Ralawise are fast approaching their 1,000,000^th sales system order and are offering one lucky customer the chance to win £500 cash.

The 1,000,000^th  order is anticipated to be within the next 5 days, so customers are being encouraged to place an order today and to check their despatch note number (in the top right-hand corner) – to see if they have placed the 1,000,000^th order and won the £500 cash prize.

Ralawise terms & conditions apply.

Swindon based UKL, one of the top five UK distributors of promotional clothing and accessories, has been acquired by a company owned by one of the industry’s leading and most highly respected entrepreneurs, Paul Persey. Following UKL Ltd going into administration on Friday 5^th March 2010, the key assets and goodwill were purchased by Carapace Ltd. The injection of funds will allow UKL to re-build its stockholding and re-establish good working relationships with its customers, many of whom have been very loyal to the company over recent times. Going forward Carapace Ltd will be known as UKL Distribution Ltd.

Octi-Tech Ltd, a leading developer of creative substrates and solutions for the sublimation transfer and digital decorating industry, has launched the Sublideck Surface Decoration System, a new range of specialty heat presses engineered to yield superior results in dimensional digital decoration.

B&C has launched a new workwear range – the B&C Pro collection.

The range includes professional T shirts, polos, sweatshirts and a bodywarmer.

Leicestershire-based company The marketing Worx have announced that as well as exhibiting at this year’s Printwear & Promotion Live at the NEC (February 28-March 2) they will also be the sponsor and suppliers for the show's lanyards this year.

Geoffrey Bouchier and Paul Clark of MCR have been appointed joint administrators of Nipson Digital Printing Systems plc (NDPS).  

Founded in 1992, the company is the majority shareholder of Nipson SAS, a French incorporated company specialising in producing state-of-the-art high-speed digital printing systems.

Thanks to the generosity of Russell Workwear, PenCarrie’s warehouse staff have a new uniform.

Each outfit is personalised with individual staff names embroidered in full (in white, on left chest) on the various tops they now wear. These are: 599M Polo, 013M Sweatshirt, 010M T-Shirt (all in classic red) and the 8700M Fleece (in bottle).

Distributor UKL opened their doors for two days in December for their popular Trade Show event.

The event was a hit, attracting many visitors to UKL's Swindon HQ.

The Durst Rho 1000 wide format printer has won a prestigious Angel Award 2009.

The Angel Awards are published annually by Image Reports Magazine. They are the top ten products launched throughout the year.

The 2010 anniversary jacket range from Result has every angle covered. Reflecting the latest in design and fabric technology, Result garments are designed for those who demand high performance and environmental credentials from their clothing at work and leisure.

Ian Strudwick, Technical Manager at the UK's leading textile testing laboratory, Shirley Technologies (STL), has been appointed chairman of an important industry body.

Ian Strudwick, 43, based at STL in Manchester, has been named chairman of the BSI Committee TCI/81 (Colour Fastness and Colour Measurement of Textiles). He said: "TCI/81 is an important committee which organises the UK's position on standards relating to colour fastness and colour measurement testing of textiles in relation to global standards." 

The Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) has announced that its annual Autumn trade exhibition will be renamed Print for Business – LIVE! and will take place at the NEC on September 21-22.

UK-based, Madico Graphic Films has re-launched the dedicated on-line portal for its growing range of environmentally-friendly, UV and eco-solvent inkjet, and thermal transfer printable window films.

Premier Print & Promotions Ltd has announced the recent purchase of Almalad Ltd t/a TransWorld Incentive Gifts based in Colchester Essex.

The well respected business re-located to Premier's site at Threshelfords Business Park in Kelvedon, Essex mid December.

For more than 15 years, Result have had a passion for headwear. Be it for promotions, leisure, fashion, winter, school or college, Result’s 15 year anniversary collection of more than 60 uncompromising styles will fulfil all your needs.

Challenger revolutionized screen printing in the 1980s, and Challengers have dominated the industry ever since. Now, M&R’s all-new Challenger III expands on that tradition by combining innovative patented and patent-pending features, such as M&R’s Ink-Dip Ink Retrieval System and Optical No-Shirt Detector.

With hip styles and snazzy colours, James & Nicholson reveals its true colours in a business world dominated by black and grey.

The products are equipped with practical easy-care finish or they are non-iron. An overview of the whole collection is given in the latest James & Nicholson Workbook 2010.

Theatre Tokens, the national theatre voucher scheme currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, has appointed Natasha Ryton to the position of business development manager.

Natasha, who has extensive experience in new business, customer relations and team management, worked for Red Letter Days for five years as the corporate sales manager for its IT, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and electronic sectors.

The £168million publicly-quoted 4imprint Group plc has mounted a major brand alignment programme which will see three 4imprint-owned promotions companies merging to form Brand Addition, a £50m marketing communications agency.

Coolactive the performance leisurewear brand has introduced Thermocool technology into its 2010 collection.

Thermocool is a multi-functional and ecological evolution born from Advansa’s technological experiences of modified cross section fibres and is being used by the likes of Asics in the performance sportswear market.

The New Kornit Breeze direct on garment digital printer was due to be launched at the ISS show in Long Beach USA as Printwear & Promotion went to press.

According to Adelco, it is the first digital garment printer to enable the printing of under base white and CMYK colours at the same time from a single print head array. This greatly increases the print output of the machine while reducing the floor space required.

TUI UK - parent company of Thomson and First Choice - is introducing a new promotional products strategy for 2010 and has appointed branding consultancy BrandInc to create, design and manufacture a completely new collection of branded merchandise for its Summer 2010 consumer promotions.

Over the past 12 months TheMagicTouch have been monitoring the revival of the “crystal effect” on to garments and fabrics.

Many high street chains have introduced garments emblazoned with different logos all of which have been mass produced in the Far East. The real challenge has been to enable the same idea but to be made available in the short-run, on demand, personalised market.

Earth Day Network has chosen Anvil Knitwear as its official T shirt and knitwear partner for Earth Day on April 25, 2010 and for the 40th anniversary events leading up to Earth Day.

Anvil is also developing an exclusive new apparel line for Earth Day Network's The Green Generation campaign.

New research from Premierline Direct reveals that SMEs are "keeping it real" when it comes to business, abandoning their dreams because they lack the necessary skills to fulfil them and prefer to make money instead.

Waypoint Exhibition and Event Group, has announced the launch of a new national exhibition to support the marketing sector.

Incentives & Promotional Marketing – Live! will co-locate at Birmingham’s NEC, alongside established trade events Call Centre Expo, Event UK and Service Management Expo, on September 21 and 22, 2010.

Prestige Leisure are pleased to announce the arrival of their 2010 Brochure Collection.

Prestige have expanded their range of 45 leading brands to include Adidas Golf, Craghoppers and Lee Cooper Workwear.

Mimaki have launched a new large format direct and dye-sublimation printer – the 3.2m wide JV5-320DS.

The new machine enables direct printing on polyester substrates at high speeds and with excellent results.

The highly acclaimed productivity and quality features of JV5 have been merged in this model to produce outstanding print on textiles on a super wide scale. The JV5-320DS, available from the New Year, commands a slight premium over the current solvent version due to the additional features.

Blue Max has donated 2,000 T shirts for the benefit of injured troops in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.  

The T Shirts were provided after the company was approached by one of its customers, Martin Greenland from LogoWear Ltd.  

Sussex Uniforms – which have been in business for just one year – have won the ‘Best New Business of the Year’ Award at the 2009 Sussex Business Awards.

The judges were impressed that the company had already broken even in its first year and has an excellent business model for expansion.

The Cockermouth-based sales and marketing office for Balmoral and Papini was devastated during the floods which hit the Cumbrian town at the end of November.

The bpma held its second Academy Graduation Ceremony at the House of Commons on November 9, with 35 guests in attendance.

John Greenway MP has supported the bpma and particularly the bpma academy, and proudly presented 20 students with their certificates alongside Adrian Ferrand, bpma’s director of education and Gordon Glenister, director general of the trade body.

As the company enters its fifth decade, Colchester-based suppliers, I.S. Enterprises have unveiled a new corporate identity including a new company name – ISE – and a new logo which will be implemented across all branded materials and online platforms from the New Year.

ITL’s range of i-Bio bio solvent inks – manufactured using renewable resources such as corn oil derivatives rather than from fossil fuel oils – are now available.

The solvent content of these inks comes from natural lactates and all components are classified as readily biodegradeable. The printing qualities of i-Bio inks matches the same high standards achieved by other mild solvent inks in the ITL range such as the established EPS inks. 

BTC activewear has launched a competition to win a Fly-Drive Holiday for Two to Hollywood.

Sponsored by Gildan, they are mailing scratch cards to all of their customers offering them the chance to win 14 days touring the sites of Hollywood including visiting Universal Studios, Disneyland Park and the LA city tour of celebrity homes.

Michael Grosbøl, managing director of Mascot International A/S, has been named Owner Manager of the Year 2009 in the Mid Jutland region of Denmark.

Putting the focus on finance and quality has earned Mascot International a place among market leaders in Europe and most recently a prize for the man at the helm of the Mid Jutland company. 

Printing, embroidering, flocking and promotional textiles – these core topics of the international trade fair TV TecStyle Visions, will also be reflected in a colourful supporting programme for visitors

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and the Prince Consort together with a large business delegation have visited Mascot’s factory and logistic centre in Vietnam. During the visit, the company received an award from the Vietnamese authorities for being an exemplary investor.

A new membership organization, dotgain.org, supported by the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), has been launched to help lead the way in the modern, multi-channel media landscape.

A significant proportion of small to medium-sized businesses in the UK have reported an increase in the export side of their business, according to new research from leading independent invoice financier Bibby Financial Services.

Building on its outdoor clothing brand credentials of quality, affordability and style, Regatta’s all-encompassing new range, featured in the 2010 brochure, continues to lead the way in the promotional, corporatewear and workwear markets.

RSK Tech, specialist providers of e-commerce solutions for the garment decoration industry, have announced the release of the new and greatly improved Version 3.0 of their online garment designer and e-commerce solution RSK NetShirt. 

Europe’s promotional product industry will see quite a festive start to the new year. On January 13, the starting signal for 50 years of PSI will sound at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre.

“This special anniversary will of course be with us throughout the year, but we will start the festivities right with the trade fair," says PSI director Michael Freter. On this occasion the Promotional Product Service Institute, which counts almost 7,000 distributors and manufacturers of promotional products throughout Europe as its members, will step up its presence at the industry’s leading fair.

Sign & Digital UK has a new website, complementing the evolution of the show’s branding with the aim of having an ‘easy to use’ online presence to improve the exhibitors and visitors show experience.

Avery Dennison has introduced a helpful new dimension to its Graphics and Reflective Products division website: an online colour selector showing what is available in each of the self-coloured ranges of Avery Graphics self-adhesive films.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has outlined its approach to procuring the goods and services required to stage the Games in 2012.

Sourcing City have announced the winners of their Distributor & Supplier Awards for 2009.  

Now in its third year, the awards drew the largest number of votes ever received. 

Make a date in your diary this month to visit the 2010 Trophex Show which takes place at the NEC Pavilion, Birmingham on January 17 and 18.

The show is free to attend and registration is available online at  www.trophex.com.

DYSS (Dae Young Systems), a leading Korean supplier of UV direct to media printers and cutter/router tables has appointed B&P Graphic Supplies Ltd as their distributor for UK and Ireland.

B&P, in association with Sun Chemical, whom B&P has appointed as a sub-distributor, will distribute the Apollo range of UV combination and flatbed printers and the X7 range of cutter/routers.

Avery Dennison Corporation has launched a range of new surface effect labels and trims that provide users with a cost-efficient way to add a touch of fashion to branded garments and non-apparel items.

Tesco is trialling a schoolwear embroidery service saying that it will give parents whose kids need bespoke uniform a "cheaper and simpler alternative to specialist suppliers".

Tesco has written to 1,448 state school head teachers in Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield and Hertfordshire inviting them to take part in the trial, which will enable parents to buy uniform embroidered with their school¹s emblem. The uniform will cost at least 40% less than at specialist suppliers, they say.

It could have been a great partnership. When the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) and PROMOTA (Promotional Merchandise Trade Association) announced their intention to merge in the spring, many in the industry were behind the move. The newly merged  organisation would have been a powerful voice for the promotional merchandise industry, providing a strong platform for the new decade to help recession-hit businesses to forge ahead and grow. But shortly before Christmas, talks broke down. With the prospect of a merger now looking dead in the water, Printwear & Promotion looks at how the story unfolded…

The Co-operative Clothing have unveiled a new range of Fairtrade cotton workwear clothing licensed by the Fairtrade Foundation, displaying the Fairtrade Mark on the outside of the garments.

Everything Environmental, the UK's leading trade-only supplier of personalised recycled eco friendly promotional and business gifts, is to supply distributors with a range of branded products for the London 2012 Olympic games.

BTC activewear have launched details of their new eco friendly, money saving catalogue programme for 2010 - they have listened to what their customers asked for and believe their 2010 catalogue ticks all the boxes.

Free registration is now open for the exciting Printwear & Promotion Show 2010 which takes place in Hall 12 at Birmingham's NEC from Sunday, February 28 to Tuesday, March 2.

Some of the biggest and most influential names in the industry will be there and it's a golden opportunity to see all the latest products and services and talk to the experts.

Rutger de Planque is stepping down as CEO of global gifts company PF Concept International from February 1, 2010. He will remain an active shareholder.

De Planque has been associated with the company since 1990.

Adelco have supplied and supported Kornit direct to garment (DTG) digital machines in the UK and Ireland for five years. Now, after significant research and testing of various Epson hybrid machines, Adelco have reached an agreement to distribute the Azon range of DTG and direct to substrate (DTS) printers in the same territories.

Golden Finishes company secretary Jacky Gold took one giant leap for mankind when she took part in a charity abseil recently.

Brave Jacky, who was raising money for the Tenovus cancer charity, abseiled from the roof of the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Since the invention of screen printing by the Chinese over 2,000 years ago, not much has changed and little has impacted on the methods they used. In fact the same techniques are still evident today - the art of pushing ink through a stencil on a mesh has been the system employed without change, other than that of screen material choices.

Dickies (UK) Limited of Radstock, have kitted out lecturers at Somerset College's Automotive Engineering Department with a complete range of workwear.

Specially embroidered Oxford and polo shirts and protective overalls, as well as safety boots and shoes have been issued to senior staff as part of Dickies' sponsorship of the college.

Jim Hopper, who founded Hatton Textiles - one of the UK's leading names in ‘own label' textiles - 25 years ago, has announced his retirement.

Having sold his controlling share to branded clothing specialist The Purple Company Ltd, Jim will retain the title of managing director until the successful handover to new sales manager Richard King has been completed.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has learned that banks are imposing a raft of charges, increasing interest rates and demanding personal guarantees as preconditions for lending to small businesses, including under the Government's Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme.

As businesses seek new ideas to stand out in a recession, a Milton Keynes clothing supplier has the answer for companies who are literally "dyeing to be different".

This Autumn, Cotton Roots, suppliers of Fairtrade and Organic corporate garments, launched its new range of naturally dyed fabrics.

J & B Sewing Machine Co are delighted to announce the launch of the all new AnaJet Sprint digital garment print into the UK market.

The garment printing industry is rapidly changing from screen printing to faster, cheaper and environmentally friendly direct digital printing.

TenCate Protective Fabrics has launched new durable fabrics and unique multi-layer systems for fire fighting apparel and electric arc protection based on a combination of textile technology and chemical processes, including unique fibre blends and durable finishes.

International Coatings Company has launched its new improved 3820 Direct Print Flock Adhesive for textile screen printing. 

The adhesive is phthalate-free, provides excellent adhesion to most flock fibres and results in a very soft and flexible flock print. 

The electronic Import Control System (ICS) becomes mandatory at the end of next year and according to warehouse management systems specialist, ATMS, many companies are unprepared.

ICS is a new EC-wide development providing for the electronic receipt of the Entry Summary Declarations that are currently submitted manually.

American Apparel have announced the addition of the sporty-looking, fitted zip hoody to their range.

Made from 100% fine jersey cotton (heather grey stripe contains 5% polyester) the RSA2402 has a matching nylon zipper and a matching polyester drawcord.

Myrtle Beach's new spa collection is the perfect answer for taking time out.

The fluffy cotton terry hooded bath robe (MB 430) is made of 100% ring-spun cotton with the best possible absorption. The made-to-match bath towel (MB 428) has cord-structured ends which are ideal for embroidery. With a size of 70 x 140cm, the bath towel is a practical companion for the sauna or pool.

Printers and copy shops are reinforcing relationships with customers and protecting printed goods at the same time with a new range of postal tubes from Rose Plastic.

The tubes have an innovative 50/50 split, which means contents can be removed easily without damage, a fact that is being welcomed by customers.

To announce and market the arrival of their new Spiro athletic and Airdown jacket ranges for 2010, Europe's largest outerwear supplier Result have despatched to all distributors a quantity of their new product information booklets for both ranges to forward on to their customers, agents and representatives.

The Umbrella Company has announced the return of Stephen Reeve as Sales Director. Stephen began his career in the promotional gift industry with the company.

For the last three years, he was field sales manager at Adpads.

Members of Promota, the Promotional Merchandise Trade Association, have voted unanimously in favour of moving on negotiations with the bpma (British Promotional Merchandise Association) with a view to amalgamating the two trade bodies.

Blue Max has donated 2,000 T shirts for the benefit of injured troops in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The T Shirts were provided after the company was approached by one of its customers, Martin Greenland from LogoWear Ltd.

Martin and his wife Sue have a 20-year-old son, Dan, who is a front line infantry soldier with The Royal Anglian Regiment who deployed to Helmand Province in October. Through a good friend Martin and Sue became aware of a way they could help the troops.

With the football World Cup just months away, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to make the most of it.

Tour Collection is a one-stop shop with plenty of imaginative promotional and corporate gift and give-away ideas for your company.

Blue Max Group is to expand its offering in the protective workwear arena by forging a relationship with DeWalt, the worldwide leader in the production of industrial power machinery, tools and high performance workwear.  

Following an assessment by an independent body, Team Colours has been awarded ISO 9000 Certification.

The award recognises Team Colours' commitment to an exceptional quality of service. With only around 3% of UK businesses holding this Certificate, Team Colours are now at the forefront of quality service and customer care.

Anatol, which makes screen presses for textiles, has appointed GK Marketing Services Ltd as their UK distributor.

GK Marketing was established in 1984 to supply heat applied transfers for the decoration of Plastic products. Since then it has grown to offer an extensive range of print-related products and services.

BTC Group has won an exclusive contract to supply Coca-Cola Enterprises with a collection of promotional clothing following an official tender process.

To celebrate their 20th birthday BTC activewear staged a staff party to remember.

Sponsored by a number of key suppliers including Gildan, Kustom Kit and Russell the leading distributor invited their staff to enjoy an afternoon of ‘It's A Knockout' games using the original costumes from the hilarious BBC series of the 1970s.

The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) has chosen ecocard to provide environmentally friendly membership cards to its 4,000 plus members.

The institute is Europe's leading skills and qualifications provider for direct, data and digital marketing professionals.

The BPMA's annual Charity Golf day at Chobham Golf Club, raised £1,600 for Myeloma UK.

Thanking the BPMA, the charity said: "The event was extremely successful raising over £1,600 that will go towards funding our vital programmes and services. We greatly appreciate the continued support of BPMA."

To celebrate their 15 year anniversary, Europe's largest outerwear supplier Result have announced a new charitable association with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) which saves critically endangered mammals in their wild habitat and benefits the local people who share their environment.

 As reported earlier on the Printwear & Promotion website, the boards of the British Promotional Merchandise Association and Promota have agreed that the two associations will come together in the spring of 2010 to form one association. The new Association will have a base of around 1,250 members.

Leicestershire firm The Marketing Worx have parted company with their Australian off shore liaison manager, Brad Lower by mutual consent. The office in Brisbane has now closed, with all responsibility for factory visits and liaisons passing to the UK.

The Printwear & Promotion Garment Decoration Awards are back by popular demand and there are a host of new categories. Winners will be announced at the Printwear & Promotion Exhibition 2010.

Digital, offset, screen and other printers seeking in-line laser die cutting for their production lines can now obtain a Finecut Laser Die Cutting Station from Spartanics

Waypoint Exhibition and Event Group, has announced a new national exhibition to support the marketing sector. Incentive & Promotional Marketing Live! will co-locate at Birmingham's NEC, alongside established trade events Call Centre Expo, Event UK and Service Management Expo, September 21 to 22, 2010.

Workwear firm Dickies have won the Highly Commended award in the Bath Spa University sponsored ‘Best Employer in Bath and North East Somerset' Open Award category, of the Small Business of the Year Awards 2009.

Fruit of the Loom has updated the Workwear section of its website (www.fruitoftheloom.eu), adding the latest Fruit at Work photography, plus the easy to use Create Your Uniform feature.

You can download a PDF file containing the full garment specification for your chosen style. Alternatively, you can e-mail the details directly to a customer or colleague.

A new advertising function has been added to Fruit of the Loom's online Marketing Toolkit.

"Fruit of the Loom customers now have the capability to produce their own, personalised, press-ready artwork for advertisements in a matter of minutes, and without the requirement of an ad agency," says brand director, Alison McKenzie.

AWT World Trade Inc has announced the development of a fully automatic screen cleaning system. The Kleen-View Automatic features an all air operated system for screen cleaning, solvent recycling, and safe capture of ink residue for proper disposal. The system includes convenient see through front doors and is available in a range of sizes up to 180 x 24 x 80ins (458 x 61 x 203cm), with larger and custom-sized models upon request.

Award-winning NKD Clothing is investing in its staff by bringing in of the UK's leading professional coaching and training experts. The company has teamed up with leading development experts, Shirlaws.

Embroidery thread manufacturer Madeira have said goodbye to one of their longest-standing members of staff, Linda Kippax who has retired after more than 20 years' loyal service.

We have exciting news for garment decorators this month. The prestigious Printwear & Promotion Garment Decoration Awards are back with a bang for 2010.

You will find everything you need to know about the awards on pages 62 and 63 of this issue, plus the entry form and the list of categories, which include a new combined decoration category to reflect the latest technologies. 

Workwear specialist Mascot has launched two new jackets within its Frontline and Safe Compete ranges this autumn, in response to customer feedback.

The Paros jacket joins the Frontline range which has been designed specifically for the service, transport and warehousing sectors.

Printworld, based in Dublin has been a preferred choice for Irish distributors for many years and now their expertise will be shared with distributors in the UK.

The new company, Promotional Paper Works UK Ltd, will be offering all the most popular paper products such as Sticky Notes, Wiro pads and the 3 in 1 combi sets.

The ECB vCricket team wanted to offer a reward to their 5000 club volunteers and approached Citigear, the bespoke short run specialists based in Norfolk to provide a range of clothing.

Within 10 days of being approached, Citigear had designed the range and full production samples were signed off. 

In a bid to illustrate his commitment to developing his group of brands, Keith Black has promoted Graham Rickard to managing director of Dare 2b, with immediate effect. Jo Hawkins will take over Graham's responsibilities in marketing for Regatta while continuing to head up product management for the Regatta brand.

BTC Group has secured Wembley Stadium for its 2009 Promotional Merchandise and Corporate Clothing showcase on Wednesday, October 21.

IGS-UK have partnered with a professional ink manufacturer with over 30 years experience in the garment decoration industry to develop StayBright4.

According to IGS-UK, the professional direct-to-garment ink is the biggest step forward for the UK and European d-t-g market since the original concept was developed over six years ago.

The latest Daiber collection is certainly attracting attention - which is exactly the aim of the colourful new James & Nicholson reflective safety wear.

The loud colours are designed to be seen, not just in a work environment but at night and in bad weather.

Following Alistair Darling's ‘three line whip' to Britain's banks over the rising cost of loans to small businesses, independent invoice financier Bibby Financial Services, is urging start-up businesses to do their homework when seeking funding and to consider alternatives to traditional bank lending.

Business information provider, Equifax, has seen the use of some of its business monitoring alerts increase threefold in the past year.

The phenomenal rise, they say, demonstrates that businesses have switched on to the importance of staying up to date with the status of customers and suppliers, in order to protect cashflow and safeguard against bad debt.

Argon Promotions, one of the UK's largest online promotional merchandise distributors has been acquired by Infinity Incorporated, the Leeds-based promotional merchandise and clothing group.

ATMS plc, the Birmingham-based provider of warehouse management and track and trace solutions, has launched a new range of radio data terminals. 

Beezer have just introduced the all new rugby shirt, primarily with the schoolwear sector in mind, although the company have noted an interest from more senior sporting groups.

The rugby shirt comes in three styles - the R1, which is a plain outer and inner garment, the R2 which features a contrast band on outside and plain inner, and the R3 with a plain outside and contrast band on the inner.

AWT World Trade Inc, manufacturers of screen printing equipment and supplies, are seeking distributors to help expand their international dealer base.

Since they were founded in 1983, AWT has emerged as a global leader in the screen printing equipment industry and is looking for distributors who share the company's goal of making screen printing faster, cleaner, and more economical.

Swindon-based distributor UKL opens its doors on December 9 and 10 for its popular Trade Show event which attracts more than 600 visitors.

The event is an excellent platform to showcase all the major brands that supply UKL and many will be featuring their latest products giving visitors their first glimpse of the new 2010 ranges.

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (bpma) has announced the categories for its 2010 Awards - to be held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on January 27.

New awards have been introduced to reflect the changing nature of the industry, including Campaign of the Year, British Manufacturer of the Year and Personality of the Year.

Condé Systems are now offering Neoprene laptop cases as part of their DyeTrans family of sublimatable products.

TeamTogs, the Hertfordshire-based specialists in off the peg and bespoke uniforms and merchandise, have recently supplied celebrity chef Alan Coxon with a new chef's tunic.

TeamTogs have become the UK retailer for premier Italian manufacturer Giblor's and were able to source the finest catering uniforms, from an eclectic range of styles and colours.

For the second year running, Invista's Cordura brand will be the main sponsor of The Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show's Business Manager Awards.

The Business Manager Awards recognise the importance of the buyer-supplier partnership involved in the procurement of uniforms for workwear, corporate clothing and PPE.

AJS Embroidery Services Ltd is bucking the downward trend with news of expansion and a new dealer network agreement to supply Tajima single head machines.

AJS, based in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, have been the sole importer of Tajima embroidery machines since 1994 but they recently recognised a niche in the market for the supply of single head machines.

Golden Finishes Ltd, one of the UK's largest badge makers, has appointed a sales and marketing executive to develop and strengthen the brand.

Sherwood Press Group managing director Jeremy Bacon and Wyndeham Press Group CEO Paul Utting have joined the BPIF's board of directors following the organisation's AGM in July.

Trade only promotional merchandise supplier Everything Environmental has introduced all-natural LipNature balm to its product range.

It is said to be the UK's first lip care range manufactured entirely out of biodegradable materials.

Regatta has a plethora of new products for 2010, some with a cross over into the workwear market as well as a dedicated new workwear range (which will be reviewed in more depth in P&P's workwear feature next month).

Distributor PenCarrie has announced a Monster Prize Give Away, encouraging customers to use the new Online Order Pad available at www.pencarrie.com

Octi-Tech Limited has announced the release of their custom designed range of coatings for sublimation transfer and digital image protection. The Digi Coat range was developed over an 18 month period in conjunction with some of the UK's leading polymer research centres and provides a simple and reliable method for digital decorators to coat their own products for sublimation transfer.

Beechfield has all your school hat and cap requirements covered. The brand's Junior Collection offers a choice of five styles, including the B171b Junior Teamwear Competition Cap (perfect for sports), the new B34b Junior Army Cap (fashion headwear for youngsters) and the B45b Junior Knitted Hat, (a winter schoolwear essential).

The boards of the British Promotional Merchandise Association and Promota have agreed that the two associations will come together in the spring of 2010 to form one association, subject to ratification by the memberships at the AGMs of both associations in October 2009. The new Association will have a base of c.1,250 members.

Over the next few months, a working party, made up of board members of both associations will be working on the structure and detail that will benefit members of both associations.

It's photoshoot time for many brands and Jerzees Schoolgear is no exception.

This year, however, they decided to do a shoot with a difference and photograph their garments on real people in real schools.

BTC activewear has got behind new brand DeWalt with all four regional sales teams wearing the distinctive quality garments every Thursday throughout August.

TheMagicTouch have announced the latest innovative application for their image transfer process.

High quality personalised flip-flops have arrived with massive appeal covering many opportunities in a multitude of different markets.

Embroidery sales and servicing company Stocks Sewing Machines is celebrating a milestone this year with the news that it has been chosen to supply its ZSK embroidery machine to the iconic Nike Town store on London's Oxford Street.

Multi-brand distributor PenCarrie are inviting customers to preview the new garments and accessories available for 2010 at a series of events across the UK.

Crazy Bags has launched a new take on the reusable bag, adding a cotton canvas drawstring duffle bag to the range. Available in black or natural canvas and 100% reusable, the bag can be worn as a backpack or over the shoulder.

Bags2Keep, official supplier to Modbury, Britain's first plastic bag free town, has launched a new range of organic cotton string bags.

Corporate couture firm NKD Clothing has designed the outfits for one of Scotland's newest restaurants.

The PAGE Catalogue Group annual conference and dinner was held at the Arden Hotel, at Birmingham's NEC.

Workplace deaths and injuries might have fallen but thousands still die every year as a result of work-related accidents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new strategy, Be Part of the Solution, designed to reduce the number of workplace accidents and take a common sense approach to ensuring that risk management is an enabler for business not a burden.

Sponsored by Everything Environmental, The British Promotional Merchandise Association (bpma) is introducing a new category, The British Manufacturer of the Year Award, at this year's annual bpma awards to be held in January 2010.

Wide format printers and their suppliers worldwide are broadly optimistic about the chances of business recovering to pre-recession levels within the next 12 months, according to FESPA, The Federation of European Screen Printers Associations.

Leicestershire firm The Marketing Worx have launched two new brochures.

The trade brochure is available to all distributors and resellers of promotional products. It features items supplied by the company in the last 12 months and is available free.

Incorporatewear, which specialises in the design and management of bespoke corporatewear and uniforms to major brand names is now supplying workwear in smaller quantities with the launch of www.inworkwear.com which offers a stock-supported range of work clothing.

Sheffield Speedway track officials have a smart new uniform provided by MASCOT Workwear, Europe's largest privately owned workwear manufacturer. 

Entitled RFID Case Study - American Apparel, the video is the first multimedia production that demonstrates how the largest apparel producer in the US deployed item-level RFID to overcome inventory accuracy and replenishment challenges at selected stores, while appreciably increasing sales.

In response to customer requests, Skinnifit have added a new size XXL to their best-selling Modern Essential T for women (style ref SK101).

Visage, one of the UK's largest importers of clothing, have upgraded to the latest version of the ATMS StockTrack PLUS warehouse management system.

Dates have been confirmed for Printwear & Promotion 2010 in Hall 12 at Birmingham's NEC from Sunday, February 28 to Tuesday, March 2.

Arco, the UK's leading supplier or workwear and workplace safety products, has provided talkSPORT presenters Mike Parry and Andy Townsend with personalised Berghaus Arco branded soft shell fleeces.

Outdoor clothing specialists, Result Performance, supported Keswick Mountain Festival by providing more than 30 embroidered soft shell jackets to walkers, organisers and festival volunteers.

J & B Sewing Machine Co Ltd, sole UK distributor for the AnaJet digital garment printer have launched the new PolyBright inks for printing on light coloured polyester and other synthetic fabrics.

Regatta is holding prices on all products until the end of the year, maintaining Spring/Summer prices for the whole of 2009.

Blue Max, the leading importers of high quality, competitively priced school wear, leisure wear and corporate clothing is now achieving 99.8% picking accuracy at its Trowbridge warehouse.

BTC activewear has added two heavyweight names to their stable of leading workwear brands. DeWalt offer high-performance workwear with technology built in to allow the wearer to work in comfort.

Embroidery digitising company Blackdott is celebrating its second birthday with a new-look website, www.blackdott.co.uk. The two man operation was launched by Craig Austin and Laurie Barratt who, between them, have more than 30 years' digitising experience.

If you are a business owner with five to 250 employees, a director or a key manager reporting to a director, you could be eligible for up to £1,000 funding to enroll on the bpma Academy course or the Business Owner Workshop.

The first half of the year has been testing for the promotional merchandise industry, with 95 distributor companies and 26 supplier companies ceasing trading. Distributor closures are already 109% up on last year.

Many end users are now taking advantage of the rapidly expanding market for short run production of T shirts and sweat shirts, sportswear, aprons and other promotional items, according to EZtrans.

Braintree-based promotional headwear pioneers Sharon Lee have been appointed as UK distributor for the stylish Atlantis range.

Graphic Parts International Inc, which manufactures replacement pallets for most makes and models of foreign and domestic, manual and automatic textile printing machines, has created a new division to meet demand for pallets designed for specialty applications.

Phil Stone of PSM in Banbury was crowned TheMagicTouch/Ralawise regional Wii bowling champion at the recent "Open House" event.

The Little Green Book, a four page leaflet/mailer, gives an overview of the new Eco-Options products from the BagBase, Beechfield Headwear, Quadra and Westford Mill collections from Beechfield Brands, offering planet friendly solutions to all your promotional bag and headwear requirements.

Lindsey Bond has joined BTC Group's 58 strong promotional merchandise team as account manager at their offices in Hayes, near London.

Listawood have embarked on a £400,000 investment program to modernise and automate production in several of their key manufacturing areas. It will result in what Listawood say will be the most technologically advanced printing and finishing equipment of any mousemat or magnet producer in Europe. 

Printwear & Promotion has been alerted to an alleged business directory scam after an advertiser received an invoice for more than 1,000 euro from Expo-Guide.com, part of a Mexican organisation called Commercial Online Manuals S de RL de CV.

Promotional clothing and corporate wear firm, I.S.Enterprises, is backing rising British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) star Robert Gaffney.

Roland DG (UK), which manufactures eco-solvent wide-format inkjet printers, engravers and 3D prototyping products has announced the integration of Roland DG Ireland into its operations.

Mantis World is freezing 2009 prices across its four brands - Mantis, Humbugz, Babybugz and Tender Loving Clothing for the rest of the year.  Managing director, Prama Bhardwaj, comments: "A few months ago a mid-year price increase seemed inevitable. However, the recent recovery of Sterling has meant that we have been able to keep to the same prices until the end of the year and support our customers during the economic downturn." 

Regent Innovations, the trade only suppliers of promotional merchandise, have published their new catalogue for 2009, which, they say, is bigger and better than before.

Russell jackets are designed to look good and work as hard as their wearers do. Now, a new campaign from Russell, focussing on their new, A5 jacket brochure, will help identify the right jacket for the right job.

Listawood have reduced their prices on promotional bottled water, claiming that they are now offering the "lowest prices in the UK".

Crazy Bags, one of the UK's largest promotional bag distributors, has introduced a new, free, non-branded e-brochure for clients.

A back to basics approach could help companies reduce the cost of manual handling injuries, say health and safety training specialists ForeFront Training.

BTC activewear has added the TECH range of Performance Soft Shell garments to their ever-growing Result jacket collection.

Daiber's new casual wear is a great way to show off your style. Casual cuts and a good look are hallmarks of these garments by Daiber's own brand James & Nicholson.

Royal Mail's uniform manager, Bob Taylor, won the Workwear section of The Business Manager Awards at the Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show in Birmingham.

Now you can keep your cool this summer in edgy black polo shirts featuring Coldblack coating, which not only prevents the shirt from heating up in the sun, but protects the wearer from UV rays.

Fruit of the Loom has launched a 20-page Collegewear Yearbook which features the new hooded and organic cotton Ts, the sporty baseball and ringer Ts, polos, hooded sweats and jog pants.

M&R has announced the launch of The M&R Companies Forums which have been designed as a platform for those involved in digital textile printing, textile screen printing, and graphic screen printing.

Adelco chose Sign & Digital to exhibit the top of the range Kornit 931DS direct on Garment digital textile printer along with a hot air textile dryer from their own Jet Force range.

The Henbury Business Wear Collection offers a totally co-ordinated range of clothing for both men and women.

Corporate clothing firm NKD Clothing has been commissioned to provide bespoke uniforms to the new Fraser Suites in Edinburgh and Glasgow, which have opened under the world-renowned Fraser Hospitality banner.

M&R has added the new Alpha 8 6080 and 80110 models to its line of automatic textile presses. The new models join the smaller Alpha 8 5070.

Leading workwear manufacturer Dickies (UK) Limited have introduced a premium range of garments for the worker who wants practical, durable and stylish clothing.

Today's challenges include working hard to stabilise your business and at the same time, looking at potential new revenue streams. Perhaps your current business is seasonal, such as in the schoolwear sector, and you are keen to explore new markets and sales opportunities.

UKL have launched a campaign to encourage customers to receive documents electronically. A donation of £1 will be given to the NSPCC every time a customer signs up.

Result, pioneers in stylish and affordable outerwear has launched a handy A5 size 'Lightweight' mini brochure illustrating its full range of light, packable, tough and fast drying, 'on the go' products for 2009.

Sign & Digital UK returned to Birmingham's NEC at the end of April and despite the economic downtown, the show is being hailed a success.

After 17 years' service, PenCarrie's warehouse manager, Alun Morgan, has retired.  Paying tribute to Alun, Paul Persey, PenCarrie's founder and executive chairman said: "Alun helped shape the company from the earliest days, insisting on the highest standards in all aspects of warehouse operation and service to customers.

Kent-based KeepMe Promotions has launched a glossy 24-page brochure, dedicated to promotional products, designed and built at the company's Chinese manufacturing plant.

Roland DG has reported that its 30" UV-curable integrated printer/cutter, the VersaUV LEC-300, was the main attraction at Sign & Digital UK 2009, while its engraving solutions also drew plenty of interest.

Moisture management is key for sportsmen and women keen to get out in the summer sunshine. And Daiber's comprehensive sports wear range includes something for everyone.

M-Tech is celebrating its tenth year of trading in secondhand embroidery machines.

Mike Mahoney, who launched the company after serving 25 years with G E Macpherson Ltd is delighted with the business that he has processed with his many off shore customers.

Eazzee.co.uk have been awarded the contract to supply all merchandise for the Special Olympics Leicester 2009 (www.sol2009.com).

Dr Mike Bartle is the new president of the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC), the world's only chartered society, professional body and educational charity dedicated to the science, technology and application of colour. He takes over from Sue Williams.

Edun Live has produced a range of limited edition T shirts for men and women as part of yoox.com's environmentally sustainable project Yooxygen.

Come hail, rain or shine, riders from all over the world flock to Britain to compete in the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials.

The Scottish textile industry is set for a major resurgence in demand for industrial workwear, claims the new owner of Livingston-based Drummond Textiles.

A new a service for textile companies to test for substances of very high concern (SVHC) in garments, fabric, sewing thread, accessories and any other component in the supply chain has been launched by Shirley Technologies.

BTC activewear reckon their On-Line-Ordering system is arguably the best designed and simplest to use in the industry. And to remind customers of the many benefits, they've created a cute and memorable character called OLO (short for On-Line Ordering).

Leading Danish workwear brand Mascot is one of the many iconic new names launched earlier this year by BTC activewear to the imprint industry.

Speedbird Promotions Ltd, a leading innovator and marketer of unique promotional products and branding tools for the road transport and promotional industries, has formed a strategic partnership with Florida-based Branding Group.

Anvil has been ranked as the sixth largest organic cotton using brand in the world, according to the Organic Cotton Market Report 2007-2008 released by the non-profit organisation Organic Exchange.

According to UK pressure group the Soil Association, the value of trade in organic textiles and apparel could rise to £280 million in 2012 from sales of £100 million in 2008.

A new range of socks made from sustainable and renewable bamboo has been launched by performance socks manufacturer Bridgedale.

Russell has launched a suite of new sales support material for all their brands. The A6 booklets and DL flyers are all small enough to fit in any standard envelope, making for cost effective postage.

A number of companies chose this Spring's Promotional Marketing Exhibition (PME) at the Royal Horticultural Halls, London, to launch new products and services.

M&R has added the In-Tac internal shirt adhesive application system to its line of ancillary screen-printing equipment.

The new In-Tac streamlines and simplifies oversize and all-over printing by providing a simple, effective way to apply adhesive inside garments before they reach the press.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is helping hundreds more companies than ever before to export. The latest quarterly survey shows that a record 20,700 businesses were helped to generate £3.6 billion in additional profit.

Fruit of the Loom has produced a new, informative flyer to promote the budget-friendly benefits of the Screen Stars Original Polo.

PenCarrie has extended the number of customisation options available for customers wanting to use its online catalogue on their own website.

Sporting iD has been collaborating with The FA and Umbro for the past 18 months to develop the letters and numbers which appear on the England football team home playing kit for the 2009-11 period.

M&M's Centurian high speed automatic multicolour textile printer has been upgraded to include the latest electronics.

The bpma's first Academy graduation ceremony has taken place at the House of Commons with 65 guests in attendance.

UKL's annual Trade Show will take place on December 9 and 10, 2009.

The show will launch the company's 2010 brochure and will preview new styles from all the brands.

Summer's here and the race is on to kit out the cycling fraternity with stylish bikewear. Daiber's own brand James & Nicholson has a good range to choose from, including cushioned bike short tights (JN 322) which help take the strain over rough terrain.

Functional knits pioneer Eschler has launched an innovative fabric development for bike wear.

The Swiss brand knits a carbon core yarn into its technical stretch material e1 Carbon. This allows the fabric to achieve improved temperature management, prevents formation of odour and features anti-static properties.

Twenty-five out of a possible 30 medals went to athletes wearing race suits made of Eschler material at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Val d'Isere.

Liz Young has joined Farnborough-based Sourcing City as supplier services sales manager. Liz was previously marketing manager at Pen Warehouse, a leading trade exclusive pen supplier.

ETC Embroidery Supplies has a new name - ETC Supplies - to reflect developments and changes that have taken place this year, including a new website. MD, Jas Purba said: "The industry is no longer segmented into different suppliers for each product. Many embroidery companies now offer sublimation and heat press vinyl onto garments and vice versa. We now offer our products as ‘garment decoration', which covers all aspects of the industry."

A new, £100,000 screen printer is enabling Essential - formerly Essential Embroidery Design Ltd - to bring screen printing in-house for the first time.

KAMA has announced the UK launch of a hot foil stamping system for the ProCut 53 - the world's first flatbed A3 die cutter for offset and digital printers. The new hot foil stamping module finishes the most intricate scripts and designs with all kinds of hot foils at a rate of up to 5,000 sheets per hour.

BTC activewear has asked us to point out that our page 5 story in the April issue of Printwear & Promotion, inadvertently confused them with BTC Group. We apologise for the error.

Ethical manufacturer, Continental Clothing, working with the Carbon Trust, has launched the world's first carbon reduction label for textile products. It means that for the first time, UK buyers will learn about the carbon footprint of their clothing.

Russell is offering a newly upgraded and streamlined bespoke garment service, Russell Solutions, for 2009. Russell Solutions believes that designing and ordering garments should be as simple as buying stock product. 

Atech Ltd is meeting the demand for more versatile and unique large format printing by showcasing the latest Bedigital Texbejet direct-to-substrate printers - including the PT2600RB and PT1880RB models - at the recent Sign & Digital Show in Birmingham.

New MM25 Zippie from Mumbles is great for customers wanting a bear that can be decorated directly onto. Embroidering is easy thanks to the innovative back zip which allows easy access to his tummy.

PenCarrie's website now has a new facility called Logo Decorator. The aim is to help customers win new business by showing how Fruit of the Loom garments might look when a logo is added. 

Promotional wear expert Daiber has launched a new Best-of catalogue which includes highlights of the James & Nicholson Workbook and the stars of the Myrtle Beach catalogue Caps 2009. To make it into the catalogue, products must fill all promotional wear fans with enthusiasm and they have to be up to date.

Jerzees Schoolgear have developed the Jerzees Schoolgear Brand Book which aims to show customers their commitment to their products and customers.

Outdoor clothing brand Regatta has announced its sponsorship of primetime ITV programme Countrywise, presented by Paul Heiney.

Asthma UK is calling on printers to participate in a new scheme, Business Against Asthma, warning that paper dust and some printing inks and adhesives could cause potentially fatal attacks.

A new online marketplace for SMEs has been launched by Wilcom International, a leading developer of embroidery and decoration technology.

As we went to press, EskoArtwork was set to unveil its Kongsberg i-XL24 digital converting table with the i-cut® 6.2 vision control system at this year's Sign and Digital Exhibition at Birmingham's NEC.

Justadrop has launched what is claimed as the first ever biodegradable bottle in the UK.

An eco-friendly wristband and lanyard have been introduced by ID&C, offering a greener solution for promotional branding.

BTC Group has won the contract to exclusively supply The Manchester Airports Group with promotional merchandise, supported by a tailored merchandise webshop. The group operates four airports - Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside. For more information visit www.btcgroup.co.uk

A Click and Mix service is allowing Brunel Trade Services customers to design their own calendars online. Distributors can choose from standard templates, then upload their images, or choose a design from an online library. Click and Mix is accessible as a link via distributor websites. For more information call 01179 636161.

Direct to product ink jet printers have been around for a few years now but few companies have committed themselves to research and development like DTG.

A versatile, low cost high functionality terminal - ideal for use in warehouses, production and packing facilities - has been launched by ATMS.

UKL's annual Trade Show will take place on December 9 and 10, 2009.

Sustainable corporate name badges have been launched by Promo2u.

Companies could be fined between 2.5% and 10% of their turnover for committing the new offence of corporate manslaughter. For some companies, it could mean fines of hundreds of millions of pounds.

There is a lot to shout about in 2009 for Jerzees Schoolgear - a new "Less is More" range; a refined fleece range; two new contemporary jackets but the cherry on the cake has to be the refinement of the iconic 762 sweatshirt - available from 1 April 2009.

Myrtle Beach's latest cap, the Embossed 6 has emerged triumphant with an accolade at the 2009 Promotional Gift Awards.

Now in its 14th year, Natural and Organic Products Europe 2009 is is the event to be seen at for eco-friendly and fair trade products.

A Kent-based company that specialises in corporate and promotional clothing recently launched an advanced digital printing service that aims to offer a broad range of services to its UK customers.

Beechfield has donated beanie hats, gloves and a set of Teamwear Caps to ‘Back2Africa in 2010' - a charity project that is raising funds for the Twabuka Community School in Sindie, Zambia.

I.S.Enterprises, the Essex based supplier of promotional clothing and corporate wear has launched a fresh and sophisticated website for 2009.

The new Result 2009 website has a sophisticated and streamlined image. Visitors to the site are welcomed with a funky video of the new 2009 TECH Performance Soft Shell range. A New feature to the website is a one click, easy to read menu where all products are accessible from a simple dropdown dialog box accessible from any page throughout the site. Its new zoom feature helps you choose the product that is right for you. At a click of a button you can change the colourway and enlarge the image to view features up close.

Prestige Leisure are pleased to announce the arrival of their 2009 Brochure Collection. The brochure has 304 pages and weighs 814g which is able to be posted 1st or 2nd Class, allowing customers to keep their mailing costs to a minimum - £2.61 first class and £2.11 second class. The priced brochures are available in a spiral bound format and PUR bound to ensure the durability. The brochures are available without prices and overprinting facilities are offered.

Victory Design Ltd has long been a leading supplier of garment film to a variety of trades with their ever popular easiMARK range.

The natural beauty of the scenery that serves as a back drop for the 2009 Mantis World photo shoot, also provided inspiration for the design and build of its new P & P exhibition stand.

Located just beside the entrance and with one of the most strikingly colourful stands, Just Hoods by AWDis enjoyed three very encouraging days at P and P this year

Another of this year's debutants at the show, Franklins Group, experienced huge demand for its products.

PromoServe Business Systems are delighted to welcome back Graham Anderson from the United States, where he's spent the last year implementing and fine-tuning arguably the most advanced promotional products eCommerce system in the World. Using QuickOrder Portal website technology to attract both end users and corporate schemes, Graham has set up a fully automated sales order process which sees orders taken online being downloaded into the back office software, PromoServe, and an electronic job bag is automatically created.

MASCOT is set to be one of the stars of this year's Health and Safety Expo at the NEC in Birimingham, which takes place between May 12-14.

Fruit at Work: Bars/Restaurants/ Hotels/Cafés/Takeaways is a new 20- page brochure from Fruit of the Loom that presents the company's bestselling hospitality wear styles, (14 in total), along with key garment specifications and options.

During spring, the choice of the perfect garment is especially difficult: mild temperatures announce the oncoming summer but at the same time, spring also stands for rain and cool days.

For a truly unique and eye-catching promotion opt for Listawood's new ColourCoat Mugs. These popular mugs are coated in a colour of your choice and are branded with a screen overprint. The inside of the mug remains white to illuminate the stunning pantone matched coating.

TheMagicTouch in association with Sawgrass Technologies introduce a new and innovative way to produce sublimation ink transfers.

RSK Tech gives massive boost to global expansion plans via major new distribution/technology transfer deal with US distribution giant Hirsch International of Hauppauge, New York and embroidery technology leader Pulse Microsystems of Mississauga, Ontario

Spandex, the pioneering one-stop supplier of complete and innovative solutions to the digital printing and sign making industries worldwide, has announced that Bristol-based screen-printer and sign manufacturer, Signet Signs Ltd, has installed a Gerber Solara ionx UV wide-format digital inkjet printer.

Pandor Clothing, manufacturers of promotional, work, corporate, sports and leisure clothing has announced the addition of two new products to its 2009 range.

Headwear UK has entered the environmentally friendly market with a new recycled cap.

Leading multi-brand distributor PenCarrie has set the dates for a series of ‘Sneak Preview' events to introduce garment decorators to all the new products the company will be stocking in 2010. The events will take place between 9th and 20th November 2009 at venues throughout the UK.

Dickies (UK) Limited, one of the UK's leading workwear manufacturers, which is based in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, have introduced a premium range of stylish garments created for the modern worker who wants practical and durable clothing whilst looking and feeling good.

Workwear and Safety Footwear manufacturer MASCOT have been working hard to provide more protection for hard working feet by producing a boot specifically designed for the UK market. Incorporating the latest design developments in MASCOT Footwear the Batura Safety Boot provides the highest level of protection yet comes at a very competitive price.

The Badgemaster challenge

Leading international supplier of name badges, Badgemaster is inviting buyers to achieve the seemingly impossible: cut costs while improving quality and service.

A strong sense of anticipation has built around the arrival of Skinnifit's latest clothing collection.

TheMagicTouch has an innovative new product in the form of the SmartBox, a range of bespoke silver gift boxes to decorate and personalise.

The bpma will launch the second course of its new academy this month.

A.W.T. World Trade Inc. makes washing out and inspecting screen frames easier, more efficient, less messy, and more environmentally friendly with its extremely durable Kleen-View^TM Washout Sink. To reduce backsplash from high-pressure washout of ink residue, the stainless-steel Kleen-View features an extra-deep trough with a corrugated fiberglass back panel.

Organisers of the Sign and Digital Show at the NEC this April have confirmed that 90 percent of floorspace at the event has already been taken.

Hamamatsu, Japan, January 13, 2009. Roland DG Corporation today announced the completion of its Miyakoda factory expansion. The Miyakoda factory is responsible for producing the company's best-selling, wide-format inkjet printers for the durable graphics industry.

After the success of the 2009 brochure UKL have launched a new look web site. The web site has a new contemporary look with improved quick links to the most used areas.

In tandem with the launch of the new Kala Mistral wide-format laminator from UK distributor and specialists PFS, has revealed its latest Trade-in, trade up sales and marketing activities.

Say hello to the French, German, Turkish, Italian and Dutch exhibitors that have already signed up to the Promotional Marketing Exhibition (PME) European promotional merchandise companies are choosing The Promotional Marketing Exhibition 2009, held at the Royal Horticultura Halls, Westminster between March 24-26 to launch the latest products/services in a bid to penetrate the UK market.

Victory Design Ltd is celebrating 20 years as a supplier to sign making and garment personalisation industries.

From humble origins in a small corner shop it has developed into a lively and expansive business. Recent months have seen significant changesto both products and staff that will have a lasting impact on the company.

The entertainment giant Merlin Entertainments Group, owner of such iconic brands as Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo and the London Eye, has just announced the accreditation of Taylor Made Designs as their Preferred Supplier for uniforms.

An impressive total of more than 250 suppliers from 21 countries turned out at the Ricoh arena, Coventry which attracted significant attendance

The promotions industry is dominated by Small to medium enterprises, and many of them will never have experienced a recession. What's important is proper financial planning and a focus on liquidity.

Promotional teddy bear brand Mumbles has launched a new website for 2008, incorporating information about suppliers, distributors and a history of the company.

The new Marketing Association Alliance will make its debut at the Promotional Marketing Exhibition (15 - 17 April, Olympia London).