(Editor’s Note: PromoWire by PPAI Media is a running digest of updates submitted from organizations around the promotional products industry. PPAI Media will consider newsworthy entries from any member organization.)

June 1, 2023

HPG Hires Alex Symms As Evans Manufacturing’s Director Of Sales

HPG (PPAI 110772, S11) announces the addition of industry veteran Alex Symms, MAS, as director of sales at its Garden Grove, California, subsidiary Evans Manufacturing.

  • Symms, who is based in Houston, brings 20-years of management experience with promotional products suppliers such as Chameleon and, most recently, PowerStick.com.
  • Evans Manufacturing is the latest addition to HPG’s lineup of brands; the company was acquired by HPG in December 2022.
  • Symms plans to incorporate the latest technologies, such as AI, in his sales strategies.

“I am excited to join an incredible team of forward-thinking leaders that take corporate branded merchandise to an enhanced level with industry-leading products and award-winning service,” says Symms.

MAY 30, 2023

NC Custom Names Scott Anderson Head Of Program Business

NC Custom (PPAI 111662, S7) has added 30-year promotional products industry veteran Scott Anderson to its senior sales team as program business development specialist.

  • He previously spent more than 20 years at PCNA, where he served in multiple sales roles within the company’s apparel and hard goods business. He was also a key team member at Facilisgroup.
  • Anderson will target specific strategic accounts to expand NC Custom’s product placement within corporate programs.

“Scott has a proven track record of delivering growth in programs and key strategic accounts,” says Chairman and CEO Lance Stier. “We are excited for him to partner closely with our sales leadership across the U.S. and Canada to drive strategic top-line growth.”

twelveNYC Joins Peernet Group

The Peernet Group (PPAI 532061, A00) announces its newest member: Brooklyn, New York-based twelveNYC, a leading strategic partner in delivering branded merchandise for the world’s most compelling brands.

  • The addition is part of The Peernet Group’s long-term growth strategy, which includes adding a select group of high-performance distributors in diverse metropolitan markets across North America.
  • twelveNYC is a B Corp certified, women-owned award-winning agency and has been named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America, among other honors.
  • The Peernet Group is an alliance of 17 leading promotional products and marketing distributors with locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Representing $395 million in revenue, it is collectively recognized as the seventh largest promotional product sales organization in the industry and maintains a national sales force.

“twelveNYC has built a successful and disruptive business with their innovative approach and creative excellence,” says Darlene Blaum, CEO of The Peernet Group. “Their remarkable achievements and progressive mindset align with our mission to raise the bar for marketing excellence. They represent the high standards and exceptional performance that all Peernet members embody, and we are excited to have them at the table.”

May 15, 2023

Penn State Extends Long-Term Apparel Partnership With HanesBrands

HanesBrands (PPAI 191138, S10) and Penn State announce a multi-year extension of their current apparel partnership that gives HBI exclusive rights in the mass retail channel. The apparel supplier has a decades-long partnership with Penn State.

  • Penn State joins the University of Michigan, Clemson, Auburn, N.C. State and more than two dozen other elite schools that have exclusive mass retail partnerships with HBI.
  • In addition to Champion and Hanes brands, the eco-forward Alternative Apparel brand and ComfortWash® brand are also included in the company’s collegiate apparel program.
  • Along with the mass retail channel, the partnership includes collaborative retail activations marking key rivalries and events.