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We have come to the conclusion that it is both. A different style shirt can elevate your design in many ways, including having a trendy background for your design. For example, the ever-enhancing tie-dye shirts. Yes, these are still very popular! Why tie-dye? We have secured a new partner with some of the best, new, and trendy tie-dye patterns for all of your designs. Expect the highest quality, brightest colors and deep inventory. If you need school spirit apparel, fun team-building shirts, or even just an exciting gift, tie-dye shirts have you covered! The best part about having a tie-dye shirt that supports your design is that the shirt is already captivating the eyes of many with its vibrant colors and swirls. But, how can your design stand out against the busyness of tie-dye? That would be a great question to consider, but luckily for you, your super partner is our graphic's team! Part of your local advantage is that our design team has vast experience with tie-dye shirts and is prepared to make your design pop just as much as the shirt itself. Another part of your local advantage is that you can come into our showroom to feel the options, look at colors and determine fit. Take a look at this short video for more information about what is in our showroom with this link, here. Olivia points out all those hand ties create a dynamic effect. Don’t hold your designs back with a basic shirt. Besides, we love designing tees. Here are some examples.

As consumers and corporations continue to make sustainability a priority, the demand for eco-friendly promotional products is one of the industry’s key trends – and that’s why we’re so excited to introduce our latest retail apparel brand, tentree. Based in Vancouver, tentree makes Earth-First essentials using the most sustainable (and comfortable) materials in the world, planting 10 trees for every item purchased. In that way, tentree is not only reducing the negative impact, but making a positive one. To date, tentree and its customers have planted more than 55 million trees. FYI: Every tentree item comes with a unique QR code, so you can claim your trees, see where they’re being planted, earn rewards, and watch your impact grow. Earth-First Commitment The company’s “Earth-First” philosophy has guided its growth and evolution since its founding in 2012. It’s committed to ethical manufacturing, partnering with factories that ensure safe, fair working conditions. And tentree is constantly looking for innovative ways to make apparel with the smallest possible footprint and create more circular supply chains. As an example, it takes 75% less water, on average, to make a tentree sweatshirt than other sweatshirts. Better For The Planet The addition of tentree as a PCNA brand partner underscores our commitment to providing the industry’s best collection of sustainable options – 150+ products and counting so far. Here are three of our newest: Space Dye Zip Hoodie A classic full-zip hoodie made from a blend of soft organic cotton and recycled polyester. Organic Cotton Short Sleeve Tee Made with Fairtrade certified 100% organic cotton and Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold, which means everything this tee is made of breaks back down, leaving behind no waste. Unisex Basic Hemp Altitude Hat Grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides, hemp is one of the most sustainable natural fibers on the planet. The Altitude Hat also uses recycled plastic and recycled mesh. Big Change Starts Small That’s what tentree believes. Whether it’s a reusable tote at the grocery store or choosing to buy sustainable products, small choices add up.

World Water Day 2023 was March 22nd, did you catch this earlier post about brands making a different to reduce water waste, reduce plastic in our oceans and initiatives to provide clean water access? Water for Good is an organization committed to access to clean water to move out of a cycle of poverty & disease. This year's theme is 'Accelerate Change'. This initiative is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. Imagine a world with no clean drinking water, walking miles each day to find water, then bringing back gallons of dirty water back to your family. This is water poverty and causes disease. Right now one of our favorite partners for good will be contributing 5% on these two popular products. Make an impact and be prepared for summer fun with these popular products! This special is a BOGO for you & others! Learn more about these products, the mineral free sun stick and soothing sticks. We've been sharing about organizations and products that address clean water access for a while. Read more here.

Life is a journey. Ask Olivia. She'll always reply, "We are the sum of our experiences." May is Promotional Partners anniversary month, making it special to share this news. Our owner Olivia was just named one of the ASI 2023 Salespeople of the Year Finalist. There were 9 Distributor Salesperson's of the Year Finalists & 5 winners from the categories of Distributor Salespeople of the Year, Supplier Salesperson of the Year, Supplier CRS of the Year, Distributor Veteran Rep of the Year & Distributor Up-And-Comer -of the Year. Most of our client's know we are part of two industry memberships. One of those organizations is ASI, Advertising Specialty Institute, whose purpose it to provide relevant training, information and support to help businesses grow. Keeping a competitive edge in any industry relies on investing in yourself; your professional development, your networks and your skill-sets. ASI has over 25,000 members that are either distributors or suppliers in the ad specialty industry. Together these professionals help each other reach their potential through connection & inspiration. It's the shared resources, media, education, mentors & stories that fuel growth and create relationships. Here's her feature, within the article- written by C.J Mittica As befitting a former art teacher, Olivia Scott looks at a promotional product and sees a canvas of creativity. “What I get really excited about is when we can do something that makes it fit into what the messaging is – to do something really creative or unexpected with it or add a different type of value,” says the co-owner and president of Promotional Partners (asi/397983). “That’s what keeps it fresh to me.” The approach is working. With a diverse mix of clients in healthcare, education, technology and automotive and a heavy emphasis on local clientele, the Apex, NC-based distributor hit seven-figures in sales revenue in 2022 (the second time the company has reached the mark), with Scott herself recording 77% sales growth in the last three years. Scott started her career in teaching in the ’80s, but two decades later she and her husband Keith were looking for a change and to go into business together. They discovered the promo industry and thought it would be a good fit for their talents, and started their business in 2007 … right at the beginning of the Great Recession. “Everyone kept apologizing for their budgets,” Scott recalls. But with “no other option but to make it work,” Scott tapped into her extensive volunteering and nonprofit contacts and practiced relentless grassroots networking. Her professional skills proved be to a tremendous benefit as well. “The teaching experience was a plus for me,” she says, “because I was used to having to differentiate between many types of learners and ways of presenting information.” Sixteen years later, Promotional Partners is thriving. Scott is the face of the business and lead salesperson, while Keith handles financials and operations (and the ever-important job of model/mannequin). Scott acknowledges the incredible support of their close-knit team of five. “They’re an amazing group, and without them we wouldn’t be here,” she says. And the collaborative dynamic that Scott prides herself on extends into her interactions with clients. “Being both creative and collaborative is just who I am,” she says. “You can’t spend 20 years being an art teacher and telling (teaching) someone to create a vision without communicating with them.” C.J. Mittica; on of the ASI team on this article 2023 Salespeople of the Year, Big sales,big clients, big deals – these reps do it all. By Jean Erickson, Theresa Hegel, Sara Lavenduski, Christopher Ruvo & Daniel P. Smith Awards program overseen by Joan Chaykin

Ordinary products can be the blank canvas you need to convey a message. How? Microfiber cleaning is perfect for a map. An unconventional surface for a map or story- bandanna, playing cards, sticky products, full color surfaces, journals or notebooks, as well as interactive coloring products. Even bags! Add value by inserting QR codes, and maximizing your imprint space for more content area or create interaction by offering a way for others to add their own vision. Flip the narrative. Turn things "inside out"-using word play to convey change of location, branding or messaging. Use outlines to invite play with color me surfaces. We love possibility. Use our creative marketing & graphic design team to generate response.

We all can prevent more injuries by making SAFE choices. Safety is behind the mission & work of Safe Kids! National Safe Kids Week occurred from May 8th to May 14th. Let's focus on celebrations for the important work that the Safe Kids organization does in our communities! The Safe Kids organization is a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting kids from preventable injuries, which are the number one cause of death to children in the United States. Safe Kids works directly with families and organizations to raise awareness, create safer environments, and advocate for improved laws to protect children. National Safe Kids Week is a week dedicated to raising awareness about child injury prevention while also inspiring parents to focus on proven and practical methods to keep their kids safe. Some of the initiatives that the Safe Kids organizations highlighted this year during National Safe Kids Week were child passenger safety, home safety, water safety, and sleep safety. With summer coming up, we thought we should share with you some safety tips for you and your family to fully enjoy the water this summer! Among preventable injuries, drowning is the number one cause of death for children one to four years old. The Safe Kids organization makes sure that you and your family are well-prepared for this summer with these water safety tips. Take a look at what the Safe Kids Organization recommends to ensure your child can enjoy the summer while being safe! Did You Know? Did you know this month is also national bike month? Bikes are always a cool way to get in your daily exercise or spend a day with the family but we first must remember to always be safe! Especially in regards to kids, which the Safe Kids organization highlights in their Safe Kids Week “High Five Child Safety Checklist.” Also be sure to check out the other High Five Child Safety checklists, here! Take a look at their recommended bike safety tips: Our Local Impact: In 2020, Promotional Partners launched our Give Back Program, which kicked off by selling budget-friendly and versatile products. This program was a collaborative effort with the Safe Kids organization as with every purchase of these products, we made a donation to Safe Kids Wake County. During this time of celebration for Apex's 150 years, we wanted to make sure to shed light on this amazing organization that has brought us so much joy and enlightenment, with the hopes of showcasing the wonderful things the Safe Kids organization has done for our community. The donations from these purchases were put towards Safe Kids Wake County’s efforts in calling attention to the problem through media and public awareness activities, advocating for improvements and enhanced safety legislation and enforcement, providing educational programs for children and families, and finally, distributing lifesaving safety devices to families in need! We are proud to say that these donations went towards protecting children and spreading educational messages that prevent any future unintentional child death! If you or someone you know would like to make a donation to the Safe Kids organization, an online donation can be made, here. The Safe Kids organization has plenty of other educational tools and information on their website as well so make sure to go check that out with this link, here. Make sure to read our latest post celebrating Apex's 150 years, here! Complied by Emily Freed

Apparently over 51 million Americans! It's National Bike Month- which means it's the perfect time to consider bike products as a quirky enough to work way to connect your brand to consumers. On website CompleteTri we found these stat's: Over 51 million Americans ride a bicycle each year, making it the 3rd most popular outdoor activity in the US, with the 1st & 2nd most popular outdoor activities are running and fishing. (Source: Statista) The global cycling market is expected to reach $62 billion by 2027. (Source: Fortune Business Insights) Bikes are also that first passage to independence right? Peddling your feet is faster from point A to point B than running or walking. When we learn to ride a bike as kids, suddenly we have more options for where to explore, how quick we can meet up with friends and a sense of independence we won't experience again till we can drive our self. Besides the places we can explore & the health benefits, bike accessories are also smart place to brand. The full color on helmet covers and seats offers space for logos, messages or event maps. Bells and tools offer safety and keep us moving seamlessly along our trail. Check out these top accessories. When your ready to explore ways to connect your message to your ideal market- walk, run or bike over to Promotional Partners showroom to experience your local advantage! Did you see our recent story on social media? Did you know there is a national organization, with a local Triangle connection to bike safety? Intrigued? We hope so- read more here. This organization is one of our 150 stories too!

Shield North Carolina was established in 2017 as an organization determined to end human trafficking. Shield North Carolina, specifically, was created to educate communities in North Carolina about the dangers and signs of human trafficking. Shield NC has been a driving force in uniting communities to actively protect their citizens. During these efforts, Shield has also successfully fought for legislation to resource survivors. The amazing team at Shield NC strongly believes ending human trafficking begins with everyone doing their part to shield their community. In order to do this Shield NC’s goal is to equip individuals to know the signs they may see during an ordinary day and to know how to best respond. Shield NC maintains this goal by being committed to identifying and bridging the gaps between existing support systems and the needs of human trafficking survivors. The team of professionals at Shield NC is dedicated to implementing their goal of protecting communities against the dangers of human trafficking by influencing policy and legislation change at the local, state, and federal levels. Shield NC also puts forth amazing efforts by partnering with companies to implement strategies to establish a safe working environment for hiring survivors of human trafficking. Shield NC's Local Impact: A few years ago Shield NC partnered with the Apex Police Department in their Service Groups and Faith Alliance effort. In this program, NC Shield and the Apex Police Department, bring together the service groups and faith leaders of our community, in the hopes of a collaborative effort to keep our community safe against human trafficking. The SGFA partners to bring in speakers to address issues facing vulnerable populations during their monthly gatherings. Some members of the Alliance are Town Council members, faith leaders, Wake County government employees, community group leaders, law enforcement officers, and area service providers. Several collaborations have occurred organically at these meetings as these groups work together to address community-specific concerns. Topics that have recently been discussed include Apex’s increasing housing costs, the rise of domestic violence, and ways to support local foster families. Take a look at what Shield NC's Operations Specialist, Niki Miller, said about the SGFA and Shield NC's missions: "As an anti-human trafficking organization, one of the pillars of our mission is prevention. A key element to prevent trafficking is to reduce vulnerabilities such as food or housing insecurity, physical or sexual abuse, experiences of trauma, substance addiction and being part of the foster care system. Traffickers will prey on these vulnerabilities by befriending, manipulating and exploiting victims. Any organization or church that assists individuals to overcome vulnerabilities is helping combat trafficking." - Niki Miller, Operations Specialist at Shield NC Putting in Our Helping Hand: Last year was our first year collaborating with Shield NC by donating some items to their annual gala, that Shield NC holds in Apex! After donating the items, we also got to attend the gala itself and were able to see the amazing donations and items put up for auction. All of the proceeds from the auction went to helping Shield NC protect our community against human trafficking. This year, we again decided to donate items to be auctioned at the gala which will be held at The Evermore Farms in Apex on May 21st! We believe that the impact Shield NC has on our community and their work in protecting our community is tremendous and has our full support. If you are unable to attend the gala and the auction on the 21st, you can join in on the fun of the auction online, here! If you would like to make a donation to help Shield NC's cause, you can do so here. . This organization is one of our sesquicentennial stories because we learned about the organization through individuals & agencies in the Apex Community. In fact, Apex Police Department helped partner to create the Service Groups and Faith Alliance. For more sesquicentennial stories follow here. #TAKEUPYOURSHIELD Complied by Emily Freed

Get ahead of your competitor by using your head. Tee shirts are one of those core give away item, however if you aren't considering head wear as a branding tool, then you're not using your head! In fact, it's dog gone smart idea! Check out some of our work endorsed here. Studies indicate that more than 2/3 of consumers own branded head wear. What makes caps both appealing and a smart choice? Check out these stats: Besides cost, impressions and popularity, head wear is a smart choice for branding for these 7 compelling reasons: Price point- even name brands with leather patches, puffy embroidery or dimensional rubber patches are usually cheaper than a polo shirt Full color decoration- That new logo with all that color- might be pricey to put on a tee due to all the color but there is always an economical way to reproduce the logo in full color. One size fits all- except for rare occasions, a cap will fit any head size. It's unisex. Ease of distribution. There is no need to sort or worry about fits. Stack'um up for the presentation factor. Less bulk & weight to ship. A cap instantly unifies An impulse purchase from the brewery or festival is something you can immediately enjoy. There is no need to be boring or even traditional. Shake up the norm with something truly spectacular! Our design team loves custom projects. Besides patches on caps & trucker styles, what's trending? Bucket hats which are a smart choice for summer. Right now during skin cancer awareness month is a wide brim hat for outdoor work or leisure like these sun hats. Before your next purchase take the extra step and utilize your local advantage- your showroom access to compare your options ahead of your purchase. For more stat's-watch this video

What is the Poe Center for Health Education? The Poe Center for Health Education has been teaching the youth of North Carolina since 1991 about the importance of healthy habits in regard to physical activity, lifestyle choices, and healthy eating habits. To do this, the Poe Center offers programs on nutrition and physical activity, adolescent development, general health, substance use prevention, dental health, bullying prevention, mental wellness, and cooking and gardening education. Kids who go through this program even learn how to grow their own vegetables through their Garden to Kitchen program. The kids are introduced to three different kinds of fruits and vegetables to taste and learn about the importance of eating healthy. In fact, since its opening Poe Center has educated more than 1.3 million participants from 94 counties. The Poe Center is composed of expert health educators that directly partner with schools and organizations across the state to provide health education to children and adults. 87% of the participants who have been through the health education program, reported back that the Poe Center for Health Education led them to make positive behavior changes after going through the program. The health educators and volunteers at the Poe Center strive to make their vision of having the children and youth of North Carolina live healthy lifestyles, come to life. To do this the Poe Center follows these five basic principles that help the foundation keep its vision alive: Diversity: the Poe Center values diversity and honors all people without biases of any kind. Proactivity: the volunteers and staff at the Poe Center strive to be innovative leaders and experts in the health education field, so that they may demonstrate the best practices through an open and collaborative environment. Integrity: everyone involved with the foundation carries out the mission of being trustworthy, and professional and works in an ethical way with their internal and external relationships. Communication: the Poe Center values listening to others in order to understand everyone's perspective and opinion while also speaking and writing in a timely and coherent fashion. Respect: acknowledging and recognizing the dignity of all individuals is a key factor in how the staff at the Poe Center operates. What has come from this? Just last year the Poe Center for Health Education served a total of 31 counties in North Carolina alone. Among these counties, the Poe Center taught 44,928 participants in their 1,656 programs that happened last year! The Poe Center’s impact spread across the state as their Garden programs comprised over ¼ of SNAP-ED programs and their dental programs reached over 765 preschool and elementary-aged children. If you don’t care to look at those statistics for just how large the Poe Center’s impact is on the youth of North Carolina, read this quote from a participant who went through their Eat Well Program which highlights and teaches the importance of eating well by offering healthy alternatives to make at home. “We make the tortilla pizza at home all the time now. It is something safe for my daughter to make when she is home alone and she really enjoys it.” - CookWELL, Eat Well Program Participant In addition to teaching the children and the youth of North Carolina, the Poe Center has dived deep into helping whole communities with healthy eating habits. In 2022, the Poe Center developed a “Grower’s Market,” in Fuquay-Varina where the community can visit the market that provides freshly grown fruits and vegetables as well as accepting donations for local food banks. The market also offers educational and entertainment activities to the visitors, so that they can apply the information to their everyday life. In 2022, over 12,000 people visited the market! Why talk about this? After reading all that information about the Poe Center’s impact and background, you may be asking yourself; why is this being discussed? Well, besides the amazing work that the Poe Center has done for local communities and across the entire state of North Carolina, the town of Apex is celebrating 150 years which started on February 28th, 2023. Through this celebration, we are dedicating time to talk about and highlight the important organizations that play such a valuable role in helping our community, such as the Poe Center for Health Education. If you are interested in learning more about the Poe Center for Health Education, visit their website here They have several events in the works, including their annual conference in September, sign up here to attend or make a donation to help the Poe Center through this link . Poe was our 2021 Cares Partner and a community member you need to get to know. Make sure to read our latest story celebrating Apex’s 150 years, here. Share with a friend or family member who might enjoy this read as well! Complied- Emily Freed

It's the NC Year of the Trail, Bike Month and well, almost summer. The temperatures are becoming warm but we don't have the sticky humidity yet that's part of our southern summer's. It's perfect weather to get outside. Outdoor adventure awaits! What should you plan to bring along? Check out these 6 ideas! Water! We love this bottle a nesting handle makes easy to carry with reliable, leak-proof performance. It's vacuum insulated, which keeps your liquid at the proper temp for all-day adventures. It's also CamelBak, which means we've Got Your Bak™ with a lifetime guarantee. CamelBak®bottles and accessories are covered from manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the product. This brand and other's are part our partnership with 1% For The Planet Brands Oversized picnic blanket is the perfect addition to your trail adventure. Every picnic needs a cooler. Hydro Flask coolers. Why? Smart Insulation These coolers are lightweight, cold-retaining technology with thicker insulation in the base, where cold is more susceptible to loss. Keeps contents chilled for up to 24 hours. Designed to be durable, water-resistant, and stable. Plus- there is the bonus of a gift that gives back through the Hydro Flask®Parks For All Program, which supports nonprofit organizations focused on building, maintaining, restoring and providing more equitable access to parks. Don't miss your favorite tunes, podcast or choose to work outside! Skullcandy Grind Wireless Earbuds . What's special about this product? Premium sound, hands-free voice control & a water/sweat-resistant design. 40 hours of playback, and the buds can play for nine straight hours without needing a charge! The case will provide an additional 31 hours of playback before needing to be charged. Built-in Skull-iQ technology, simply say "Hey Skullcandy" to activate your personal assistant. Once activated, you can control your audio, answer/reject a call, turn on stay-aware mode and a whole lot more. The built-in, dual noise-reducing microphones create a natural and clear call quality experience. The IP55 rating means they're dust-, sweat- and water-resistant. Best of all, a quick 10-minute charge provides an additional two hours of playback and an environmental impact too. Sometimes you'd like to share - this speaker is perfect for life's outdoor adventures. Small & compact, yet the Bose® SoundLink Micro Bluetooth® speaker delivers unmatched sound for a speaker this size. Its rugged design & durable strap allows you the flexibility to strap it anywhere, including your bike handle. Let you take it everywhere you go. BioLite- live life off the grid. Cook. Charge, Light- with this amazing, innovative brand. BioLite is on a mission to bring Energy Everywhere™ with revolutionary products that transform the way we cook, charge and light our lives off the grid. BioLite believes that advanced technologies, built on sustainable business practices, have the power to change the world. Its unique parallel-innovation business model pairs the needs of families living in energy poverty with the passions of outdoor enthusiasts pushing the boundaries of life outdoors and on the go. It's also climate neutral certified. Here are a couple new products in the line. All that time on the trail- your going to keep to take care of your skin. Noshinkuo is not your ordinary hand sanitizer- nourishing the skin & give yourself some self care! USA-Made with a premium blend of 70% pharma-grade ethyl alcohol distilled from organic cane sugar alongside a conditioning blend of Aloe, Rosa Canina, Jojoba and Argan to soothe, moisturize and protect skin. Plus- there are 5 different scents for your senses. For more products that will make you smile, and help efforts to keep our parks, water or environment thriving, as well as social efforts to include more diversity into the ark experience. Read more here about purpose driven brands you should know.

Influence consumers with rose gold to elevate your brand message. Rose Gold, millennial pink or rose quartz? Rose gold has many names and is a popular metallic hue found in many products; including pens. Check out these facts: Did you know that 19th century Russians were the 1st to use rose gold? A well-known jeweler Carl Faberge created iconic Faberge Eggs called Russian gold. Rose gold then sparked popularity in the United States during the roaring 1920s. Jeweler Cartier was instrumental in the rise of rose gold incorporating it into fine jewelry with precious gemstones and diamonds. During World War ll platinum was a valued mineral in the war, so rose gold once again became popular for warmth & elegance. For many the hue is associated with sophistication, luxury and class. The Grand Budapest Hotel debuted in 2014, filled with luxurious retro pink interiors, which sparked a love for rose gold with millennials. In 2015 Apple incorporated into phone choices and then in 2016, Pantone named, their Color of the Year, “rose quartz.” The psychology of color is critical in building a promotional marketing strategy. Customers can use specific colors to trigger certain emotions, thoughts, and moods in the audience. Layering in products that resonate with your message & intended audience is critical when marketing & advertising with branded products. Watch to learn more about how branding with products touches our senses. Metallic's grab attention and these pens make you want to grab one to use for not only their beauty, but also how well they write! Need more convincing? Check out these 2023 Stat's: Perhaps some rose gold is WRITE for your brand!