Helen Stromberg, an industry veteran of 45 years, has announced she will retire at the end of 2024, leaving behind a decorated legacy.
She worked alongside her husband, Richard Stromberg, at his family business, New York-based supplier Stromberg Brand, before taking over the company with their daughter Jennifer Stromberg in 2021 after Richard passed away.
- Stromberg Brand was founded in 1974 and specialized in handmade umbrellas.
- Its production facility is located in Valley Cottage, New York.
Life Before Promo
The promo industry wasn’t her first choice. Before meeting her husband, Helen worked in magazine publishing, doing market research and media research before eventually transitioning into sales.
- She met Richard in 1974 when he had taken over the family business, and it wasn’t long before he reeled her into the firm in 1981 when she was 27 years old.
“He started telling me about the umbrella business, which I thought, ‘Gee, I don’t know if I’ve ever met somebody in the umbrella business,’ nor would I ever think I would meet somebody again,” Stromberg says. “I found premium promotions – pushing the product off the shelf with branded names – fascinating.
“I ran the business better than he did because he was busy developing products and talking to factories and meeting with people, and I was sort of like in in the back end, doing the business day to day.”
Knee-Deep In The Industry
Stromberg was enthralled by the creativity of the industry and how connected you could be with people throughout the United States. “You learned so much about product development, the creativity and working with customers across the country,” she says.
The process of putting together a line of products was also fascinating to her.
- She’s traveled to China several times and seen firsthand how products are made directly from factories in Hong Kong and Beijing.
However, her favorite part of the industry is meeting new people, going to trade shows and interacting with clients. “Although you wouldn’t believe how shy I am, my strength is dealing with customers,” Stromberg says. “I loved meeting new people and distributors, and I had friendships with them.”
A Woman’s World
One thing that fascinated Stromberg about the promo industry was how many women were involved. Although there weren’t a lot of female business owners at first, women were oftentimes the top salespeople at prominent companies.
“As these women became more and more successful, they then went out on their own, and there are now more women in this business, especially entrepreneurs, than ever before,” Stromberg says.
The publishing world was male-dominated, she says, so transitioning to promo, where women were able to climb to the top, was refreshing. “It wasn’t like the old-world, stodgy type of executives,” she says. “It was creative, fun women, ideas and products.”
Stromberg Brand Acquisition
After Richard passed in 2021 at the age of 78, Helen and Jennifer stepped up to the plate. A year later, the mother-daughter duo decided to allow Illinois-based Arch Promo Group, PPAI 100’s No. 38 supplier, to acquire Stromberg Brand.
After a while, Stromberg felt as though she “didn’t have the resources to do it on [her] own,” and wanted to ensure her employees were taken care of. Arch Promo Group had more to offer and seemed like a better fit.
“It had a bona fide HR department offering all these great benefits,” she jokes. “Once I sold the company, my people were able to get into these plans and programs and make working there more attractive.”
Steven Meyer
National Sales Manager, Arch Promo Group
Steven Meyer, national sales manager for Arch Promo Group, has worked closely alongside Stromberg since the acquisition.
“To be blunt, the first time I met Helen I wasn’t sure we would click,” says Meyer. “Today, I am both happy and sad that someone I’ve grown to enjoy is moving onto a new chapter in life. I’m happy that the matriarch of one of our industry’s most recognizable companies will now have a more relaxed opportunity to smell the roses and enjoy the fruits of her life work.”
Life After Retirement
Stromberg says she decided to retire at the end of the year because she needed more time to herself after running a business for over four decades. She believes she’s left her company in good hands, which will allow her to enjoy the things she loves: traveling, spending time with her family, taking care of herself and enjoying the company of her Pomeranian, Poppy Rose.
Some places to travel to on her bucket list include South America, India, Europe and “some nice Island sipping Prosecco.”
Stromberg’s lasting impact will be felt for many years to come.
“The industry has been good for me,” she says. “Of course, there are ups and downs when you own a business, but it’s now come to the point where we have a great following. It’s a good, thriving business, and I’m really happy that I was able to leave somewhat of a legacy.”
