UPDATE: This is a developing situation that may continue to affect promo companies. If your company is closing or adjusting operations due to the storm, you may contact jonnya@ppai.org to be included in PPAI Media updates. Below is an updated status from Koozie Group’s chief operating officer, Matt Cook.

Employee safety was our primary concern through the storm, and, to our knowledge, everyone is safe. We resumed normal operations in one of our buildings as soon as evacuation notices were lifted Friday morning. Our second building was affected by both storm surge and power loss, which wasn’t restored until Saturday evening. Our teams were ready once we ensured it was safe to re-enter the building, and we’ve been running since to minimize customer impact. As always, our customer service team and Minnesota/Missouri facilities have continued normal operations during this time. We’re thankful for the well wishes sent by the industry and appreciate our customers’ understanding and patience.“

Hurricane Helene, which meteorologists are forecasting as one of the largest storms to hit the Gulf of Mexico this century, is expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday night.

Helene is likely to intensify into a borderline Category 3/Category 4 hurricane with winds around 125 mph when it strikes the Big Bend of Florida between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., NBC News reported.

As a result, the promotional products industry should be prepared for possible slowdowns or closures from suppliers in Florida and the surrounding region.


Promo Braces For Landfall

Many promo firms are either in the direct path of Hurricane Helene or likely to receive collateral winds and rainfall at an aggressive and dangerous level.

Getting ahead of the situation, Koozie Group – the No. 9 supplier in the PPAI 100 – announced that it was closing its Clearwater, Florida-based facilities Wednesday evening with hopes of reopening them Thursday evening, if the conditions are safe enough to make that viable.

 “We will work through the weekend to minimize any disruptions for our distributor partners,” Koozie Group said in a statement.

  • The supplier’s customer service support teams will operate remotely to answer questions for the rest of the week.
  • Its Minnesota and Missouri facilities will remain open.
  • 24-hour service on most pens and drinkware will be suspended until Monday, September 30.


Naples, Florida-based supplier Epoly, which specializes in folders, envelopes and folios, will also be closed on Thursday with plans to reopen on Friday.

Hit Promotional Products, based out of Largo, Florida, hopes to be able to maintain operations through Thursday, but hasn’t ruled out the possibility of slowdowns due to anticipated logistical issues in the immediate region.


Strongest Storm Of 2024?

With a tornado watch already in place for most of the Florida peninsula until 8 p.m., 42 million people are also under flood watches from Florida to Virginia.

  • Many Florida coastal counties were asked to evacuate Wednesday for their safety.


When Hurricane Helene officially reaches the coast, it may stake its claim as the largest and strongest of the five hurricanes to have officially made landfall in the United States this year.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, has warned residents to stay away from where trees could fall and from live wires in standing water. “Don’t put yourself at risk,” DeSantis said in a press conference on Thursday.

Stay tuned for continuing coverage of Hurricane Helene. If your company is closing or adjusting operations due to the storm, please contact jonnya@ppai.org to be included in PPAI Media updates.