(Editor’s Note: PromoWire by PPAI Media is a running digest of updates from organizations around the promotional products industry. PPAI Media will consider newsworthy entries submitted by any member organization.)

February 1

TSC Acquires Perfect Promotions & More

TSC Inc. (PPAI 134317, D5) dba The Specialty Company has acquired Perfect Promotions & More (PPAI 437026, D3), an Apex, North Carolina, distributor.

  • This is TSC’s fourth acquisition, previously having acquired Ice Blue Advertising, Lasting Image Promotional Products and MPG Tandem.


“We have been in a steady growth trajectory over the past decade and needed more operational structure," says Stephen McFadden, president of Perfect Promotions & More. "Selling to an organization with additional services for our customer base was important for our future success. TSC provides us the operational and organizational elements we were missing and our team provides a spark of creativity TSC was looking for.

“When I met the team at TSC, it was clear our values were in alignment and they too strive to serve their people first.”

Founded in 1991, Ridgeland, Mississippi-based TSC, Inc. also has locations in Texas, Pennsylvania and Missouri. TSC offers warehousing and 3PL services, in house decoration and proprietary webstore technology.

  • All team members from Perfect Promotions are coming onboard and TSC intends to keep the North Carolina facility and expand their warehouse and fulfillment footprint. McFadden is joining TSC as director of growth and vision.

“Perfect Promotions & More is an innovative and creative company we’re excited to add their expertise to our organization, the McFadden’s have built an exceptional business and team," says Sam Riden, CEO of TSC. "What truly makes them a great fit for us are the people; they are gritty, adaptable and desire to be better tomorrow than today. Together, we’re committed to building a company that exists to serve its team, clients and communities for generations to come.”

January 31

New IFI Presentation Tools Help Clarify Tax Issues For Incentive Programs

The Incentive Federation has released a PowerPoint designed to explain complex information regarding the tax issues related to employee service awards, safety incentive programs and travel incentive programs, among others.

  • Rewards often have tax consequences for the recipient or the sponsor and this new project, published with the help of industry experts, compiles information from numerous lengthy documents into a PowerPoint presentation and infographic.
  • The project, “Tax Considerations for Incentives, Recognition and Safety Programs," was headed by IFI board member Mike Donnelly, president of Hinda Incentives.
  • Find the user-friendly PowerPoint Summary here and the infographic, “Mapping Out Your Compliance Strategy” here.

Multi-Line Rep Tony Pinto Retires

After nearly 40 years in the promotional products industry, Anthony “Tony” Pinto of Pinto Marketing has announced his retirement.

  • Pinto has spent the past 15 years as a multi-line rep in Texas and in Ohio. Previously, he worked at 3M Promotional Markets for 25 years where he was one of the pioneers who introduced and marketed 3M Post-it Custom Printed Notes, first in California and then in Georgia. Over his long career, Pinto built and nurtured relationships across 26 states.

January 30

AIA’s Young Professionals Network Offers A Next-Gen Perspective

AIA (PPAI 101364 , D12) – ranked the No. 29 distributor in this year’s PPAI 100 – is ushering in a new era with its Young Professionals Network, a group of people age 40 and under who most recently met at The PPAI Expo to discuss the impact of the next generation on the future of the industry.

  • These like-minded young professionals meet virtually and at industry events to share, challenge, and support each other.
  • Jordan Ettien, age 27, an account executive at Pop! Promos, says the group’s role in providing a fresher perspective on trends highlights “our willingness to challenge conventional thinking and push limits, and positions the next generation as catalysts for innovation in the industry.”

Corporate Specialties Ranks No. 70 On 2023 Inner City 100 List

Corporate Specialties (PPAI 200872, D3) has been named a winner of the 2023 Inner City 100 (IC100) awarded by Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. This is the second time the company has received the honor.

  • Since 1999, ICIC has identified and celebrated the 100 fastest-growing businesses in under-resourced communities in the U.S. through the IC100 award.
  • Winners were evaluated based on revenue growth from 2018 to 2022. Corporate Specialties, led by Valerie Hayman Sklar, was ranked No. 70 on the list based on its four-year revenue growth rate of 73.2%. In 2021, Corporate Specialties was ranked No. 97.
  • This year’s IC100 list was unveiled during an awards ceremony at ICIC’s 2023 Annual Conference held in December.

Hayman Sklar says the distributor’s growth over the past four years is the result of successful implementation of technology, ease-of-process and providing the one-on-one customer service. “Clients continue coming back because we provide not only products but also the creative ideas and campaign execution,” she says. “They appreciate the concierge-level service we offer and they know that when they need merch to enhance their campaigns, they can count on us to offer ideas for events, onboarding, corporate gifts and more. Thank you to our clients for placing your trust in us to be good stewards of your brand, and thank you to ICIC for this prestigious honor.”

commonsku Celebrates 2024 skummunity Award Winners

During its skucon conference on January 19 in Las Vegas, commonsku (PPAI 552077, A00) recognized five skummunity award winners to honor explorers, rule-breakers, dreamers and innovators in the branded merchandise industry.

  • The Distributor Community Champion Award recognizes the most outstanding distributor in the industry who continually invests in the wellness and growth of their peers. This year’s honoree was Russell Bird with The Promo Addict.
  • The Supplier Community Champion Award was awarded to Jordan Ettien with Pop! Promos for inspiring the industry with optimism and ambition, and rising to encourage and support distributors and fellow suppliers.
  • The Supplier Connected Workflow Award was awarded to the Gemline team for their integration of EPOs. Jonathan Isaacson, Jason Kissell and DeShaun Diggs accepted the award.
  • The Shops Innovation Leader Award was awarded to Joanna Kummer and her team at Boxed Sourcing + Production for driving sales growth through the creative use of e-commerce shops for their clients.
  • The Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Zac Fowler at INM Marketing for leading his team with relentless drive and for setting year-over-year growth records.

Towel Specialties Adds Two New Giveback Programs

Towel Specialties (PPAI 113150, S8) has added two new giveback programs for this year:

  • The supplier will donate a portion of sales of its Coral Reef Towels to Coral Vita, a Bahamian organization dedicated to restoring coral reefs around the world.
  • It will also donate a portion of all sales to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
  • Towel Specialties has a history of helping those in need. For many years the company has donated towels and blankets to the Salvation Army, particularly to those areas affected by natural disasters.

“We’re thrilled to do our part and to support these organizations,” says Towel Specialties President Shawn Kanak. “We’re committed to donating products and resources as we’ve done for nearly 40 years and will continue adding to our messaging through the next decade. More importantly, we’re investing and learning more about supporting those fighting for cures along with protecting a greener planet for future generations to come.”