company of its North American 4Imprint (asi/197045) division, saw its publicly-traded shares rise nearly 20% today on the London Stock Exchange after reporting positive first-quarter results. The company said its overall sales in the first quarter grew by 20% over 2009. The results were led by 4Imprint's North American division, the Counselor Top 40 distributor, which increased its revenues by 24% over 2009 and by 20% over the first quarter in 2008.

"An update from 4imprint reveals first-quarter trading much better than we anticipated, with top line growth across the board at all divisions, and U.S. growth in particular, suggesting a much better outcome for the year than we previously expected," analyst Paul Jones at Panmure Gordon said in a note to investors this morning.

Dickies Medical Signs Licensing Agreement
Dickies Medical Uniforms (asi/49670) announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Strategic Partners Inc. to design, manufacture and distribute the company's line of medical wear. Design and production is slated to begin immediately, and marketing and distribution of the new Dickies medical products will begin in the second half of the year.

"Our licensing partnerships continue to evolve so the Dickies brand remains synonymous with high quality products, unique design and innovative marketing," says Michael Penn, vice president of licensing for Dickies. "Strategic Partners is the premiere medical uniform company, with a proven track record of product design, quality, marketing and service."

Strategic Partners maintains medical apparel lines for a number of brands, including Cherokee, Baby Phat and Skechers, in addition to footwear and school uniforms. "Dickies is a powerful brand with a loyal following among medical consumers. We are honored to represent the Dickies brand in the medical uniform market," says Michael Singer, CEO of Strategic Partners.

Tuesday Morning Radio Show Live On The Air
Every Tuesday morning from 10:30 a.m. eastern time to 11:00 a.m., a team of ASI editors debate the most important topics facing the industry. We also, of course, offer our own off-beat look at the market. This morning, we showed why wacky marketing efforts work and warned listeners about the sure-fire ways to lose business. Plus, listeners called in with questions about how they can spice up their summer event promotions.  

If you missed the show, don't worry. A recording is now available at www.asicentral.com/radio. And, don't forget to join us next Tuesday, April 20, for our next radio broadcast. Log on to www.asicentral.com/radio at 10:30 a.m. eastern time and give us a call at 215-953-4979. We want to hear from you!

Amazon.com Exits Incentive Market
Online retail giant Amazon.com has begun informing incentive industry partners that it will be exiting the marketplace. While Amazon has not yet announced its departure from the industry, it has told companies that it has created drop-shipping programs for that it will no longer be in that business.

Amazon first entered the incentive and corporate gift industry in 2007, when it announced that it wanted to perform drop-shipping functions for incentive companies. At the time, the company said it wanted to "sell to incentive houses." But now it has decided that it will no longer offer that service to the incentive market. Paramax, which used Amazon as its exclusive fulfillment provider, said that it was given 45 days notice from last week until Amazon will stop providing the fulfillment and drop-shipping service.

Survey: Where The Jobs Are
A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals its projections of jobs that will add the most workers in the years between 2008 and 2018, and the data offers distributors some opportunities to consider. Topping the list is registered nurses (expected to grow from employing 2.62 million Americans in 2008 to 3.2 million in 2018), followed by home health aides. The list includes a number of other health care–related positions as well, including personal and home care aides at number five and nursing aides, orderlies and attendants at the number nine position.

"The medical field has had a shortage for a long time," says Gary Garton, owner of Garton Specialties (asi/202132). "I look at it very positively from a distributor's standpoint. If they're looking to hire in those places, that should indicate that they're in a market for wearables or medical garments, tools and that sort of thing." Garton says that the fact that home health aides are near the top of the list makes sense particularly since this is an area where there is rising demand, as people spend less time in hospitals.

Other positions that are growing and may be creating programs to attract new workers are customer service representatives at number three, as well as food preparation and serving workers, including fast food, at the number four spot. Retail salespeople were positioned at number six, and education also had a strong showing, as post-secondary teachers took the number 10 spot, and elementary school teachers held the number 12 position. "I would expect colleges to be good opportunities because with the high unemployment, people are going back to school," said Sharie Stewart, principal of Abacus Enterprises (asi/101830).

The Joe Show: Fun In The Sun
In this episode of The Joe Show, Counselor Managing Editor Joe Haley shows off some of the newest springtime items to hit the ad specialty market. Have clients planning a big promotion around the great outdoors this spring? Check out these items. 

Click here to see this fun-in-the-sun edition of The Joe Show.

Obituary: Jan Berschel, Bee-Jay Industries
Jan Berschel, former general manager of Bee-Jay Industries (asi/39410), passed away on Thursday after a year-long battle with cancer. Berschel was 62. "She was a great person and this is a big loss," said Ken Fefferman, owner of Bee-Jay Industries and close friend to Berschel. "She was diagnosed the same day she retired last year. So many people had special relationships with her. She was the most important person of my life."

Berschel started her career at Bee-Jay Industries, a Chicago-based supplier, 20 years ago. She was heavily involved in every aspect of the company's operation, from sales to artwork to accounting. "She really ran the company," said Fefferman. "She did it all."

According to Fefferman, Berschel enjoyed painting and was passionate about sailing. "She was also a great mom," Fefferman said. "She was always there for people and well-thought-of by distributors. I've been receiving so many e-mails from people returning the warmth that she offered them."

Berschel is survived by two children, four grandchildren and two sisters. Funeral services were held this morning. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Share Your Story With Counselor Mag & Earn $100
Have you recently lost a client because he's had his budget cut, moved on to another job or simply gone to a competitor? Share your story with Counselor magazine's reporters and we'll have a team of experts offer you valuable strategies you can use to regain that client's business. Plus, we'll feature you in an upcoming issue of Counselor AND give you a $100 American Express Gift Card for your efforts.

If you're interested, please send an e-mail to acohen@asicentral.com and tell us in 100 words or less how you lost a recent client (you needn't reveal the name or company of the client) and any efforts you've made to win him/her back.

Nominate Your Company For The Best Places To Work Contest
For the third year in a row, Counselor is setting out to identify the industry companies that employees simply love to work for. These are the distributors and suppliers that have a loyal work force and that provide a work environment which employees want to go to every morning.

Counselor will be unveiling its second-annual Best Places To Work issue in September, and it will undoubtedly include an elite list of industry companies. Do you want your company to be considered? Getting involved is easy – and it's completely free to participate. The only necessary qualification is that a company has at least 10 employees. To nominate your company, or any others in the market that you think deserve to be recognized, simply click here. Also, there's no risk to participating. Only the honorees – those companies with the best scores from the survey – will be published in Counselor.

In The News
American Products Publishing Company (asi/35599) is launching a new division called the American Community Calendar Company.

Crystal D (asi/47759) recognized the following employees for excellence during the first quarter: Paula Doll; Keith Jackson; Emily Garzon; Todd Zimmerman and Tom Warkel.

Drummond Printing Inc. (asi/50873) has added American-made calendar products to its line of offerings.

Heritage Sportswear Inc. (asi/60582) has announced that former NFL linebacker and current sports commentator Chris Spielman will attend, present and sign autographs at its annual BIG IDEA Wearable Show on April 22 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus in OH.

iPROMOTEu (asi/232119) has announced that 20 distributors affiliated with the company in March, representing an estimated annual sales volume of nearly $8 million. Among the new affiliates are: Elizabeth Andrade, Andrade Promotions, Mesa, AZ; Susan Baldwin, Innovative Concepts, Vista, CA; Patricia Burke, Accurate Printed Products, Inc., Sarasota, FL; Richard Collins, Really Creative Business Solutions, Anchorage, AK; Cynthia Dienelt, CME Advertising, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN; Amy Harris, Harris PrintHawk Co., Pleasant Hill, CA; Barry Jacobson, KMK Distributing, LLC, Chagrin Falls, OH; Jennifer Jarvi, RJ Select LLC, White Lake, MI; Sherine Lambie, Lammico Inc., Sunrise, FL; Greg Manion, LPE Inc., Encinitas, CA; Ken Marsh, P2 Promotional Products, Inc., Draper, UT; Gretchen and Darrell McChesney, Team Iowa, Cedar Rapids, IA; Richard Miller, Mountain Island Promotions Inc., Charlotte, NC; Steve Ness, IAM Marketing LLC, Ramsey, MN; Kurt Scanlin, System Form & Label Products, San Jose, CA; Michael Searcy, Island Specialties, Inc., Sarasota, FL; Judi Smith, Promotional One Concepts Inc., Livermore, CA; Gregg Taft, B Noticed, San Diego, CA.

Prime Line (asi/79530) has expanded its offerings and can now source custom versions of any product in its 2010 catalog.

Proforma (asi/300094) has implemented a new marketing strategy called the Demand Generation Program. The program will utilize a series of targeted messages to generate interest in the company and leads for owners.

Senator (asi/86390) announced that it is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2010.

Sweda Company (asi/90305) is now supplying selected 3M (asi/91240) products, including notepads, note cubes and flag writing tools.

The Book Company (asi/41010) is offering custom book jackets for a minimum order of only 50 copies at the same price as its promo-page insert.

People On The Move
Custom Logos (asi/173183) has restructured its management staff, naming Shawn Ellis as CFO, Darren Golden as vice president of sales and development, and Ernie Foutch as president.

Penn Emblem Company (asi/62485) has hired Richard Hirsh as national sales account manager of its extended market division.