BEL Promo (PPAI 362224, Gold) – the No. 34 supplier in the PPAI 100 – has hired three new senior account executives – Marland Strickland, Lori Gearinger, and Jocelyn James – to create more internal efficiencies and provide a higher level of service. Each of these industry veterans will provide an elevated range of inside support to the strategic sales managers and their enterprise and VIP client partners.

“With over three decades of combined experience providing truly outstanding support in the promotional products industry, these three additions will completely elevate BEL Promo’s already incredible service,” says Tom Clouser, BEL Promo’s national sales manager. “These hires will make us more far more nimble and efficient as we continue to move close to a truly frictionless experience for our distributor partners.”

Polyconcept North America (PPAI 113079, Platinum) – the No. 3 supplier in the PPAI 100 – has launched e-commerce stores with its Givee Select platform. The all-in-one solution provides a seamless experience for both gifting and e-commerce customers, and includes $9.95 flat shipping and fulfillment per order, regardless of order size.

• The Givee Select e-commerce stores are powered by an integration with Stripe, a leading financial infrastructure platform designed with optimized checkout flows and fraud prevention to ensure secure payment processing for stores. Users can configure settings and details for each store, including product pricing, offerings, open/close dates, invoice preferences, guest access and more.
• The solution empowers distributors with quick-drop shipping, transparent pricing, and the quality and dependability of working with one industry-leading supplier throughout the entire fulfillment process.

“Unlocking e-commerce is made simple with the power of Givee,” says Neil Ringel, CEO of PCNA. “With the launch of our e-commerce capabilities and flat rate shipping for orders of any size, we are devoted to providing distributors with the tools they need. This approach enables the easy creation of versatile stores that cater to diverse customer needs, foster pride and ownership, and reduce overproduction.”

Industry veteran Christy Ridpath, formerly executive director, solutions integration, at Advertising Specialty Institute, has joined Vantage Apparel (PPAI 113235, Platinum) – the No. 12 supplier in the PPAI 100 – as digital operations manager.

• Ridpath spent nearly nine years at ASI where she managed customer-facing liaison roles between sales teams and IT, focusing on API integrations and strategic project implementations.
• In her new role at Vantage, Ridpath will oversee critical aspects of the company’s online operations. Her primary responsibilities will include project and program management, digital sales channel reporting, team coordination, client onboarding and e-commerce omnichannel management.

“Our goal is clear: to establish seamless integrations that position Vantage as the easiest apparel supplier and decorator to work with in the industry. With Christy on board, we are more equipped than ever to innovate and deliver exceptional value to our customers,” says Chris Alfano, chief digital officer.

Charles River Apparel (PPAI 111644, Gold) – the No. 37 supplier in the PPAI 100 – now has 16 styles in its line that support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). In addition, from August 1 to October 31, its giveback program, “River to Research,” will donate 10% of the purchase price of these select pink styles to BCRF.

• Since 2022, Charles River Apparel has raised $24,000 to fuel BCRF’s mission of preventing and curing breast cancer by advancing the world’s most promising research. That’s enough to enroll nine patients in a BCRF-supported clinical trial, support 480 hours of groundbreaking research or fund two years’ worth of general supplies for a BCRF-supported lab.
• River to Research is the latest in Charles River Apparel’s charitable program, Charles River Cares. This year, products that support BCRF include pink shades of classic and new styles, such as the Women’s Camden Spliced Crew Neck Sweatshirt, Women’s Coastal Sweatshirt, New Englander Doggie Rain Jacket and more. Charles River Apparel will donate a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $20,000 to BCRF.

Portland, Oregon-based Premier Press (PPAI 823346, Standard-Plus) has acquired Glad I Did It! (GIDI) Promotions (PPAI 254422, Standard-Plus), also based in Portland.

• Nearly one year after joining forces with KG Specialties, this acquisition brings the two women-owned companies together and further bolsters Premier Press’ print and design expertise, enabling its team to complete a growing range of client needs entirely in-house.
• The GIDI Promotions team brings more than 100 years of cumulative industry experience to the table and excels in embroidery, silk-screening and other promotional merchandise solutions. The GIDI showroom will relocate to Premier’s facilities.

“GIDI Promotions has earned its reputation as a powerhouse in promotional merchandise, helping companies truly stand out and achieve their goals—whether that’s to strengthen their trade show presence, boost employee morale or build relationships with customers,” says Juli Cordill, Premier Press CMO/managing director. “Joining GIDI Promotions with Premier Press gives us even more opportunities to help our clients achieve the full potential of their marketing and advertising campaigns. We are thrilled to welcome GIDI to the Premier family.”