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Washington, D.C., was a busy place in
late April when nearly 80 promotional
products industry professionals and PPAI
staff crisscrossed Capitol Hill over two
days for the eighth annual PPAI Legislative
Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.).
Government-funding extensions, the
President’s 100-day marker and debates
surrounding tax reform, trade agreements
and health care filled lawmakers’ agendas.
Yet in that environment, delegations from
20 states and five regional associations
forged meaningful connections with
legislators and their staffs, and educated
them on the promotional products industry
and its key issues.
Holding 260 meetings on April 26-27,
L.E.A.D. delegates met with elected officials
and their staffs on several priority issues for
the industry, including the proposed border
adjustment tax (BAT), advertising deductions
and the economic status of the promotional
products industry as a thriving business
sector and a major source of employment.
Virginia’s delegation—Craig Dickens,
vice president and sales manager for
Suntex Industries; Jeff Marks, president of
Promotional Considerations, and Harold
Wood, account manager at BIC Graphic
USA—met with a number of legislators on
Capitol Hill, including Rep. Morgan Griffith
(R-VA) and his legislative director, Bobby
Hammill. “Griffith and Hammill were very
interested in learning about our position on
the border adjustment tax,” says Dickens.
“We explained the big difference between
the retail industry importing items for resale,
and our industry which is that while we do
import a lot of products, we also add value
to these imports. We provide thousands
of jobs domestically across the U.S. They
appreciated our information and said that
they had never thought about imports in this
fashion, with added value and jobs.”
Dickens adds, “I think what impressed
me the most was they asked us to stay
in touch about our industry and issues. I
received an email from Hamill within 10
minutes of our meeting as a follow-up.
Without PPAI promoting our industry they
would have never had this information.”
Three members of the Pennsylvania
delegation—Bruce Korn, president of Zakback,
Inc.; George Jackson, owner of George Jackson
Promotions, Inc.; and Chuck Manchion, senior
vice president of ASI—visited the office of Sen.
Bob Casey (D-PA) and met with legislative
correspondent Virginia Lenahan. “The biggest
takeaway I had was that Sen. Casey very
much wants to work for small businesses
in a bipartisan way,” says Korn, noting that
a discussion on the BAT and advertising
deductions is on hold pending a White House
budget proposal. “By and large though, there
is agreement that the BAT is not in the best
interests of Americans and businesses of all
sizes who work with imported goods.”
Brad Ness, president at S&S Promotional
Group in Fargo, North Dakota, began the
day by attending a weekly breakfast held
by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and then had a
productive meeting with Tyler Hardy, a staff
member in the office of Sen. John Hoeven
(R-ND). “The senator is a strong advocate for
small business,” says Ness. “We reviewed
the independent contractor situation and how
independent contractors are beneficial to North
Dakota business. We also discussed BAT and
the other topics important to our industry.”
He also met with Alex McIntyre in
the office of Congressman Kevin Cramer
(R-ND) and was pleased to hear that
the congressman is a supporter of the
L.E.A.D. BringsThe Industry’s
Voice To Capitol Hill
Fran Ford, CAS, (second from left) and Bob McLean (right) with Sen. Dean
Heller (R-NV) (second from right) and Joseph Boddicker, tax counsel and
legislative assistant.
Carrie Laufenburg, MAS, finishes a visit at Sen.
Rand Paul’s (R-KY) offices.
PPAI Board Chair Mary Jo Tomasini, MAS, and PPAI President and CEO Paul
Bellantone, CAE (right), present Sen. Gery Peters with the Association’s
Legislator of the Year award.
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JUNE 2017
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