President's Letter

Happy Summer Season to all the SACDV members!
by Brett Hersh
I know the hot weather is here but the more important question is ARE YOUR SALES HOT? I am hearing great things from so many SACDV supplier and distributor members about the activity in the marketplace.
There was a record turnout at The Promotions East Show in Atlantic City. The SACDV membership was represented very strong. I walked the show on the second day and I think I said hello to a SACDV member in every isle. It was nice to feel the energy on the show floor.
We had a very nice turnout to our meet and greet happy hour at Redstone Grill. If you were not able to make this one please look out for the next one which will be scheduled after the summer.
On August 1st we are having our first annual SACDV Golf event. There is room for 25 supplier or supplier reps to take a foursome and mingle with any of their distributor partners. The cost is only $260 for four golfers and that includes golf, drinks, food and a fantastic presentation on product safety. If you are a distributor and want to buy a foursome to play or play in a foursome with a supplier please send that request as well. These 25 spots will sell fast so please register early by sending an e-mail to Jim Harmon at sacdvorg@aol.com.
Again, please look on our website which will feature over $1,000 in supplier coupons. Making sure we offer value and a good return on your membership investment is always top of mind with the leadership at SACDV. Our 2011 Fall Holiday Show will be bigger and better than ever and we have some fun new surprises to make this event even better than before. So don't forget to renew your membership in SADCV so we can continue to work for you, our members.
Next week there will be six people from the SACDV board that will travel to Dallas, TX to attend the Leadership Development Workshop with the other 27 regional associations. We will be there to learn the many things we can do to help make SACDV better for all of us. The main goal is how to we continue to add value to our members and help foster business.
Lastly, there was a 10-2 vote at our last board meeting to change the name of SACDV to something more updated and descriptive to the area representing the members as well as what we do. If anyone has any suggestions or an opinion regarding this please send me an e-mail to bhersh@admints.com. Happy Selling!

Sincerely,

Brett F. Hersh
Admints & Zagabor

StateWatch: Cadmium Legislation Update

Cadmium has been an area of concern for the public and local, state, national and non-U.S. governments. There are numerous state proposals to restrict cadmium, primarily in children's jewelry but also in other children's products.
Since first reporting the pending cadmium legislation in the January issue of Government Relations Today, the bills in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi have failed to pass.
In Massachusetts, Maine and New York, however, the following legislation is still pending:
• MA Senate Bill 1074: No person may manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for sale, distribute for sale or distribute for use children's jewelry containing cadmium in any paint or surface coating or accessible substrate that exceeds 75 parts per million, as determined through solubility testing for heavy metals defined in the ASTM International Safety Specification on Toy Safety, ASTM Standard F-936.
• ME House Bill 385: Beginning July 1, 2013, a person may not manufacture, sell, distribute or offer for sale or distribution a children's product that contains cadmium at more than .004 percent by weight. Children's products include any component of a consumer product that is designed or intended primarily for use on or by children.
• NY Assembly Bill 1158: On and after June 1, 2013, no person shall sell, offer for sale or distribute free of charge in the state any cadmium-added novelty consumer product (.0075 percent by weight). A manufacturer that produces or that sells cadmium-added novelty consumer products shall notify retailers that sell such products about the product ban and inform such retailers how to properly dispose of the remaining inventory. Cadmium-added novelty consumer products include but are not limited to jewelry, toys and ornaments.
In Maryland, House Bill 145 was enacted on May 19. According to the law, on or after July 1, 2012, a person may not manufacture, sell, offer for sale or distribute in the state any children's jewelry that contains cadmium at more than .0075 percent by weight. Children's jewelry means any jewelry, including a charm bracelet, pendant, necklace, earring or ring, and any component of jewelry, designed or intended to be worn or used by a child under the age of 13 years.
PPAI will continue to monitor and report product safety legislation in the states. Learn more about product safety and responsibility with PPAI's webinars, live events, product guides and resources.

Spotlight On Legislation: CPSIA Revisions Possible
The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce through its Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade met in April to consider draft legislation that would revise consumer product safety law. According to the Subcommittee, the objectives of the legislation would be to reduce the regulatory burdens created by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) where possible to do so without harming consumers, to enhance the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) ability to investigate complaints and to prioritize based on risk, and to improve the utility and accuracy of information in the CPSC's public database.
On May 23, Representative Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) introduced H.R. 1939, Enhancing CPSC Authority and Discretion Act of 2011.
The following are some of the revisions included in this legislation:
• Application of lead limits: the bill would postpone the deadline for step down to 100 ppm lead limit, make lead limits applicable only to products manufactured after they became effective and allow the CPSC to establish exception for parts that have negligible amounts of lead if they cannot be swallowed.
• Application of third-party testing: the bill would give the CPSC flexibility to require third-party testing for other standards only if it establishes exemptions or alternative testing requirements for products made in small quantities.
• Application of phthalates standard: the bill would reduce the scope of parts and products to which the CPSIA's phthalate limit applies.
• Exemption authority for tracking labels requirement: the bill would allow the CPSC to exempt products or classes of products and set alternative requirements from the labeling requirement if it is not "economically practicable."
• Requirement for public database: the bill would create a process for strengthening product identification, limit inaccurate information and make it a prohibited act to misrepresent a submission to the database.
PPAI worked closely with its Product Responsibility Action Group (PRAG) and Government Relations Action Council (GRAC) to identify the issue and to draft a statement of suggestions to legislators. PPAI will continue to monitor these legislative developments. There is no action to take at this time.

Advocacy At Home: Plan A Successful Facility Tour
If you were involved in this year's PPAI L.E.A.D. or visited your MOC's (member of Congress) district office during the August Recess, you were likely met by your member of Congress or a staff member. Now, it's your turn to roll out the welcome mat and invite your members of Congress on a tour of your facility.
Tours provide a great opportunity to educate legislators on the importance of manufacturing, the country's small-business presence and the creativity and vibrancy of the promotional products industry.
For promotional products industry members, facility tours demonstrate what we all know is true about supplier and distributor plants and facilities: They are sources of strength, innovation and growth in the U.S. They are also affected by federal and state regulations every day. Your elected officials need to see and hear about the effects of these laws and regulations.
Advocate for the industry by welcoming your member of Congress on a tour using PPAI's top 10 tips for a successful facility tour as a guide:
1. Team Work: Don't try to organize it alone—recruit a team. Appoint or recruit staff to a cross-departmental committee to ensure that all aspects of the tour run smoothly. Reach out to your regional association or PPAI for tips and guidance.
2. Be Persistent: If your member of Congress' scheduler turns down a particular date, offer another.
3. Be Flexible: If your choices still don't work, ask the scheduler to pick a date. Be sure to have back-up dates in mind. MOCs' schedules are subject to change.
4. Invite Partners: Invite suppliers in your area or regional association leadership to participate in the tour in advance of the event.
5. Spread The Word: Develop a press kit and send it to local media, PPAI publications and regional associations. Take pictures, document the event and publicize after the event as well.
6. Tell The Story: Discuss the value of promotional products, the strength of the industry and your facility's contribution to the community. Find talking points at www.ppailaw.org.
7. Map It: Map a route of the tour and make sure all attendees and company staff have a copy.
8. Rehearse It: Rehearse the walk through during regular business hours and be sure to stay within your allotted time.
9. Follow Up: Send a thank-you note to your MOC and include some of the key points made during your tour. Include pictures of the event in your note. Invite him or her to return at any time.
10. Recognize It: Recognize your MOC with a promotional product to commemorate the visit. Remember to thank company staff who offered their time and expertise to make the tour a success.

Review the National Association of Manufacturing's Guide to Successful Plant Tours For Elected Officials and Their Staff for detailed guidance on organizing a facility tour. For more guidance, contact Anne Lardner-Stone or Eme Alberico

Feed us some news to share with others!
Since our newsletter is a bi-monthly publication, perhaps you have noticed our new SACDV Briefings that is sent out every 2 weeks.  This is our way of reaching out to you, more often, in a compact and succinct format.  But we need your help!  Please share with us, via Michele Jennrich, SACDV Secretary (secretary@sacdv.org) any news you have to share about your company or your family.  Think of this as a grass roots campaign to bring us back together, getting to know one another again, in this age of online technology.  Maybe you received an award or some type of business recognition - tell us about it.  Perhaps you had a child graduate from college - let's celebrate it!  This is YOUR organization and YOUR publication.    

SAVE THE DATE

Sept 14th, 2011
SACDV Fall Expo
Valley Forge Convention Center
Valley Forge, PA

Birth Announcement
Congratulations to SACDV's Own Kiran Walker on the birth of her little girl, Airanna Joy, on April 25th. Airanna Joy weighed in at 7lbs 7oz and 21 3/4" long. Both mother and baby are doing well. Kiran, We wish you and your family all the best.

Thank You!
SACDV's Own Cathy Martino is retiring from ASI after 21 years in the industry. Cathy is a hard worker and loyal friend. She will be greatly missed. We wish you all the best.

Last Riddle Answer: No unlisted numbers would be listed because they are UNlisted numbers. Last Issues Riddle Winners Larry Altman - BlueStar John Davis - Jersey Devil Specialties Dan Nelis - Promotional Products Etc Cathy Martino - ASI Christian May - Integrated Promotions Honorable Mention Steven Mitchell - Multi-Line Rep for Apollo East, Turfer, Tehama, Astor Chocolate, Dorcy, and Aloe Up Meryl Gerner - Simco Sportswear and Advertising Specialties Teresa Bunger - Sanford Business-to-Business

This Issues Riddle: What english word means burning wood when you take away the first letter of the word?