Nashville Companies Damaged By Flood
Following an historic flood that's already created $1.5 billion in damage, several industry companies in Nashville have been forced to relocate or rebuild. Three companies in the same office complex – Nashville Caps, Sunrise Promotions (asi/339423) and Plan It Promotions – were among the hardest hit by the torrential rains, which caused the Cumberland River to crest 12 feet above flood stage. "We're moving into our warehouse and out of our office so it can be refurbished," says Sandi Young, Sunrise controller. "We didn't lose inventory but we lost all of our computers. There are 10 or 12 inches of water and mud. We're fortunate, though, because there are some companies that are out of business." 

Last week's two-day storm, which locally dumped over 20 inches of rain in the Nashville area, necessitated extensive evacuations. "It's been a wreck here," says Greg Johnson, president of supplier Imagery Group Inc. (asi/62240). "Houses are floating down the street. On a major highway, I-24, cars couldn't get off the road in time and got stuck. People had to run."

Goldner Associates (asi/209800), which is located in Nashville's MetroCenter complex, was finally able to re-open its doors yesterday. For a time, the company's headquarters office was in danger of flooding, but nearby levees held. "We had good resources and we were able to get up and running quickly from remote locations," says Andy Straus, Goldner president. "We were only in the dark without phone or e-mail for one day. We moved our servers off-site and had our employees working from home."

The Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), which has many members in Nashville, continues to work with local relief agencies to support shelters. "We've donated several hundred bags," says Mark Farrar, executive director of PPAMS. "There was a big need for flood victims to have something to put their belongings and other donated items in."

Obituary: Glen Holt, Former Person Of The Year
Glen Holt, president of Glen Holt International and founder of Certified Marketing Consultants, died on Friday, May 7, after a prolonged illness. Holt, a former Counselor Person of the Year (1990) and Marvin Spike Lifetime Achievement Award winner, was 76. "On the day Glen died, I just had this feeling that I had to get to the care center where he was," said Glen's wife Laura. "I got up at 3:00 in the morning and went there. Glen died a couple of hours later."

Holt, whose industry career spanned six decades, began working at Washington, MO-based supplier Hazel (asi/60240) in 1960. In 1981, Holt founded Certified Marketing Consultants, a firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, referrals and industry growth. During his career, Holt served as vice chairman of the PPAI board, president of the St. Louis Advertising Specialty Association and, most recently, as a member of Geiger's (asi/202900) board of directors. Holt is a member of the PPAI Hall of Fame and was named to the first ever Counselor Power 50 list in 2006. "We just lost an industry giant – a pioneer, a sage, a business mentor to hundreds," said Gene Geiger, president of Geiger, speaking about Holt. "Glen's contributions to and impact on the industry over the last half century put him in a small group that can be counted on one's fingers. I am so happy that I was able to know and learn from him."

An avid musician, traveler and golfer, Holt twice recorded holes-in-one at Desert Highlands Golf Club in Arizona. Holt was also a member of Mountain View Presbyterian church in Scottsdale, AZ, since 1981. "He was such a wonderful man, so respected and so interested in helping people," said Laura Holt.

Obituary: Don E. Harley, Co-Founder Of Designer Selections
Don E. Harley, the co-founder of Designer Selections (asi/49400) and the 1991 Counselor "Person of the Year," died on Thursday at the age of 92. The Medina, MN, resident was known for his zest for life and his creative aptitude that marked his decades of service in the ad specialty industry.

Harley graduated from the University of Minnesota and became an FBI agent during World War II. After the war he joined the industry with Brown & Bigelow (asi/148500) and soon became the company's director of product development. He founded Don E. Harley Associates, an industrial design firm, in the 1950s and created products for a number of high-profile companies, including Honeywell and 3M. He started Designer Selections two decades later and championed numerous innovative products. Among his many popular creations were Acrylic Christmas ornaments and the first four-color process catalog in the industry.

Harley is survived by his second wife, Armilda, as well as daughter Susan and son Bill. A memorial service will be held on Thursday at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that donations be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

InnerWorkings Announces Q1 Sales Increase
Counselor Top 40 distributor InnerWorkings (asi/168860) announced last week that it achieved a 19% revenue increase in its 2010 first quarter when compared to the same period last year. The company said it generated revenues of $112.2 million in the quarter, compared to $94.3 million in the first quarter of 2009. Further, the public company (NASDAQ: INWK) stated that it earned a gross profit in the quarter of $27 million and had earnings per share of $.05.

"We generated healthy sales growth during the first quarter driven primarily by our new enterprise wins ramping to plan while also receiving a modest lift from an increase in same customer spends," said Eric D. Belcher, CEO of InnerWorkings. "We are pleased that our new growth strategy is beginning to produce improved results for the company."

ASI New York Video Recap
Couldn't get to the Big Apple last week for The ASI Show? Counselor's cameras were all over the scene – from interviewing VIPs on education day to award winners during the black-tie Counselor Awards banquet. Here's a recap of our whole video coverage of the show.

Scenes From First-Ever Women's Summit

ASI Show Update Day One

Joe Show Day One

Fashion Finds Day One

Interviews With Award Winners

Backstage At Tim Andrews' Table

Keynoter Dale Denham On Social Networking Success

Joe Show Day Two

Fashion Finds Day Two

Fields' Matt Bertram On Education

Tim's Take On Q1 Revenues

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 received a special call-in from Counselor's 2010 Person of the Year award winners – Greg & Vera Muzzillo of Proforma (asi/300056). Plus, we revealed the biggest decorating trends of 2010, shared how to do a market analysis, and gave advice for how distributors can win deals from big clients.

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 for our next broadcast on Tuesday, May 18. Log on to www.asicentral.com/radio at 10:30 a.m. ET to listen to the radio show, and give us a call at 215-953-4979 to hear your voice on the air.

Get On Counselor's Hot List
Are you doing something unique, hip, fun or trendy in the industry right now? Do you know somebody who is? 

Counselor is looking for nominations of people for its third annual Hot List, which will be published in August – our Hot Issue. We're on the lookout for anyone in the industry who is taking an interesting approach to business, shaking up the status quo or simply networking like a maniac at all hours of the night. We're in search of those people who are making the industry a unique marketplace that's fun and energetic. 

Send an e-mail to Karen Akers at kakers@asicentral.com explaining in 50 words or less why your nomination should be recognized on Counselor's Hot List in August. And, please make sure to include a picture of the person you're nominating.

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.

So, don't delay. Click here to register your company to be considered for one of the most exclusive lists in the ad specialty market: Counselor's Best Places To Work.

In The News
Crown Products (asi/47700) has enhanced its Facebook fan page, offering distributors special tabs to exclusively showcase products and promotions.

Custom Chocolate LLC (asi/47919) has introduced a line of more than 1,500 2-D and 3-D stock shapes.

Fields Manufacturing (asi/54100) has installed an additional Web press for its line of adhesive notes to meet increasing demand.

Gildan has joined Facebook (www.facebook.com/genuinegildan) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/genuinegildan) in an effort to provide more product and company information. 

Premier Promotional Group recently held its 11th annual meeting, attended by 48 distributors and 37 suppliers, at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota, in FL.

Proforma Mountainview Printing (asi/300094) has partnered with Haggen Inc. to sell anti-microbial grocery totes in more than 30 grocery stores in the Pacific Northwest.

R.S. Owens & Co. (asi/75530) has donated 80 awards to the Addison Foundation of Chicago, supporting the "Dare to Dream" program. The initiative challenges Latin-American teenage girls to pledge to continue their education and set and realize personal goals. 

Spector & Co. (asi/88660) has launched its 2010 spring catalog, which includes pen/highlighter combos and new travel accessories.

People On The Move
Jornik Manufacturing Corp. (asi/63549) has announced the hiring of David and Jack Friedman from Ad Specialty Sales to provide representation in AL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and Puerto Rico. The company has also hired Mike Finlayson from M. Finlayson Marketing as its multi-line sales representative in FL.

Pingline (asi/78137) has added Jennifer Amaro as an account manager in the Great Lakes area.

Sweda (asi/90305) has hired Shawna Tickle (CO, WY, UT, ID), Diana Fay (northern CA, NV) and Paula Coomer (ND, SD, MN) to provide sales representation.