PPB March 2016

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MARCH 2016 • PPB • 69
turned to PPAI and the tools
they had (the number of which
have tripled or even quadrupled
since then), and they got me
through the worst days of my
compliance training and made
me my company’s go-to guy in
the eyes of many.
The materials and resources
available on the PPAI website at
have
been created and designed with
our members and the industry in
mind. Most of these resources
have been scaled down from
hard-to-read, convoluted and
complex statutes, into manage-
able, easy-to-digest chunks of
information geared specifically
towards the impact on the pro-
motional products industry.
I believe there is misplaced
fear out there—that product
safety and other responsible
sourcing activities are scary sub-
jects and too overwhelming to
implement within one’s own
daily activities. At one time I
would have agreed. It will be as
scary and as complicated as you
make it.
Often, I advise my audiences
to take in the information slowly
and implement it in small doses.
Trying to do too much at one
time will overwhelm you and is
likely to end in failure. This is
why we have developed so many
best practices, webinars, guides
and online tools designed to
guide our members through the
process step-by-step.
Understanding and accept-
ing compliance requirements
and the effect these regulations
have on this industry can and
will provide you with a unique
selling advantage for years to
come. While responsible sourc-
ing is your responsibility as a
distributor or supplier it does
not have to be onerous. With a
little effort and time you will
accrue the knowledge and com-
fort level to talk openly with
your clients about being their
brand steward. In the end, you
will earn their trust, separate
yourself from the competition,
avoid hefty fines and establish
yourself as the expert.
Tim Brown, MAS, is PPAI’s product responsibility manager. In 2013 he brought his background in supplier relations, sourcing
and vendor compliance to his role at PPAI with the intent of driving member advocacy and communicating product safety
issues throughout the industry. Prior to joining PPAI, Brown was the supplier relationship manager at Cintas Promotional
Products, where he implemented industry-leading supplier management best practices. He has served on the Quality
Certification Alliance (QCA) Distributor Advocacy Council, as well as on the board of directors for Tri-State Promotional
Products Association (TSPPA) as president in 2012. He also served as a member of PPAI’s Product Responsibility Action
Group (PRAG). Brown was named a PPB Rising Star in 2012.
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