Informs

The fun doesn't stop at 50. Additional suppliers responded to this year's Top Distributors survey, but just missed this year's list.

Industry leaders and staff from Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), Irving, Texas, fanned out across Capitol Hill in late March in an organized effort to discuss pending legislation relating to the promotional products industry.

1 WorkflowOne Headquarters: Dayton, Ohio Annual Sales $(000): 1,200,000 Principal Officer(s): Greg Mosher, Chairman; Mike Zawalski, President, CEO Locations: 140 2 Proforma Headquarters: Cleveland Annual Sales $(000): 293,933 Principal Officer(s): Greg Muzzillo, Founder, Co-CEO; Vera Muzzillo, Co-CEO Locations: 600 3 American Solutions for Business Headquarters: Glenwood, Minn. Annual Sales $(000): 249,022 Principal Officer(s): Larry Zavadil, President, CEO Locations: 455 4 InnerWorkings Headquarters: Chicago Annual Sales $(000): 160,515 Principal Officer(s): Steven E. Zuccarini, CEO

Thanks to Gregg A. Emmer, VP, chief marketing officer of Batavia, Ohio-based Kaeser & Blair for the following submission. The complete, original text reprinted here has not been edited by BFL&S. As the number of people who have expanded their businesses by adding promotional products to the mix increase, so too does the confusion about what exactly they “sell” to their clients. There are always circumstances where not having all the facts might just be a blessing. The often repeated statement about bumble bees continuing to fly only because they don’t know it is impossible comes to mind. But for most things and certainly in business,

Rank: 1 Company: WorkflowOne, Dayton, Ohio Sales $(000): 1,000,000 Principal Officer(s): Greg Mosher, Chairman, CEO Locations: 150 Rank: 2 Company: Proforma, Cleveland Sales $(000): 293,000 Principal Officer(s): Greg Muzzillo, Founder, Co-CEO; Vera Muzzillo, Co-CEO Locations: 650 Rank: 3 Company: American Solutions for Business, Glenwood, Minn. Sales $(000): 239,776 Principal Officer(s): Larry Zavadil, President Locations: 410 Rank: 4 Company: GBS, North Canton, Ohio Sales $(000): 90,143 Principal Officer(s): Eugene Calabria, President, CEO Locations: 12 Rank: 5 Company: Merrill Corp., Monroe, Wash. Sales $(000): 83,950 Principal Officer(s): Mark Rossi, President Locations: 6 Rank: 6 Company: The Shamrock Companies, Westlake, Ohio Sales

How distributors are saving time, opening doors and sharpening their competitive edges. It's no longer a question of "if" distributors offer online capabilities, but since when, or how soon. Indeed, today's marketplace demands that distributors implement Web-based solutions. But for every action, there is a reaction, and transitioning from manual to automated workflow is going to have a major impact on daily operations and relationships. In addition, while e-commerce can be an effective time-saving tool that streamlines routine operations, some distributors are finding that there are limitations when it comes to serving more customized needs. BFL&S invited the following panel of distributors

Meeting needs for promotional products facilitates one-stop shopping. Did you hear the one about the forms distributor who added promotional products to his line? He increased his profits! While some industry professionals look derisively upon ad specialties, many proactive distributors are obliging the need for this unique printed communication, which increases public awareness, reinforces corporate identity, establishes branding and introduces products and services. Making the Move Certainly Mike Boyle, president of Murray & Heister, Beltsville, Md., never dreamed he would be handling ad specialties. But about eight years ago, when laser printers started effecting serious market changes, he be-came increasingly aware of promotional