John Corrigan

1 week ago | ppai.org | John Corrigan

As the U.S.'s trade war with China wages on, promo firms may consider sourcing alternatives, such as Vietnam. The Southeast Asia nation has significantly lower labor costs than its neighboring countries, with wages about half of China's. This allows brands to reduce production costs while maintaining quality, making Vietnam a cost-effective sourcing destination. Brands that successfully manufacture in Vietnam include Lululemon, Nike and LEGO.

1 week ago | ppai.org | John Corrigan

BEL USA, the parent company of (PPAI 362224, Gold), PPAI 100's No. 34 supplier, has announced its next chapter. Diego Abril has taken over as the company's new CEO. Former CEO Sai Koppaka has moved on from BEL USA. Abril comes to the promo supplier from A.T. Cross, a writing instrument company, where he also held the role of CEO since mid-2023. For more than two decades, he has held positions focusing on operations and corporate finance during a career with various companies.

1 week ago | ppai.org | John Corrigan

It has been more than three months since the Los Angeles wildfires claimed dozens of lives, destroyed more than 16,000 homes and buildings and forced over 200,000 residents to evacuate. BELLA+CANVAS (PPAI 304892, Silver) remains committed to helping rebuild the impacted areas. After creating blankets for those displaced by the fires, the LA-based apparel manufacturer is now selling those blankets direct to consumers and donating 100% of the proceeds to those in need.

1 week ago | ppai.org | John Corrigan

When clients order promotional products, it can be challenging to accommodate everyone's size and preferred styles. Inclusive sizing, which refers to extended size ranges as well as offering unisex products, is the solution. Until recently, most size ranges went from XS-XL or 2XL if you were lucky. But now many companies offer sizes XXS-3XL or even 4XL and 5XL.

1 week ago | ppai.org | John Corrigan

When making a new business connection or securing a new client, it's important to build a genuine relationship outside of work obligations. That's where non-transactional outreach comes in. These are interactions that don't directly lead to a purchase or contract but can definitely be useful in the long run. Fostering trust without the immediate expectation of a transaction or direct return is important in building value in the relationship so you can become a trusted source.