Almost exactly six months after joining Hit Promotional Products (PPAI 113910, Platinum), Jon Norris has been promoted to the role of chief strategy officer. The C-suite position shift will likely provide Norris, an industry veteran with an expertise in technology standards, with a more direct influence over the supplier’s direction going forward.

  • Norris previously held the title of vice president of business process improvement.
  • Hit Promotional Products ranked as the No. 4 supplier in the inaugural PPAI 100.

Norris’ Promo Pedigree

Norris may have just a half year under his belt at Hit Promotional Products, but he is a 20-year veteran of the promo industry.

  • Prior to joining Hit, Norris spent more than 19 years at Starline, where he was chief operating officer upon his departure.
  • He’s also a co-founder and current leadership team member of PromoStandards, a group of industry IT professionals who focus on the development of technology standards to enable system-to-system communication in an effort to reduce the cost of business between suppliers and distributors.

CJ Schmidt, president of Hit Promotional Products, said that bringing Norris to the supplier was “a testament to our commitment to lead, innovate and excel in the promotional products industry.”

  • Norris was named a PPAI Rising Star in 2014.
  • He was named to the #Online 18 in 2020.

Norris’s track record of volunteerism in the promo industry includes time on PPAI’s Technology Committee, where he was lauded for “his passion for what he does in every respect.” As an Association volunteer, he was recognized for the ideas he brought to the table, his collaborative spirit, results-oriented outlook and being a “great leader and role model for others.”

Norris has called his colleagues at Hit Promotional Products some of the hardest working members of the industry.

“[I] couldn't be happier to continue to work hard with my Hit crew and amazing ownership, who continues to invest into what this impressive organization is capable of,” Norris says. “New role, new responsibilities, same great company, amazing customers and ever-changing industry.”

Changing Scenery At Hit Promotional Products

The news of Norris’ promotion to chief strategy officer comes only two months after the announcement of Eric Shonebarger stepping down from his role as president, who had been with the company for two decades. Schmidt, the company’s CEO, moved into the role of president.

  • The company’s 2022 revenue exceeded $600 million.
  • From 2019-2022, Hit Promotional Products grew in revenue by 23%.
  • The 2023 PPAI 100 rankings awarded the supplier High Marks in Revenue, Growth, Online Presence, Innovation and Professional Development.

Norris joining Hit last year was part of a trend of adding senior level talent with industry experience in recent years.