ASB Holds National Conference in Dallas, Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2009
Contact: Faith Anderson
(800) 862-3690
American Solutions for Business
Glenwood, MN American Solutions for Business (ASB), based in Glenwood, Minnesota, held its winter sales conference on February 2-6 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Later that week, the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) hosted their show just blocks away at the Dallas Convention Center. A total of 425 ASB associates from across the country converged on Dallas on Sunday and Monday and attended the company’s general session and tradeshow on Tuesday. The rest of the week was spent attending educational workshops, social events and the tradeshow in conjunction with the ASI event.
ASI Welcomed ASB
ASI President Tim Andrews was the opening speaker at the ASB general session, and after welcoming everyone to Dallas he spoke to the assembly regarding a recent research study done by ASI, showing how promotional products influence end-users’ decisions and illustrating the staying power and number of impressions of popular advertising specialties. The research compared the cost per impression of advertising specialties to other popular advertising media. The study was released in November, 2008.
New President of Operations Introduced
Alan Grundei, ASB’s President of Operations who joined the company in December, was formally introduced at the General Session and gave an update on the company’s operations and improvements being made to systems.
Best Kept Secret
ASB’s theme for the week was “American…the Best Kept Secret.” When over 400 individuals, dressed in mint green polo shirts showed up at the convention center; it was apparent to vendors and distributors alike that the 28-year-old company had grown. ASB was ranked fifteenth in sales of promotional products last year, which was a 12 percent increase from the previous year’s volume. In addition, ASB was ranked the best place to work among distributors last fall when ASI’s Counselor magazine, along with an independent research company, ran an in-depth survey that ended in the final quarter of 2008 with the announcement of the best places to work in the industry.
“With promotional products making up nearly 35 percent of our sales, it was a great decision to align our conference with ASI and provide opportunities for our associates to take in the ASI Show while they were in town,” said Sadie Schlief, ASB’s Promotional Coordinator. “For those associates who have not waded into the world of advertising specialties, it was a good chance to see the vast assortment of options available and to network with experts in the industry.”
“We’ve always held two conferences a year in Minnesota so it was great to come together in Dallas where the weather was a bit warmer,” stated Larry Zavadil, Founder and President of Sales. “We had a record turnout which may be partially attributed to weather, but the convenience of being able to attend the ASI Show also influenced associates to take time from their busy schedules. The week was a total success.”
About American Solutions for Business
ASB offers a wide range of business products and services including printing, advertising specialty products, office supplies, corporate apparel, marketing, e-commerce and fulfillment solutions. Founded in 1981, ASB has been employee-owned since 2000 and has over 1,000 employees, of which 660 are sales associates and 400 are support staff, working from the home office in Glenwood, Minnesota or in remote offices throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Website: www.americanbus.com
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