Prime Line Expands Jetline SC Facility
Prime Line has significantly expanded its Jetline South Carolina facility to keep up with an increasing demand for free 24-hour rush service on apparel and drinkware. The expansion was celebrated yesterday with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the plant attended by employees, distributors and members of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.
The expansion amounts to an additional manufacturing and warehouse space and includes upgrades to its screen printing, embroidery and multicolor drinkware areas. In 2017, Prime added apparel brands Bella+Canvas, Fruit of the Loom, Jerzees and Hanes to its Jetline product line to go along with existing brands Gildan and Next Level.
“With the addition of these popular apparel brands combined with free 24-hour rush service and streamlined single invoicing for apparel, Prime continues to be a true one stop shop for distributors,” said Jeff Lederer, CEO of Prime Line. “At the January industry trade shows, distributors were pleasantly surprised to see our expanded apparel line and learn that we will decorate as few as 12 shirts and ship within 24 hours.”
“Prime’s acquisition of Jetline has been good for distributors and the industry because we are now able to offer more products and services like three-day embroidery,” explained Lederer. “With Jetline servicing the southeast with 24-hour production and one day ground shipping, distributors are saving money and getting their orders faster.”
Apparel is included in both the 2017 Jetline and Prime Line® annual catalogs. To browse the 2017 Jetline catalog, click here; to browse the 2017 Prime catalog, click here.
PPEF 2017 Scholarship Period Now Open; Awards Increasing to $175,000
Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF; www.ppef.us) is pleased to announce that the 2017 PPEF scholarship program is now taking applications for the 2017-2018 school year with $175,000 in scholarships available. Since its inception in 1989, PPEF has awarded approximately $1.5 million in financial assistance growing by 75 percent since 2013.
In 2016 the PPEF Tomorrow Fund multi-year pledges grew by $88,000 with the support of Prime Resources Corporation, The Legacy Group, The Vernon Company, Carolinas Association of Advertising & Marketing Professionals, Budgetcard, Inc., Chris Lovell, Dana Floyd, and Lori Bauer.
“We are grateful to PPEF donors for their generosity and excited to award even more scholarships this year,” said Sara Besly, PPEF Manager. “The PPEF Board is thrilled to grow its support of educational opportunities for promotional products industry professionals and their children.”
The 2017-2018 scholarship application period is now open and the submission deadline is Wednesday, March 15, 2017.
Academic scholarships offered:
• Four-year scholarship – ($8,000, awarded $2,000 per year; need-based)
• Four-year merit scholarship – ($4,000, awarded $1,000 annually for four years)
• Chairman’s scholarship – ($5,000, awarded $2,500 annually for Junior and Senior years)
• One-year scholarship – ($2,000; need-based, nonrenewable)
• One-year merit scholarship – ($1,000, nonrenewable)
• Friends of PPMN scholarship – ($1,000, nonrenewable for industry employees only)
Application forms and guidelines are available at www.ppef.us. Application information can also be obtained by contacting Sara Besly at SaraB@ppai.org. Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2017. Winners of the scholarships will be announced in May. Donations can be mailed to PPEF, 3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, TX 75038.
Admints & Zagabor Receives QCA Accreditation
Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), the promotional product industry’s only independent, non-governmental accreditation organization dedicated to helping companies provide safe products, has awarded QCA Accreditation to Bellmawr, NJ-based Admints & Zagabor, a division of Hit Promotional Products. The company is a U.S. manufacturer of candy, mints, food gifts, and personal care items such as lip balm and hand sanitizer – all made in strict adherence to FDA and Kosher guidelines.
“Achieving QCA Accreditation has been challenging, as we’ve had a busy year integrating with HIT Promotional Products and managing our continued growth within the industry. Yet our team was able to upgrade our systems and implement many operational improvements while reinvesting in new technology, product offerings, inventory, and personnel,” said Brett Hersh, Admints & Zagabor president. “But the process has been extremely beneficial and rewarding. With so many different opinions and testing companies talking about product safety, quality assurance and social accountability, it became clear that achieving QCA Certification was the only way for us to meet the expectations of our customers and their end-user clients."
QCA Accredited companies endorse a self-certification, complete a rigorous self-assessment, and then submit their headquarters and their supply base to multiple third-party audits. The QCA board uses a scorecard representing the performance of the applicant and its supply chain on the third-party audits as the foundation for granting accreditation. For more information about QCA Accreditation and to inquire about the process and benefits received, email tbrown@qcalliance.org.
Chocolate Inn / Taylor & Grant Hire Ryan Schafman
Ryan Schafman has been hired as Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant's Midwest regional sales manager.
Schafman has over nine years of experience in the promotional product industry as a member of AIA Corporation, starting off as a member of its customer service team to eventually moving over to their Supplier Relations team for the past two years. With Chocolate Inn / Taylor & Grant Schafman will be responsible for working with distributors and prospects in MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, KY, ND, and SD along with other key national accounts for Chocolate Inn. “I am excited to join the Chocolate Inn team. Their reputation for innovation, product breadth, and adherence to quality and excellence is well known in the industry.”
Ryan can be reached at 516-351-4229 or by email Ryan.Schafman@chocolateinn.net.