Counselor® PromoGram®
Volume 757 / October 19, 2010
Click here to read this and past issues online.

Pro Towels Acquires Superior Towel
Gaining a production facility on the West coast, Pittsburgh-based Pro Towels Etc. (asi/79750) has acquired California-based competitor Superior Towel & Decorating (asi/90240), the companies have announced. Financial terms of the deal, which closed on Friday, were not released. "This acquisition reinforces our commitment to being the leader in the towel category," said Kevin Nord, president of Pro Towels. "Customers will have access to better freight rates and increased production."

A supplier in the ad specialty industry for the last 25 years, Superior will continue to serve as a contract decorator, becoming a division of Pro Towels. According to a spokesperson, all 45 Superior Towel employees will be retained through the acquisition, with the company's founder, Robert Strem, being named an executive vice president. "We are looking forward to providing our customers with not only excellent service, but also a more extensive line of towels, and other products," said Strem.

Pro Towels, which also operates a production facility in South Carolina, generated $8 million in sales in 2009, according to Nord, while Superior Towel & Decorating reported sales of $4 million. Nord expects the combined companies will produce $15 million in revenues next year. "We will be able to respond even more effectively to the constant and challenging demands of our customers," he said.

ASI NEWS

Affinity Express to the Rescue
Need super artwork super fast? Check out what ASI affiliate Affinity Express has to offer.
Find out more.

Selecting Top-Rated Suppliers
In the last year, distributors rated over 100,000 transactions in 25,000 supplier ratings reports and ones rated four-stars or above are now featured in the 2011 Select catalog.
Find out more.
Find, review, and purchase the latest exclusive ASI products...
Find out more...


ASI welcomes the following Suppliers to the LogoMall Network
Find out more...
 

Cotton Prices Hit Record High
A variety of factors, including high demand in Asia and disappointing crops in several countries, have driven cotton prices to their highest level since the Civil War. Before trading stabilized yesterday, cotton futures reached $1.19 per pound, an increase of 80% compared to last year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this is the fifth consecutive season that the global demand of cotton has overwhelmed the supply.

More so than in other years, poor weather in Pakistan, one of the world's largest cotton exporters, has contributed to atypical prices. As recently as April, Pakistan expected to produce 14 million bales of cotton in the 2010-11 season, compared with about 12.7 million bales in the previous season. Yet, because of unprecedented flooding, government and industry officials now estimate an output of about 11.6 million bales. Further driving up prices, traders also remain concerned that export restrictions in high-producing India will limit the amount of cotton that can be sent to large countries like China, which manufacturers $13 billion of apparel per month.

Faced with the alternative of lower margins, multiple apparel retailers, including Levi Strauss & Co., have already announced price increases. Executives from Kohl's, Aeropostale Inc. and Guess have also hinted cotton prices are exerting pressures on product cost. Analysts expect retail prices to steadily climb, with the most noticeable markups found in relatively low-cost items like T-shirts, hurting discounters.

The last time cotton prices were this high was during the 1860s, when blockades interrupted the flow of the commodity from the U.S. to Europe. Then, prices reached $1.89 per pound.


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ASI Radio Offers Motivation Tips
Today's Tuesday Morning Show on ASI Radio offered advice to callers for how they can motivate employees – and themselves – in innovative ways. Plus, we discussed unique places to find sales leads, talked about why luxury spending is rebounding and shared the top principles of successful advertising.   

If you missed the show, a recording is now available at www.asicentral.com/radio. And, don't forget to join us for our next broadcast on Tuesday, October 26. Log on to www.asicentral.com/radio at 10:30 a.m. ET to listen to the show – and give us a call at (215) 953-4979 to hear your voice on the air.



Senator Visits Geiger Offices
U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) visited the Lewiston, ME headquarters of Counselor Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900) this morning. Snowe, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, toured the distributor's office and met the company's more than 500 employees in its headquarters location.

"Geiger's supportive working environment and strong commitment to our communities are signature components of its high standard of excellence throughout five generations," said Senator Snowe. "I am dedicated to ensuring that Geiger and other businesses throughout the state and nation can continue to provide exceptional quality for both their customers and employees by focusing on a pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda in Congress. As Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, no input regarding job creation is more valuable than that of our state's own entrepreneurs who are on the front lines during these tough economic times."

Reporting $134 million in 2009 North American ad specialty revenues, Geiger is the eighth-largest distributor firm in the industry.



The Joe Show: Unique New Items
In this episode of The Joe Show, Counselor Managing Editor Joe Haley shows off some cool items that suppliers have sent in recently. Looking for some interesting items to pitch to clients and prospects? Check out this episode of The Joe Show.  

Click here to see this new-products edition of The Joe Show.

Want more videos? Subscribe now to our YouTube videos.


Obituary: Jean Auty, Former PPPC Chair
Jean Auty, a former Promotional Product Professionals (PPPC) of Canada Chair, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 14, in Toronto, surrounded by family. She was 82.

In 1979, Auty became the first woman to become Chair of the PPPC National Board of Directors. She was later inducted into the PPPC Hall of Fame in 1988. 

Predeceased by her husband Fred, Auty is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at the Glen Oaks Memorial Chapel and Reception Centre in Oakville, Ontario. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.



Obituary: Bill Silverman, Founder Of Paramount Printing
Bill Silverman, founder of Paramount Printing (asi/71150), died on Sunday, October 17, at his home in Bellaire, Texas. He was 72.

An industry veteran, Silverman was well-known in Texas for starting multiple companies, most recently Paramount in 2001. "He always looked at the glass half full and helped a lot of people," said Brian Sosa, general manager of Paramount. "There are probably four or five large companies in Houston that were started by people who learned from Bill."

Silverman is survived by his wife Susan, one daughter and three grandchildren. A viewing will be held on Sunday evening at Levy Funeral Home in Bellaire. Funeral services will take place next Monday at nearby Beth Israel Pavilion. 



Podcast: Michael J. Fox On Overcoming Challenges
On last week's ASI Internet Radio Show, the hosts welcomed a special guest: Michael J. Fox. The actor and activist told his inspiring story of being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 29 – and offered his own methods for overcoming obstacles to continue a highly successful career. Plus, as keynote speaker for The ASI Show in Orlando in January, Fox previewed his talk by revealing his favorite promotional items.

Click here to listen to the Michael J. Fox interview segment from last week's show. Want more information on Fox's appearance at The ASI Show in Orlando in January? Go to www.asishow.com.



Take The Third-Quarter Sales Survey
ASI is currently surveying distributors in the market to find out how they did in the third quarter of 2010. This important data helps give industry practitioners a read on how the market overall did in the most recent quarter, so please take a few minutes to take the survey.

Click here to take the survey now.

Results from ASI's Third-Quarter Sales Survey will be published in Counselor PromoGram later this month.



Honoring The Industry's Best Workplaces
One of the most anticipated lists in the industry is now live. Counselor's Best Places to Work, the ranking of industry companies that were judged by their own employees as the best companies to work for, can now be found on our website and a special new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BestPlacestoWork.

Click here now to view the full list of 75 companies, and to read a profile of the number-one Best Place to Work: Dacasso (asi/48125), the Gainesville, FL-based supplier.

And, make sure to join the Counselor Best Places to Work community by going to www.facebook.com/BestPlacestoWork. Add your own thoughts to the conversation about what makes a great workplace. Right now, we've asked people for their stories and pictures from their favorite corporate summer outing this year. Join us now to show the industry why your company had the coolest outdoor event this summer.



In The News
Artmetal Promotional Products Inc. (asi/36980) has announced that it is moving to a new location: 99 Tycos Drive, Unit 2, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M6B 1W3. All telephone and fax numbers remain the same and the emergency e-mail in case of disrupted phone service during the move is artmetalpromo@gmail.com.

Bag Makers (asi/37940) has announced that it has lowered prices on its popular Big and Little Thunder grocery totes. The Big Thunder is now as low as $1.43 and the Little Thunder is as low as $1.33.

Bullet (asi/42424) has achieved accreditation through the Quality Certification Alliance based on successful completion of a third-party audit of its compliance programs and practices.

R.S. Owens (asi/75530) has introduced three new products to its 2011 line: Strata, a stand-off plaque design; Golden Ridge, a silvertone photocast plate; and Mondrian, a color textured art glass tile that floats behind thick Starfire crystal clear glass.

Target Marketing Group (asi/341761) has announced that its successful eco-friendly initiatives have included the implementation of a Microsoft product called Sharepoint that allows all reports, orders, invoices and other paperwork to be stored electronically as PDFs; a new system of e-mailing acknowledgements, art proofs and invoices to customers and orders to factories; and employee carpools and regular recycling from warehouse staff of paper and packing materials.

TSC Apparel (asi/90518) has begun its ‘Apple-a-Day' promotion for Anvil purchases: customers purchasing at least $1 in Anvil products from TSC are entered into the random drawing each day to win an iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch or an iPad. One prize is given out per day. At the end of the month, customer purchases of Anvil products will be accumulated and TSC will award the gifts based on the level of purchases.



People On The Move
iPROMOTEu (asi/232119) announced that 15 distributors affiliated with it in September. The new affiliates, which have a combined estimated annual sales volume of over $5 million, include: John Aspinwall of Vine Advertising in Jesup, GA; Randy Bella of Bella's Custom Design Inc. in Sherwood, WI; Kathleen Booth of Quintain Marketing Inc. in Annapolis, MD; Steven Dodson of Vela Promos in Las Vegas, NV; Lee Gray of Creative Promos Inc. in Wichita, KS; Larry Jakobi of Progressive Marketing in Lexington, KY; David Kemlage of Premium Printing and Marketing Solutions in Orange Park, FL; Marty Martinson of Wizeprint in Cortaro, AZ; Gabe Powers of Phoenix Business Systems Inc. in Louisville, KY; Julie Rankin of New Hype Solutions in Neenah, WI; Juan Rodriguez-Torrent of Aposematic Corporation in Brookfield, CT; Judi Stewart of JSVentures in Corte Madera, CA; Steven Theobald of Redstone Design Inc. in Bountiful, UT; and Timothy Williams of The Williams Group in Muncie, IN.

Proforma (asi/300094) has welcomed seven new owners to its network: Jack Foley, Proforma Foley Team, Rochester, NY; Dan and Nora Fulcher, Proforma Fulcher, Marketing, Oakville, ON; Claire Lewis, Proforma IGSD, Portland, OR; Dean Manzetti and Chas Shramek, Proforma Connected, Avon, OH; Greg Muzzillo, Jr., Proforma Reliable Business Solutions, Pointe Vedra, FL; Maurizio Paonessa, Proforma MP Solutions, Lewiston, NY; Bert Pender, Proforma Direct Business Systems, West Palm Beach, FL.


ASI SHOW

THE ASI PEPPERMINT TWIST-OFF ― WE ARE GOING FOR THE WORLD RECORD
We are going for the record and want you to be part of the excitement. Join us and 1,700 other ASI Orlando show-goers on Monday, January 24, at the LARGEST twist dance party in history!

The legendary Joey Dee and the Starliters will be the highlight of our festivities when they sing their #1 hit the Peppermint Twist. This will be a party like no other. Get a certificate stating you were part of the ASI Peppermint Twist-Off, as well as many fun promotional products from our party sponsors, when you participate in this memorable event.

The ASI Peppermint Twist-Off is taking place right after exhibits close on Monday, January 24, at 5 p.m. Come join the fun and tell your friends you made history while attending ASI Orlando.

Register today for ASI Orlando (Jan. 23-25) at www.asishow.com. ASI distributor/decorator members can attend for free and enjoy a free hotel room!*

DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR FREE TICKET TO THE ULTIMATE TEXAS BASH
ASI distributor and decorator members who register by Wednesday, October 27, for ASI Dallas (February 16-18) can order a free ticket to the ever-popular Ultimate Texas Bash at Eddie Deen's Ranch taking place February 17.

With an action-packed, three-day lineup of amazing events, including a dynamic free Keynote by former First Lady Laura Bush (sponsored by Pepco Poms, asi/77280), you won't want to miss the industry's largest show in the Southwest.

Plan to see hundreds of leading suppliers, participate in the industry's most-comprehensive education conference (featuring new speakers and new classes) and enjoy networking 24/7 when you attend ASI Dallas.

Register today at www.asishow.com and enjoy free admission, a free ticket to The Ultimate Texas Bash and a free hotel room!*

*ASI distributor/decorator member benefits only. Visit www.asishow.com for details. 

THE ADVANTAGES ROADSHOW IS VISITING THE MIDWEST — ATTEND FOR FREE
The industry's #1 traveling show, the ASI Advantages Roadshow, is visiting the Midwest this week (Fargo/Moorhead, Oct. 18; Minneapolis, Oct. 19; Des Moines, Oct. 20; Kansas City, Oct. 21 and St. Louis, Oct. 22). All distributors are invited to attend for FREE!

Delivering a productive, one-on-one atmosphere for distributors to meet with top suppliers, the Advantages Roadshow features free education from 7:45 a.m.-9 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2 p.m. and exhibit hours from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Visit www.advantagesroadshow.com for complete details. No pre-registration is required. There is no better way to prepare for the end of the sales year!

Follow The ASI Show on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook today!

The following are the dates and locations for The ASI Show in 2011:
Orlando, January 23-25, 2011
Dallas, February 16-18, 2011
New York, March 22-24, 2011
San Diego, May 18-20, 2011
Chicago, July 19-21, 2011

Plus, don't miss the ASI Advantages Roadshow, the industry's #1 traveling show. Visit www.advantagesroadshow.com for the complete schedule and go to www.asishow.com for information on all ASI Shows.

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