S&S Activewear Completes Acquisition of alphabroder
S&S Activewear, a tech-enabled specialtydistributor of apparel and accessories, today announced that it has completed itsacquisition of alphabroder, a leading distributor of trade, retail, apparel brands andbranded products. Completion of the transaction enables S&S and alphabroder tocommence a thoughtful, multi-year integration process designed to ensure thecombined company continues to deliver exceptional customer service, whileleveraging the strengths of both brand offerings. S&S Activewear CEO Frank Myers will continue to lead the combined company, withsupport from alphabroder CEO Dan Pantano through the integration process. Fornow, S&S and alphabroder continue to go to market under their respective brandofferings backed by their existing distribution channels. “Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for our company, as we build onthe unique strengths of S&S and alphabroder to enhance the customer experience,strengthen our relationships with our industry partners and continue to invest ingrowing our sales force and technology capabilities,” said Frank Myers, CEO of S&SActivewear. “Over the past few months, we have had valuable discussions with ourcustomers and vendors that will inform the strategic direction of our company andensure S&S is best positioned to deliver for our partners into the future. As we workto bring this combination to life, our top priority is ensuring our employees,customers and vendors continue to succeed alongside S&S.”“We are pleased to officially join with S&S and kick off the integration process,” saidDan Pantano, alphabroder CEO. “Together, we are focused on building on ourbusiness momentum while continuing to exceed the expectations of our customersand our partners as we begin our next phase of growth as a combined company.” S&S Activewear Remains a Member of PromoStandards About S&S ActivewearFounded in 1988 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, S&S Activewear is aleading technology-enabled distributor of apparel and accessories in the UnitedStates and Canada. S&S offers more than 80 brands, including basic garments tofashion-forward styles, with over 4 million square feet of warehouse space acrossNorth America. S&S services a broad range of customers through its nationwidenetwork, including retail brands, e-commerce companies, garment decorators,promotional products distributors, entertainment merchandisers, lifestyle brandsand web-based platforms for apparel customization PromoStandards’ Impact “PromoStandards has contributed greatly to standardizing integration conversations with our customers. It’s removed much of the discovery phase and allowed us to get straight into implementation,” said Aaron Anderson, Sr. Director of Software Engineering at alphabroder/S&S. Become a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we understand streamlining product development and management is necessary to keep up with growing demands and a complicated supply chain. That’s why our standards are free for anyone who needs to use them. We also offer resources for our members, helping them to create even more positive change for their businesses. Members can join events, chat with the entire PromoStandards community through our Slack channel, have full access to our directory of service providers, and more. To get started, join one of our membership levels today! Read More
Brand Chain and the Print Industry
PromoStandards standardized the transfer of vital information to move transactions forward. This clearly works for the promotional products industry. The question is: does it also work for print? In short, the answer is yes! This success story comes from Brand Chain (formerly the Print Services and Distribution Association, or PSDA), a network of professionals dedicated to providing print, marketing, and business communications solutions for distributors. Continue reading to learn how Brand Chain discovered PromoStandards and how the print industry benefits from implementing these standards! The Print Industry Before PromoStandards Knowing how to communicate customer needs quickly and accurately for vendors to produce and deliver them on time is a challenge that’s existed since businesses started. Poorly formed purchase orders cost money. In the promotional products industry, this adds up to millions of dollars annually. Plus, these waste time and create giant headaches for end users. Orders could be: In these instances, someone needs to take the time to fill in these blanks. Brand Chain Joined PromoStandards Andrew Alford, the President of Brand Chain, realized the importance of integration. By engaging in trading partner integration, Brand Chain was able to become closer to its partners, give real-time access to where orders are in the fulfillment cycle, and make informed decisions that can encourage customers throughout the buying process. Brand Chain joined PromoStandards as an Advisory Member and formed a Technology Committee. This committee, which includes several other PromoStandards members, maps out significant integration needs for print distributors and suppliers. How PromoStandards Helps the Print Industry The print and promotional products industries are very similar, with overlapping markets, suppliers, and distributors. Both industries customize products, and removing friction from the supply chain is a high priority. “Print and promo are sister industries that share customers and have a very similar workflow,” said Eric Alessi, Chairman of PromoStandards. “Leaders in both industries are looking for the same thing, which is the ability to conduct custom product sales as efficiently as possible. Solving integration for print is a natural fit and extension of solving integration for the promotional products industry.” As such, the open-source standards by PromoStandards provide benefits in trading partner integration for both industries. Join PromoStandards Today! You too can easily share information to move transactions forward! Endpoints for Inventory, Invoices, Media, Order Status, Product Compliance, Product Configuration, Product Data, Purchase Orders, and Ship Notices are available. To get started, simply join PromoStandards to access all the info you need!
Charles River Apparel and Trading Partner Integration
PromoStandards is proud to provide suppliers with an easier way to transfer order details electronically and allow others to access their products. One success story comes from Charles River Apparel. The leading apparel brand for corporations, businesses, school teams, athletic groups, and college students nationwide was founded in 1983 and is based outside of Boston, MA. Here’s how they discovered PromoStandards and saw immediate results! What They Were Doing Before Implementing PromoStandards Correctly Jeison Ortega, at the time, was the Director of Information Technology and is now its Chief Technology Officer. He understood the advantages of trading partner integration; sellers can more efficiently provide information online, and customers have immediate access. Yet, the technology provider Charles River Apparel initially chose didn’t know how to implement the integration endpoints correctly. In the promotional products industry, almost every order is customized and highly configurable, so well-formed orders are vital for including fine details and communicating accurately. Since the provider wasn’t versed in the intricacies of the promotional products industry, they learned the PromoStandards protocol from scratch. They didn’t use a standard method or platform, and the fact that they were not very experienced with trading partner integration made it all the more challenging. How They Discovered PromoStandards Jeison knew what his company needed was an experienced integration service to reliably create, host, and maintain integration endpoints while meeting the specific needs of the industry. Then, at the 2019 PPAI Technology Summit, he recognized Essent Corporation, a provider of fully-integrated business management software solutions and services for process-intensive industries. Stephen Luisser, Vice President of Research and Development at Essent Corporation, is an award-winning integrator and former PromoStandards board member. When he delivered a presentation on integration and how rapidly its spread throughout the promotional products industry, Jeison realized they’d make a great team. Charles River Apparel Saw Immediate Results After working with their initial provider for one year, they switched to working with Essent’s OrderTrax Network, which implemented the Media Contact endpoint in just 24 hours. Essent implemented the endpoints for Inventory and Order Status next. And, within a few phone calls, Charles River Apparel had the Media Service endpoint fully implemented. Charles River Apparel distributor partners immediately expressed they were pleased. Jeison shared that Charles River Apparel was even able to salvage a relationship with a customer that was having issues using the endpoints set up by the previous provider. Find the Right Integration Provider With PromoStandards! At PromoStandards, we make it easy to communicate with others in the promo industry. When you become a member, you can leverage the open-source standards more efficiently by working with a service provider who knows the promo industry. Find a service provider by joining PromoStandards today!
Hurricane Ian – Letter From the Chair
While PromoStandards planned to host its first Tech Summit in October 2022, the weather had other plans. Hurricane Ian raked a path of destruction, devastating Florida and its Gulf Coast on September 28 and making landfall in South Carolina two days later. PromoStandards Chair Eric Alessi reflects on how this turn of events is a reminder of the power of nature and how technology can be part of the solution. Technology’s Impact “As a technologist and business executive, I continue to be impressed with the positive impact technology has on businesses and individuals,” shared Alessi. A week before Hurricane Ian, The National Weather Service issued advisories of a potential storm and its general path. This advanced notice gave the public time to prepare. Modern buildings were largely intact, many with minimal exterior damage. A major factor is modern building codes put in place after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992. Some of the toughest storm-specific codes in the country resulted. In the aftermath of Ian, the buildings with a 2007 code and beyond were left standing and in fine condition. The Power of Nature This is not to say this is a plus-side to the hurricane or that technology is a silver lining. Cities did not escape unscathed. Hurricane Ian is on one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the state, tying for the fourth-strongest storm. Let’s look at how technology is part of the solution. The Power of Technology The development and application of technology allow us to improve the human condition for all. Technology can prevent or eliminate problems altogether. No matter how large or small, technology has the power to make things better, sometimes in unexpected and impactful ways. What We Do Matters Members and consumers of PromoStandards are key to creating solutions. As adoption continues to grow, so do the opportunities for positive outcomes. What we do matters. To become a member, sign up today!
PromoStandards’ 2022 Hack-A-Thon
From September 19 to September 26 of this year, PromoStandards hosted its first virtual Hack-A-Thon, sponsored by Essent. During the event, cross-functional teams used PromoStandards’ protocols to access trading partner data and services to develop solutions for real-world promotional product industry challenges. Keep reading to learn more about this exciting event and the winning teams! Why Was the Hack-A-Thon Important? PromoStandards, its community, and Essent have a shared vision to remove friction from the supply chain through tight trading partner systems integration. The Hack-A-Thon was another productive and fun opportunity for the community to collaborate on strengthening the industry. How Did the Hack-A-Thon Work? More than 50 participants representing 33 companies from around the world formed seven teams. Throughout the week of the event, the teams met to collaborate and present their solution to a panel of guest judges, which included: Each team was given ten minutes to pitch their solutions. During that time, they were judged on the following: The winning teams (first place and runner-up) were awarded $5,000 in cash prizes to share and received additional swag. The First-Place Team: The Adaptors The Adaptors rose to the challenge, and PromoStandards is happy to award them first place in our first-ever Hack-A-Thon. The team consisted of the following individuals: To view The Adaptors’ presentation, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwr-K8nzTQ0. The Runner-Up Team: Promofound Promofound also impressed the judges, making it a close call. We can’t imagine how hard it was to make that decision, as the Promofound team also showcased incredible talent and knowledge. The team consisted of the following individuals: To view Promofound’s presentation, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC2iC3tOtVc. PromoStandards We want to congratulate the winning teams and recognize the hard work all the teams put into their solutions. We can confidently say that this year’s Hack-A-Thon was incredible and set a standard for the years to come. As we’re always looking for ways to strengthen the industry, we invite anyone and everyone to become PromoStandards members. To learn more about membership levels, please visit https://promostandards.org/membership-application.
The Strength of Community – Letter From the Chair
Traditionally, we celebrate Thanksgiving by watching the Thanksgiving Day parade and football game and gathering with friends and family for a feast. This time of year, we’re also reminded to give thanks and count our blessings. PromoStandards Chair Eric Alessi reflects on how Thanksgiving started and how thankful he is to the PromoStandards community. What Thanksgiving Means to Us Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday in the US, occurs every year on the fourth Thursday of November. It’s easy to feel sentimental, as this is a special time of year. Farmers and professionals alike are reminded that we reap what we sow. When we contribute to our communities, be that family, friends, co-workers, or the organizations we joined as members, we all grow. Giving Thanks to Our Community “What I was looking forward to the most for the inaugural PromoStandards Tech Summit this past October was the opportunity to meet with the PromoStandards community face-to-face to build stronger relationships and to say thank you to our members and volunteers,” said Alessi. “The time and energy this community has devoted to the PromoStandards organization and our industries have made us better and stronger. While we couldn’t meet this past October as planned, it deserves to be said: Thank you for everything you do!” Here’s to a Brighter Future PromoStandards impacts thousands of people beyond the promotional products industry, and the contribution of volunteers and the PromoStandards community as a whole makes a difference. Your help creates a powerful ripple effect that touches the lives of others. When you commit your time and talent to a nonprofit’s mission, you make communities stronger and lead to a brighter future for all. Are you ready to join the PromoStandards community and make a difference? To become a member, sign up today!
Member Spotlight – SanMar
PromoStandards is a community, and those who become members have access to important information and proven service providers. In this member spotlight, we’ll cover SanMar, the award-winning supplier. Here’s an in-depth look into who SanMar is and how adopting PromoStandards integration helped move their transactions forward. SanMar Based outside Seattle, WA, and family-owned since 1971, SanMar is a supplier of over 20 retail and private brands of imprintable apparel and accessories. This includes Port Authority, America’s No. 1 preferred private label. Plus, SanMar is the exclusive distributor of Nike Golf, Eddie Bauer®, OGIO®, and New Era®. They work with screen printers, embroiderers, athletic dealers, and promotional companies to tell stories through apparel. While it’s true SanMar makes and sells t-shirts, as well as tank tops, polos, hoodies, backpacks, outerwear, and more, they’re also making meaningful connections. When people wear personalized gear, they become a part of their community, whether that’s a club, team, or movement. The company has: PromoStandard’s Impact In 2016, SanMar began adopting PromoStandards integration. To date, they have been using: “The goal was to make it as easy as possible for our distributor customers to access the data needed for their systems,” said Mike Knapick, Chief Information Officer at SanMar. “By taking advantage of trading partner integration, customers have the information they need more quickly and efficiently, eliminating the time and work spent tracking down inventory details.” Become a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we make it easy to communicate with others in your industry. Find suppliers, distributors, and decorators and send and receive information to them in real time. With four membership levels, you can choose the one that works best for you. Join PromoStandards and start your journey!
Our Community Is a Gift for All – Letter From the Chair
PromoStandards Chair Eric Alessi has always been thankful for the commitment of the PromoStandards community of members and volunteers that have amassed as the non-profit continues to improve the industry through evolving standards. Recent interactions with members have only made Eric more optimistic about the future of PromoStandards and the industry. A Recent Reminder Just before Thanksgiving, Eric met with a PromoStandards member, a prominent supplier in the industry. As is common these days, the member explained that their organization was undergoing management changes. The member felt it was only right to let Eric know about those changes but that the organization was steadfast in its continued commitment to PromoStandards. They expressed their desire to further embrace our standards and get more involved in our initiative, reaffirming that what we do matters. PromoStandards & Member Commitment His meeting with that supplier was only one of many that Eric has had with other members. Each time he walks away with a renewed respect for PromoStandards’ members and an optimistic outlook on the industry and the role that PromoStandards plays in it. PromoStandards provides the framework to reduce friction throughout the supply chain, ultimately improving the industry. The powerful words and actions of our members bolster our commitment to and vision for the industry’s future. It’s our members that make improving the industry possible. We Love Our Community PromoStandards and our community are facilitators of positive change. We develop open standards that benefit everyone involved. We thank our members for their continued commitment and adoption so we can continue to improve the welfare of the industry. Here’s to the industry, members, and volunteers that make up our incredible community. It’s a true gift for all. PromoStandards is actively improving the industry and its standards as it works with its valued members. Sign up to become a member and join an organization that’s for the industry, by the industry.
How PromoStandards Makes Your Business Better
We live in an age of digital transformation, an ultra-connected world where the power of the Internet, communication protocols, and application programming interfaces (API) systems can communicate with one another at the speed of light to work as an integrated system. Throughout the world, systems leverage these technologies to transform how we work and play, allowing us and our systems to do more in less time. The phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” applies to digital integration, where layers of open standards are fundamentally transforming how industries, marketplaces, businesses, and even users interact with the supply chain. A number of industries have already been radically transformed. Industries are waking up to the inefficiencies of the supply chain. Moving forward, we cannot rely on email threads and phone-tag to complete simple tasks and get the answers we need. The promotional products industry is unique in many ways, and mainstream solutions didn’t quite fit. The standards for the retail supply chain don’t work for us, and for a long time, many in the industry couldn’t see how we could get there. The industry wasn’t ready, even just 10 years ago. That’s where PromoStandards comes in. We have a proven vision of optimizing our supply chain and transforming it through open standards and digital integration. Continue reading for ways to make your business better! PromoStandards Makes Software Better PromoStandards makes promotional product business software better through open standards that enable digital integration, specifically designed for the industry. Leveraging the power of PromoStandards is straightforward. Use software that utilizes PromoStandards integration protocols, or have your software developers use the published standards to implement the protocols themselves. In making your software better, you improve your business for the entire supply chain, including your trading partners, employees, and customers. However you work, PromoStandards has a way for you to reach your goals. PromoStandards Protocols PromoStandards doesn’t write software; we develop the communication protocols and publish the communication specifications and application programming interfaces (API) that allow disparate systems to integrate. In a sense, PromoStandards wrote the book on how companies in the industry can electronically communicate. PromoStandards protocols are organized into three major document sets. The Status Document Set includes: The Data Document Set includes: The Transaction Document Set includes: Why Integrate? PromoStandards integration provides businesses with several advantages. PromoStandards Makes It Easier for Buyers to Buy and Sellers to Sell PromoStandards Leads to Reduced Time and Labor PromoStandards Helps Everyone Be Happier PromoStandards Adoption Is Growing PromoStandards is an open standard, built on open standards. The mature, proven technology suite was first introduced in 2015. More than 1,300 companies are using PromoStandards and representing tens of thousands of integrations. These numbers are growing every day! Use PromoStandards in Any Industry While PromoStandards comes from the promotional products industry, the standards were written for custom product transactions in general. PromoStandards protocols are relatively lightweight and easy to implement, leveraging open standards and modern programming patterns. As a result, PromoStandards can be and is utilized by other industries throughout the world. The PromoStandards Community PromoStandards isn’t just a bunch of great standards that companies happen to standardize on, it’s a community for trading partners – suppliers, distributors, decorators, and service providers – to come together and collaborate on making business better through systems integration that enables digital transformation. PromoStandards Is Inclusive PromoStandards is truly inclusive. Members and adopters include: Adoption ranges from notable industry suppliers (like alphabroder, Hit Promotional Products, Koozie Group, PCNA, SanMar, and Starline) to large distributors (like Geiger, HALO Branded Solutions, and Staples) along with thousands of users through service providers (like commonsku, Essent Corporation, and Facilisgroup). Whether you are in the industry, outside of the industry, or somewhere in between, PromoStandards welcomes you to our community and invites you to get involved and adopt the standards. Organizations throughout the industry see the value and are proud to state, “We standardize on PromoStandards.” Implement PromoStandards Today Transform the way you work alongside your trading partners, vendors, and customers by implementing PromoStandards. With four membership levels, you can choose the one that works best for you. Become a member today and see what the future of your business can hold!
Here’s to Continued Success in 2023 – Letter From the Chair
It’s only natural to start January by reflecting on the last year and looking to the new year. By all accounts, 2022 was a very good year for PromoStandards and industry integration, and everyone is taking note. PromoStandards Chair Eric Alessi reflects on how the standards, which are mature, proven, and based on critical needs, have created a network that is getting stronger and stronger. A Year in Review The industry is confident in PromoStandards, and adopters are encouraging others to integrate. As a result, both adoption and membership are up. Standards are improving with second versions of the integration endpoints to fill requested features. Additional standards are being developed for new functionality to bring even more efficiency and automation. Trading partners are building on the success they’ve had in 2022 by implementing additional endpoints and integrating with more partners. All in all, PromoStandards members are getting involved in the process, and adoption is a great leading indicator of future success. PromoStandards Integration There is value in integrating, even with one important trading partner. The information that used to take a lot of time and labor to communicate is now done automatically and accurately, providing a hassle-free experience. Industries organically organize and grow into a strong network with: The PromoStandards Community 20th-century American philosopher William Durant said, in summarizing Aristotle, that success breeds success. Aristotle also said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You may be wondering how these philosophers relate to PromoStandards. Through our community, PromoStandards has built a successful network. In doing so, we’re developing even more functionality. What We Do Matters Members and consumers of PromoStandards are key to creating solutions. As adoption continues to grow, so do the opportunities for positive outcomes. Here’s to continued success in 2023 and beyond! To become a member, sign up today!
