Promokitchen Podcast

Long time listeners might recall the last time when Bruce was on the podcast. It was October 2012 and we spoke at length about Bruce’s endless curiosities and passions. I maintain to this day that Bruce is the only person in this industry who gets younger which each year he gets older. Bruce is the owner of Embroidery Unlimited and current member of the PPAI board. He lives in Tempe, Arizona with his wife Suzanne and family. In addition to his responsibilities as a decorator and family man, Bruce invests heavily in his own professional development. To that end, Bruce is here to tell us about his experience with Seth Godin’s altMBA program. The altMBA is an intensive, 4-week online workshop designed by Seth for high-performing individuals who want to level up and lead. It’s an intense boot camp for marketers and I have heard that it’s insanely great.

Mark Graham, co-founder of commonsku and fellow chef and rabble rouser Jason Lucash, President of OrigAudio have a special episode lined up for you today as they speak with one of the emerging entrepreneurs in our industry, Adam Walterscheid. Ask Adam how his day is going and the response you get is “It’s great, just another day in t-shirt paradise.” The son of a cotton farmer, Adam learned early how cotton was made and distributed for wearables. Being a Division 1 Athlete taught him that it’s not just about you, it’s about the team around you. In 2003, Adam founded Pony Express, one of the first screen printers in the USA to introduce soft hand water base/discharge printing to corporate markets. In 2010, he sold Pony Express and promptly starting thinking about his next venture. And on January 1, 2011, he established that venture when T-shirt Tycoon Solutions, Inc. was born. T-Shirt Tycoon is an expert in apparel and apparel decoration, private labeling and merchandising a company’s brand through wear

On today’s show, we welcome Jon Levine, President of the distributor The Image Group based in Holland, Ohio. Jon graduated with a degree in accounting from Arizona State University in 1980 and used this experience to establish his early career in the steel industry. In 1991, he shifted his focus towards the promotional products industry when he started The Image Group. Since the founding of the company, Jon has grown The Image Group into one of the industry’s most respected distributors. Earlier this month, Jon made headlines with the acquisition of two ecommerce sites, Bag Warehouse and Thirsty Promo. The deal marks The Image Group’s move into the ecommerce world and helps them diversify their customer base. Said Levine in a recent press release “Our customers are increasingly interested in researching and procuring promotional products online. We believe the shift to online purchasing reflects the growing influence that millennial-aged employees are having in company buying decisions. This acquisition he

Mark Graham welcomes Chuck Fandos back to the program. Chuck was first on the podcast in May 2012 so a repeat visit has been long overdue. Chuck is the founder of Gateway CDI, a prominent distributor based in St Louis. He is also the CEO of Facilis, a leading industry software provider and technology enabled buying group. In January 2016, it was announced that UK based distributor Brand Addition had acquired Gateway CDI. This got me thinking that there would be an opportunity to hear from Chuck as to why he sold Gateway, what process he went through to sell the company and what advice he’d offer to entrepreneurs looking to sell.

Tony Wavering is the founder of bidPress. In 2005, while studying at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Tony started a custom apparel business that sold to many student groups and businesses in Pennsylvania and New York. After graduating from Penn, Tony worked as a management consultant for Deloitte Consulting in New York City for six years, working primarily with global banking and securities companies on mergers, integrations, divestitures and performance improvement initiatives. Tony left Deloitte in late 2013 to return to the custom apparel business full-time, starting bidPress.

In today’s podcast, Mark Graham and Charity Gibson get the chance to speak with one of the smartest, if not one of the most eclectic and unassuming, characters in the promotional products industry, Jeff Batson. Jeff is the kind of guy you should know and here’s why: Jeff has been President of NEXT Products in Shelbyville, Indiana since 2013. On his watch NEXT was named one of ASI’s fastest growing suppliers in 2015. NEXT, with its onsite corporate parent, is a manufacturer of injection molded drinkware and promotional print products. NEXT is a pioneer with polyurethane dome decorated products and recently added full color digital technology accessories. Among other trade roles, Jeff has been a promotional product manufacturer, decorator, and business owner since 1999. Jeff was also a U.S. Navy submarine officer for 6 years. Jeff graduated from Vanderbilt University and has a master’s degree in operations from RPI. Jeff and his wife, Anne, are recent emptynesters, but still have tuition bills, and enjoy h

In 2001, when I was relatively new to the industry, I attended an education session at the PPPC show with today’s guest, Cliff Quicksell. It was a transformative moment for me as I was challenged by Cliff to see the bigger creative picture as it pertained to promotional products sales. I will always remember that class and the several others I attended in subsequent years as key to my development as a professional in this industry. While Cliff is certainly a household name in the industry, his bio is well worth recounting. Cliff Quicksell, Jr., has been involved in the promotional products and sportswear industries for the past 33 years. During this tenure, he has been a mainstay on the education circuit at PPAI, ASI and several regional associations. Those who who have attended his sessions describe a man of boundless energy and enthusiasm for creative promotional products sales. For more than 27 years, Cliff has been speaking, training and consulting internationally to associations and national busine

Chefs Mark Graham and Danny Rosin with a special edition PK Podcast - On Dec 8, news broke of the merger between 2 of the largest apparel suppliers in the industry: alphabroder and Bodek and Rhodes. According to ASI’s Top 40 Supplier list, the combined sales of these 2 companies is now over $1 Billion making this the first company in the promotional products industry to cross that threshold. This is the third major addition for alphabroder in the last few years, after it added Imprints Wholesale in 2012 and Ash City Worldwide in 2014. From the looks of it, alphabroder is just getting started. Joining us today to discuss the reasons for the merger, what’s ahead for both companies and the impact of a billion dollar supplier on the industry are Norm Hullinger, CEO of alphabroder, and Mike Rhodes, CEO of Bodek and Rhodes.

In today’s episode, we take a close look at the print industry, what makes it tick, how it’s different from the promotional products industry and where it complements the work we do every day with. We have this conversation with Marci Kinter, Vice President for Government & Business Information for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association International, most commonly known as the SGIA. SGIA is the world’s largest trade association for the screen and digital printing industry. This includes screen printers, embroiderers, sign manufacturers … and basically anyone who prints anything using the screen and digital platforms. Marci oversees the development of management resources for the Association and represents the screen printing and digital imaging industries before federal and state regulatory agencies. In 2008, Marci, in conjunction with colleagues from other printing trade associations, launched the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership program. The SGP Program is a registry system for printing facili

Today's podcast features Mark Graham and Robert Fiveash in conversation with Prime Line's CEO Jeff Lederer. Prime Line is one of the industry’s largest and most recognized supplier brands. Jeff joined Prime in 1993 as a regional sales manager and over the years has been a key visionary in helping shape the organization in areas such as product development, new service offerings, and technology innovation. Jeff has traveled extensively throughout the world and represents Prime as the only US member of IPPAG, the International Partnership for Promotions and Gifts. He has three children and lives in Greenwich, CT with his wife Wendy.

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