SAAGNY News

Thankfully the end of 2020 is near, and a vaccine is in the mail, as they say!  

It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as your SAAGNY President for the last two years.  The term for President is one year with an option for a second year - I thought 2019 went well and decided to take on another year, who know the second year would be consumed by COVID-19!   With COVID-19 affecting us since early March, SAAGNY was only able to produce one live Trade Show during all of 2020 but SAAGNY, like all of us, is resilient and we forged on with 15 Virtual Trade Shows held in June and September and other numerous virtual events and educational webinars.  

As SAAGNY President, I was looking forward to our new and second end user show, to be held in Melville, NY in the Spring of 2020 but that will have to wait for another year.   I always enjoyed our lively in-person Board Meetings, but like everything else all were held via Zoom.   SAAGNY was proud to announce mid-year that Promotions East was back under the SAAGNY umbrella.  A Promotions East Committee was formed and look for some exciting announcements from SAAGNY in 2021 regarding this show.  The landscape has certainly changed but SAAGNY is still your source for all things Promotional Products. 

I will now serve as Immediate Past President and will assist new President Rachel Levin and the 2021 Board in SAAGNY’s endeavors for the coming year.   We have three new Board Members joining us, Jeff Jacobs, Eric Levin, and Joe Favre.  They have already participated in a meeting or two and will hit the ground running January 1 with the rest of the Board.

Many thanks to Trish Glazer and Irwin Kotcher who are leaving the Board.  Both have served SAAGNY well and it was a pleasure to work with them.   They are both aware that if needed, they will be called upon to help us get through 2021!   SAAGNY is also saying goodbye to its current Immediate Past President, John R. B. Cudahy, MAS.  John has served on the board for more than thirteen years and his knowledge, experience, and point of views have been a true asset to SAAGNY.  He will be missed but we know we can reach out to him at any time for help and advice.   Finally, I was fortunate enough to have DJ as our Executive Director.  She always made me look good, offered great advice, and was the rock for SAAGNY to get through 2020.

Thank you to all for your patience with me as I learned on the job.  It was a fun ride and I hope I am leaving SAAGNY a little bit better than when I arrived.

Happy Holidays and hopefully a much better New Year.

All the best,

Paul Sprunk

I learned over the last months that I really like being home and not constantly travelling. Wanting to spend more time with my young grandchildren and not miss watching them grow up. I am also looking forward to helping my wife, Jacqui, with her business as a Geiger salespartner, something I haven’t been able to do in the past.

Persistence and a commitment to relationship building have defined my career. I credit much of this success as a recruiter and mentor to my background in sales. I understand what salespeople want, what they need to do, what they’d prefer to avoid, and the heartbreak of losing a big order they thought was theirs.

I started with Geiger in 1994 by answering a job advertisement for a division manager at Martin Meyers Company, a Geiger-owned business in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t looking for a career, since prior to Geiger I never stayed in the same place for more than 5 years. The people and sense of community at Geiger and this industry, kept me coming back. I was “having too good a time” to go elsewhere.

When I first started, I had no experience with promotional products, but I knew how to sell. I had to work hard to acquire the necessary knowledge by taking the supplier catalogs home each night and memorizing the information in them. I became well-recognized by the salesforce for product knowledge and research speed. I didn’t share this secret – I also had an early copy of ESP!!!

I am very proud of recruiting quality people to the team and feel that building relationships is the key success in this wonderful industry. Others have agreed, honoring me with awards like being named to ASI’s People to Watch in the 2000s, PPB’s 2010 Best Bosses, President of PAPPA (SACDV at the time) several times, PAPPA 2014 Humanitarian of the Year and the PAPPA Hall of Fame. I am very grateful for being a part of founding of RAC and believe so strongly in the outstanding network of regional associations

This industry is so very special.  The nature of my position had me active with PAPPA, SAAGNY and NEPPA.  SAAGNY, in particular, invokes warm feelings of the early days at the Concord, to the excitement of the first End User Event in Manhattan.

One of my first ideas for Geiger in 1994 failed miserably. Gene Geiger called me about it not long after, mentioning that he’d heard that it didn’t go well but made me promise to keep the ideas coming. I think that particular speech, more than anything, kept me at Geiger and in the industry for the next 26 years.

Thank you to SAAGNY, it’s leaders and membership for all you have given me.  You are special!!

The December SAAGNY Life has arrived.  Click here to get the latest from SAAGNY.     

Imprint Marketing Concepts, Inc. today announced that the organization’s Founder and President, Mark May, is retiring at the end of 2020. Mark’s decision to retire will bring to a close a remarkable career of 35 years.

Mark founded the company in 1986 and has worked relentlessly for its success. During his tenure, the company has grown into a multi-million-dollar organization and a respected leader in the promotional products industry.

Brett Coplin, IMC’s Vice President, said: “Mark is an exceptional business leader who has transformed IMC, making it one of the best-performing and most respected companies in the promo industry. Mark’s vision, drive, and focus, combined with his commitment to serving the best long-term interests of the company, have materially strengthened IMC. He leaves an agile and resilient company, well placed to win in this fast-changing, dynamic industry. I’d like to thank him personally for his passion, leadership, friendship and mentorship.”

During Mark’s tenure at IMC, he guided the company from a modest local promo company to an international provider of branded merchandise and corporate apparel. His focus on collaborative selling and honesty allowed the company to grow and be competitive. He also oversaw numerous initiatives outside of the promo industry that allowed the company to diversify.

Perhaps the most admired part of Mark’s legacy is the relationships that he has built over 35 years. Employees, clients, and supplier partners know Mark as an honest, trustworthy leader in the industry. He leaves the organization in solid standing with systems the company can continue to use to grow.

Turn Your Wrongs Into Rights - The SAAGNY Foundation is accepting donations of misprints, samples, unused pens and pencils to donate to schools in the New York, New Jersey, and CT areas.  #forgoodnessake

Thank you to the following companies who have generously donated:

• Team Walter B
• Mike Valentini Promotions
• Rob Craxford
• Paul Sprunk
• Anonymous Donor