A Message From Our PPAMidwest President......

PPAMidwest Members,

Welcome to a New Year and another busy show season. How many times have you already mistakenly wrote 2023? I’m not telling my total count! I’m sure many of you are busy prepping for the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas as I am, and as a lot of your board members are. Looking forward to seeing many of you there as we see what 2024 has in store for us.

New is a key word this month. A new year, new products, new friends and new faces and the board of PPAMidwest is full of new as well. We’ve already had our first PPAM board meeting of 2024, and welcomed 4 NEW directors. After saying farewell to so many at the end of last year, it was a NEW sight to see such fresh new faces on our recent call.

As we look ahead to the rest of the year, we plan for the NEW to continue. We look forward to new events, a new (or renewed) presence in Nebraska, new members, a new golf tournament in honor of PPAM Past President Jay Shucart, and a new focus on sustaining our association for decades to come.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars:

• Coffee Chats in both KC and St. Louis areas on Valentine’s Day! Details to come soon.
• Spring Product Premiere on 3/26 in St. Louis and 3/28 in KC. Exhibitor registration is open now and Distributor registration is opening soon
• Be on the lookout for the return of our popular baseball outings coming to you shortly.

I hope each of you take the time to focus on this year as a NEW opportunity to succeed and find more connections through your membership in PPAMidwest. As always please reach out directly to me with your comments, questions, or just to chat. I can be reached via email at dennis.oglesby@go2partners.com. 

Yours in Service,

Dennis Oglesby, MAS

2024 PPAMidwest President

American Solutions for Business Welcomes Brad Cole as Director of New Sports Division

Glenwood, MN – American Solutions for Business recently announced the addition of Brad Cole to the home office team as Director of Sports Sales. This is a newly created division within ASB to target sales in the Team Sports and Green Grass markets. Brad will be a resource for salespeople within the company to expand into these markets to navigate the nuances within the customer base and vendor network.

“I’m looking forward to working with some great people within ASB to build out the team and sports business,” expressed Cole. “The goal is to be number one in whatever we do, specifically sports!”

Cole brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent the last 20 years working for Nike in the Golf division in a variety of roles across the country. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and minor in Business Administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

“Brad has been an awesome addition to our team and company,” shared Dana Zezzo, VP of Vendor Relations, Marketing & Events. “Our goal is to consistently establish new resources so that our salespeople are never limited in what and how they choose to sell. I can’t wait to see how Brad and this division will positively impact ASB as a whole.”

Mandi Rudd Joins Genumark as Director of New Markets

North York, ON – Genumark, who is located in Toronto, has hired Mandi Rudd as director of new markets. The move is part of an ongoing effort by Genumark to ramp up its presence in the United States.

Based in Kansas City, KS, Rudd has more than 10 years of industry experience with Brand Energy Marketing, a distributorship she founded.

“We’re excited to welcome Mandi to our team to help spearhead our growth strategy in the United States,” says CEO Mitch Freed, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of the industry’s most influential people.

Freed continued: “Her impressive track record, industry knowledge and client-focused approach align seamlessly with Genumark’s mission. Mandi’s leadership will be instrumental as we grow and serve new markets. Her entrepreneurial background and commitment to social responsibility resonate deeply with our core values.”

Rudd is a board member for both PPAMidwest and industry philanthropy organization PromoCares, which recently raised more than $150,000 for its Water4Good campaign to fund water filtration systems in Mexico. She also volunteers at the annual Big Slick fundraiser, which benefits Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, and provides foster care for rescue dogs.

“Joining Genumark is a thrilling and challenging new journey for me,” says Rudd. “Genumark’s status as a Certified B Corp makes this move even more special, aligning perfectly with my personal and professional values. I’m excited to bring my clients into the fold of Genumark’s exceptional team and services, and together, we’re poised to create unparalleled value for our clients as we expand across the United States.”

Rudd’s hiring follows Genumark’s appointment of Chicago-based industry veteran Johanna Gottlieb as vice president of business development in October – another strategic move aimed at building the distributorship’s business south of the Canadian border.

4 Smart Strategies for Safeguarding Your Business and Brand Reputation in a Crisis

Danielle Sabrina • Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor • CEO of Society22 PR

Here are four effective methods to protect your business and brand reputation after facing public criticism.

Today's business landscape is almost entirely digital. While the opportunities brought about by the digital age are nearly limitless, this new era has also ushered in waves of new threats — and savvy business owners must be not only aware of those threats but ready to protect their businesses against them and the damage they can do.

Your brand's reputation is everything. Today's customer has a wealth of options at their fingertips and is more selective than ever. Simply stated, a good reputation attracts customers, and negative brand associations repel them. Creating a solid and strategic brand management plan is the first step in mitigating the potential harm that can come to your company via the internet, and this quick guide will help you get started.  Read More