Vantage Apparel (PPAI 113235, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 12 supplier, has added Lauren Monnier to its leadership team as director of merchandising.

• With over 15 years of experience in the apparel industry, Monnier brings knowledge and expertise in product development, production and team leadership. She has worked with prominent retail corporations such as Perry Ellis International, ANN INC., Ralph Lauren, and Club Monaco. Most recently, she was director of product development and production at Club Monaco.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have Lauren join the Vantage team,” says Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel. “Her incredible background in the apparel world and fresh perspective aligns perfectly with our dedication to quality fashion and leadership in industry trends. With Lauren on board, we’ll continuing our mission of providing customers with stylish, innovative, and trend-forward apparel that reflects our commitment to excellence.”

Proforma (PPAI 196835, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 3 distributor, showed its strong support for The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, bringing more 200 representatives to the show earlier this month.

• The distributor used multiple opportunities to connect throughout the week, engaging its distributor owners, sales professionals, supplier partners and industry peers in building and strengthening relationships.

• During Education Day, Meg Erber, director of sales and marketing at Proforma, led the session, “Discover Uncapped Potential: Using Advanced Gap Analytics to Propel Your Success in 2025.”

“Proforma is committed to strengthening relationships and providing a collaborative environment,” says Michelle Dalton, senior vice president of owner and supplier success at Proforma. “The PPAI Expo is always a great place to connect people from all areas of the industry.”

Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 9 supplier, has partnered with SproutWorld (PPAI 833302, Standard-Base) the maker and global patent holder of the world’s first plantable pencil. Koozie Group is adding the product to its writing instrument category and will be selling it in the U.S. market only.

• The pencil is crafted from FSC-certified wood and features a biodegradable cellulose capsule at the end that’s filled with seeds ready to sprout when the pencil is too short to use. Choose from five seed options: basil, carnation, cucumber, daisy and forget- me-not.

American Solutions for Business (PPAI 101656, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 10 distributor, has launched the PS 9.2 Multi-Company/Multi-Currency (MCMC) system enhancement.

• The update reflects ASB’s focus on innovation, operational efficiencies and global collaboration, and supports current and future growth as ASB continues to expand its reach and adapt its business model to meet the needs of new markets.
• It is pivotal in ASB’s global expansion efforts, including its growth into the Canadian market through Canadian Solutions for Business, providing support for cross-border transactions. The update also simplifies customer relationships by enabling a single system to manage multiple requirements.

“The MCMC project removes several barriers on multiple levels,” says Miriah Cassidy, vice president of operations. “The completion of the project delivers the ability to buy and sell in multiple currencies and to accommodate country specific requirements. The approach of this project not only sets us up for success in Canada but also builds the framework for further expansion.”

Terry Town (PPAI 230911, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 40 supplier, has hired Lauren Raughton as its national account manager.

• In her new role, Raughton will support, build and strengthen relationships across Terry Town’s national account base.
• Raughton, a 13-year promotional products industry veteran, most recently spent eight years at Gemline as a regional sales manager.

“I am beyond excited to join the Terry Town team,” Raughton says. “The vibrant culture and strong sense of community truly attracted me to this opportunity. I’m eager to embrace this new chapter, fostering growth and collaboration alongside the incredible team at Terry Town.”

This month, Freemont, California-based Fossa Apparel (PPAI 330885, Silver) brought on two new multi-line rep groups to represent the company in Texas, Oklahoma, Washington and Oregon.

• Christian Brown, president of CB Marketing based in Seattle, Washington, will cover Washington and Oregon. Lori Eaton, owner of lorieaton.com in Austin, Texas, and her associate, Nick Cooper in Abilene, Texas, will cover Texas and Oklahoma.
• The company says the expansion strengthens its commitment to providing top-notch service and support to its industry partners.

Orbus (PPAI 428128, Silver) has integrated with PromoStandards, the nonprofit dedicated to enhancing digital communication and business processes between distributors and suppliers.

• The endpoints Orbus currently supports include Pricing, Product Data, Media and PO, with more standards such as Order Status and Inventory coming soon.
• This integration offers a way for distributors to streamline their supply chain and ecommerce capabilities by having access to Orbus product data so they can scale their business faster and more efficiently.
• Distributors can connect with Orbus on PromoStandards by way of OneSource, a widely adopted product data tool introduced by DistributorCentral.

“Orbus’ compliance with PromoStandards affords greater business opportunities to our promotional products distributors,” says Cassandra Chiodo, national account manager. “It will save time by utilizing their established platforms to customize products, complete orders and retrieve data so they can initiate sales with more end clients.”

StickerYou (PPAI 496314, Standard Plus) marks a significant milestone in its growth strategy with the formation of a preferred partnership with Peernet, a strategic alliance of promotional product distributors, and Sports Inc., a sporting goods buying group.

• The preferred partnership is expected to enhance the Toronto-based supplier’s reach and visibility in the promotional products market as well as in the sporting goods arena.
• StickerYou has also added three new multi-line rep groups to its network – Hareid Marketing, MW Reps and MacMarketing – to further strengthen its presence across diverse markets.

“Partnering with Peernet and Sports Inc. and welcoming Hareid Marketing, MW Reps and MacMarketing into our network represents a significant step forward for StickerYou,” says Rich Corvalan, VP of sales at StickerYou. “These collaborations will allow us to better serve our customers with innovative solutions and expand our market footprint.”