These are a few of our favorite things...
The holiday season is a time for celebrating with family and friends and reflecting on the previous year. We wanted to share with you a little more about how Promotional Images began, our teams and our favorite projects of the year.
There are some people that are born with the innate ability to connect with people and the desire to create their own path. John Connelly is one of those people. John had been working in sales within a few different industries during the 1980s, when he had found himself working through a sale that was not delivering as expected. The vendor had not produced quality items for an event which left John feeling unsupported by his company and team. That is when John decided that he needed to start his own company. With values passed down from his father, the most important one being...
"Do what you say you are going to do"
John created Promotional Images. Promotional Images has grown from a small embroidery-based business to a large nationwide promotional products business with all the employees maintaining the values that the company was built on.
Because PI is focused on delivering the best customer experience, we work as smaller teams within the organization, account managers work directly with only one client service specialists. This allows the account managers to focus on sourcing products, product information and pricing, while our client service specialists help to ensure the orders are processed and deliver on time. Both people get to know and understand the clients to find new ideas, keep up on trends and make sure that the client is 100% satisfied! At Promotional Images, our clients are more than just a transaction and our teams are focused on delivering more than just a product; they are focused on delivering an exceptional experience.
Meet our teams below and read about our favorite projects and why we do what we do…
Team Tom, Diana, & Stephanie
Tom Klubek - "I was in banking and made a business call to our owner John Connelly. He outsold me. I didn’t sell any finance related products. He sold me on the promo business. It’s a fun business. I like to focus on the needs of my client - not just the project but how to best support their day to day activities, make their life easier and help them perform their role to the best of their ability. We are promoting goodwill, excitement and appreciation. How can you go wrong with that…"
Diana Patterson - "I love the promotional industry because there are so many different cool items we can brand for our customers. In my 14 years with PI, I’ve been tasked with sourcing some odd requests, but I’m always up for the challenge!"
Stephanie Guarino - "I ended up in the promo industry completely by accident! (can I say that??) However, when I met John and Tom, I knew they had built a company with amazing values and that it was going to be the place for me. Being a CSR is a fun challenge because it requires me to be organized and very detail oriented. I love seeing the projects that begin as just an idea in the client’s mind through to fruition.
I love working with Tom and Diana on the DaVita team. It is fast paced and fun! I can count on them to work with the client by providing fun, fresh project ideas and working with the suppliers to get the ball rolling, and I know they trust me to see it through to make sure the client receives exactly what they envisioned."
Favorite Projects of 2022:
"I am referencing a project from the Covid era. Davita wanted to recognize RN’s and PCT’s so we did a huge drop ship of the attached cookie kits.
As they had less individual contact in our new hybrid world, this was a way to say Thank You and stay connected." - Tom
"We did a variety of apparel items, but one of them was not a stock item within our industry. I was able to source through a retail manufacturer what the client was looking for and they were THRILLED. The brand is Kimes Ranch – and as a huge Yellowstone fan, I loved that they wanted their Equine team outfitted in this brand because it’s what the ranchers on the show wear. Better yet – they were surprising the reps at their event!" - Diana
Team Will & April
Will Mason - "I enjoy the feeling of taking a client's project from A to Z – and after completion - knowing they are satisfied with my ability to service their needs, the quality of their products received, and the overall experience with working with PI. Customer satisfaction is very important to me, and to our company."
April Jones - "I like working with Will because we think very similarly. We tend to have the same thoughts or ideas among most parts of our daily interactions. Will also cares very much about his client’s which is obvious in his interactions with them. I enjoy working with someone who genuinely cares and is not just focused on the sales part of their job.
I like being in customer service for the variance in my day to day. My job is never boring. I never know what kind of issues or things will pop up each day. I enjoying the problem solving aspect as well, it keeps me thinking and learning. "
Favorite Project of 2022:
"These were a giveaway at an event for Hot Wheels collectors. The limited edition pins were designed for collectors of all ages!" - Will
Team Allie & Jamie
Allie Mikulec - "I love the personal connections that I make with my clients and knowing that the work that I do is making their work easier. My goal is to provide the best service possible and help with anything I can, from initial ideas to sourcing items that make my clients vision come true."
Jamie Rossiter - "I have always enjoyed working with people and spent most of my career in retail- helping people shop and finding solutions when we didn't have the perfect item. Promotional Images is a perfect fit for what I loved about retail but with a small company that makes you feel valued, rather than a big corporate structure. I love seeing the different projects that come across my desk and working with our clients to make sure they are able to reward their staff or have their items available for a successful trade show. After many years with Andrew and Diana (who I loved working with!), I am now working on a team with Allie. We have a great dynamic and communicate constantly to make sure that we are delivering the best experience possible!"
Favorite Project of 2022:
"We created a webstore for Architectural Surfaces as a way to streamline ordering throughout the company. This allows all their location to have a place they can go order their pre-approved items and artwork to ease the order requests for their marketing team. This gives their team more time to focus on other projects and can just approve the requests when they come in and we do the rest!"
- Allie
Team Kim, Frank, & Jocelyn
Kim Bukowski - "A stick of Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum got me into promo at a very young age when I received a sleeping bag with the Doublemint logo on it. It was love at first sight!"
Frank Ziccardi - "When I started in sales many moons ago. It was pretty cut and dry - product, price and how many you could sell. Yes, the “how many” is still important but I’ve learned the relationships built along the way are just as important. I enjoy working with my clients, knowing that they can count on me and Promotional Images to execute and deliver, every time, is a battle tested reputation I’m proud of."
Jocelyn Carozzolo - "30 years ago I started in the direct mail business although many folks referred to it as JUNK MAIL, I always referred to it as OPPORTUNITY MAIL!
Over the years Opportunity Mail phased out and I was drawn into the huge world of Promotional Products. I am a people pleaser by nature so my role in client services was a natural fit for me! I love to put smiles on people’s faces and there’s no better way to get your company name and message out there than by making people smile with a logo’d promo products!!
Things I love about the biz is that no 2 days are ever the same! Our suppliers are constantly coming up with new ideas and ways to promote promotional products and our customers keep us busy with some unique product requests! I am truly amazed everyday by the things we can do when we all work together to put promotional product smiles on everyone!! 😊"
Favorite Project of 2022
"We created logo kits for sales reps to take to events to promote their brand- including tank tops, hats, drawstring bags and koozies for Malibu, Jameson, Absolut and Lillet alcohol brands." - Frank
"To celebrate when employee’s have a baby, Fortinet sends a welcome kit for their newest addition- including a blanket, bib, onesie and beanie!" - Kim
Team Andrew & Claire
Andrew MacKay - "I take great pride working with my various clients to enhance their brand. I enjoy building individual relationships with my clients and it is very satisfying knowing that my clients trust me to deliver a high level of products and service for any projects/events they may have."
Claire Manzella - "Although I have been at Promotional Images for less than a year, I have quickly learned to adapt and enjoy the fast-paced, ever-changing and ever-growing promotions industry! I owe this success from the assistance and teachings of each of my colleagues from various departments. I am especially grateful for the open-ended communication I have with my team of sales representatives Andrew Mackay and Diana Patterson. Being able to communicate without fear helps us achieve the end goal all three of us have in common: to leave our customer 100% satisfied!"
Favorite Project of 2022
"To celebrate the holiday season, Burst provided custom “ugly sweaters” for their employees. This was such a fun and unique project!" - Andrew
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