PromoCorner Wins PPAI Technology Award
PromoCorner was awarded a Silver Medal in the annual PPAI Technology Awards competition which recognizes PPAI members for development and effective use of technology in a variety of applications. The PromoCorner staff accepted the award at the awards ceremony at the PPAI Expo on Tuesday.
The PromoCorner award was for Web Content/Functionality. This category of competition focused on the web-based presentation of a company’s overall products and services in an effective format utilizing concise content and appropriate terminology for the intended audience. Criteria included:
• Overall navigation
• Content
• Quality
• Creativity
Chocolate Inn / Taylor & Grant Expands, Acquires AmuseMints
Chocolate Inn / Taylor & Grant recently completed a six month move that took it from a 50,000-sq.-ft. facility to a 140,000-sq.-ft. facility in Hicksville, NY.
David Miller, president of Chocolate Inn, said, “Newly acquired capabilities plus our acquisition of AmuseMints necessitated the need for additional space and concludes in Chocolate Inn being a one-stop shop of confectionery, mint, chocolate, and snack products to the promotional products industry.”
AmuseMints has been a fixture in the souvenir market since 2004. Its creative packaging (including unique tin shapes), industry-leading artwork, creative design library, licensed portfolio, and short run custom capabilities have made the company a leader in the souvenir trade – ranging from theme parks, national parks, airports, gift shops, zoos, and other tourist destinations.
Chocolate Inn’s additional capabilities include state-of-the-art customization, custom chocolate molding (chocolate in any shape or size, including bars and themed pieces) one- to four-color process printing on tins, plastics, drinkware and more; direct full color edible printing on chocolate, candy and snacks; full color digital and flexographic bag / label manufacturing capabilities (short-run printed customizable bags); printing and die cutting of boxes and packaging; wrapped candies and truffles; and more.
Fey Promotional Products Acquires Magna-Tel
Fey Promotional Products Group announced it has acquired the assets of Cape Girardeau, MO, supplier Magna-Tel, Inc. “This acquisition brings together two long-standing suppliers of promotional products,” said Mike Fey, president of Edgerton, MN-based Fey Promotional Products Group, “We truly are excited to have the opportunity to align ourselves with a company such as this that has a long standing reputation of the highest product quality and an extensive history of excellent customer service.”
QCA Expends Distributor Advisory Council with Blink Marketing
The Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), the promotional product industry’s only independent, non-governmental accreditation organization dedicated to helping companies provide safe products, has expanded its Distributor Advocacy Council (DAC) with the addition of Franklin, TN-based Blink Marketing.
The DAC mission is to elevate the standards by which firms that import and/or manufacture products are consistently delivering safe, high quality, socially compliant and environmentally conscientious merchandise, and its affiliates recognize QCA as the industry standard. Together, the DAC and QCA Accredited Companies are forming a new level of collaboration in this industry-changing effort, which is effectively the only way to ensure supply chain transparency and control.
Blink Marketing provides clients with an all-in approach to promotional marketing that includes awards and recognition, apparel and uniforms, custom packaging, fulfillment, merchandise, paper products, signs and displays, webstores and ecommerce. It was named the 2015 Distributor of the Year by Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), and it was awarded the designation of fourth fastest-growing promotional products distributor in the country by Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). Additionally, the company has been featured on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company list and holds Best Place To Work titles from PPB Magazine and Nashville Business Journal.
“Blink Marketing is passionate about responsible sourcing and has worked tirelessly over the last few years to ensure we are doing all we can to maintain the highest level of product safety for our clients,” says Daniel Gardner, managing partner. “Being a part of the Distributor Advocacy Council gives us an even greater insight into compliance, safety and supplier transparency. We look forward to having a wider scope of supply chain visibility along with a contributing voice when it comes to current product safety and future compliance policies.”
“Whether stated or not, end buyers expect to receive safe and compliant products from our industry,” said Tim Brown, MAS, QCA executive director – operations. “Distributors such as Blink elevate the professionalism of our industry by promoting the value of accredited supply chain processes through independent third-party auditors.”
For more information about Blink Marketing, visit www.blinkmarketing.com.
For more information about the QCA Distributor Advocacy Council, visit www.qcalliance.org/distributor-advocacy-council/.
Staton Now Offers Next Level Apparel
Next Level Apparel announced that Staton Corporate and Casual is now a new full-line distributor of its products. “Staton, with warehouse locations in Dallas and Memphis, is sure to create significant opportunities in the Southeast with the addition of the Next Level brand,” the company reported. As a family owned business since 1981, Staton Corporate and Casual maintains a customer first philosophy while maximizing selection, value, and service. Next Level Apparel, based in L.A., is a leading fashion blanks manufacturer that uses innovative fabric blends that are heavenly soft, at a value that is second to none.