ASI® Launches Supplier Global Resource Magazine

Trevose, PA – April 25, 2005 – Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) announced today it is launching Supplier Global Resource magazine in July 2005, a bi-monthly publication written to address unique challenges facing North American promotional products suppliers.

The all-new Supplier Global Resource magazine will provide suppliers with the latest industry news and strategies for improving business operations at all levels of their companies. It will regularly address hot topics, including pricing plans, tax issues, customer service trends and product trends. Readers can also look forward to regular columns on recruiting and retaining the best employees, making smart technology purchases and handling cultural differences when doing business with overseas partners.

Subscriptions to the magazine will be available only to ASI suppliers and will be included at no charge in ASI membership. 

“We’re addressing concerns our supplier members are raising about the complex environment they are working in,”said Timothy M. Andrews, president of ASI. “This is a complicated time in our industry –costs are increasing, competitors are everywhere and non-traditional distributors and suppliers are sources of concern. Supplier Global Resource will help readers navigate through these changing times.”

Rich Fairfield, publisher of ASI, said “Our goal with Supplier Global Resource is to help empower suppliers to make more informed business decisions and to learn about the benefits of our changing industry. Readers can take advantage of editorial focused on a variety of issues, from the latest in manufacturing technology to materials sourcing.”Fairfield further explained that advertisers will be limited to North American-based firms and will offer products and services that suppliers will find useful.

Suppliers have embraced early prototypes of the publication and are looking forward to the three upcoming issues in 2005.

“Leave it up to ASI to identify a need and offer a solution,”said Sam DiBiase, vice president of sales for Leed’s (asi/66887). “This new magazine provides a forum for suppliers to read and share the latest thinking on topics that are of specific interest. I can’t wait to read the first issue.”

Eric Johnson, MAS, vice president of sales and development for Halls & Company (asi/59080), said “It’s great that ASI will be addressing supplier issues in this new publication. I look forward to learning more about succeeding as a supplier and having a new venue to discuss the future of the industry.”

For more information about Supplier Global Resource, contact Michele Bell, editor at ASI, at 800-326-7378, ext. 3323, or at [email protected].  To learn more about advertising opportunities, contact Ed Koehler, advertising director at ASI, at 800-546-1261 or at [email protected]. BPA Worldwide business publication audit membership applied for April 2005.

About ASI
Advertising Specialty Institute is the largest media organization serving the promotional products industry, with a membership of 20,000 distributor firms (sellers) and supplier firms (manufacturers) of promotional products. Supplier firms use ASI print and electronic resources to market products to more than 17,000 ASI distributor firms. Distributor firms use ASI print and electronic resources, which contain more than 700,000 promotional products, to locate supplier firms and to market services to buyers. ASI provides catalogs, informational directories, newsletters, magazines, Websites and databases, and offers interactive e-commerce, marketing and selling tools. Visit www.asicentral.com.