Pe t e r Hi r sch , MAS A Service Veteran, In More Ways Than One Along with the growth and success of Houston, Texas, supplier Hirsch Gift in its 22 years of operation, President Peter Hirsch, MAS, has made it a priority to turn his company’s triumphs into opportunities to enrich the lives of others, particularly in times of great need. Since emigrating to the United States from South Africa in 1997 with his wife of 44 years, Elaine, and founding his company, a supplier of hardgoods promotional products two years later, Hirsch has remained an active participant in his community and industry. While building up his company from a single office manager and a few production workers to what is now a $24 million-dollar business, Hirsch has also been a dedicated supporter of the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) and held positions on various boards and committees—both with PPAI and his regional association, Houston Promotional Products Association (HPPA)—in addition to having orchestrated efforts to support the country’s veteran population and victims of natural disasters. In January at The PPAI Expo, Hirsch will be recognized with PPAI’s 2022 H. Ted. Olson Humanitarian Award for his willingness to showcase true leadership as a teamplayer and by making his achievements into collective wins for all. The highly esteemed recognition is presented annually tomembers who have shown long-standing empathy, devotion and commitment to improving quality of life and bringing about change for the betterment of a community. “Peter Hirsch is the picture of service,” says Leslie Roark, CAS, CPIM, president and owner of Spring, Texas, distributor PromoPros/IncentPros, and one of Hirsch’s nominators. “Every time there is a crisis in our community or industry, he is the first to organize something to help. He uses his facilities and his resources to tackle the crisis.” Hirsch led the relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In the aftermath of both natural disasters which hit the U.S. gulf coast, Hirsch was one of the first promotional products professionals to respond to a call for help, and he coordinated a massive effort to receive and store industry donations in a nearby, borrowed warehouse that was close to Hirsch Gift’s headquarters. After Hurricane Harvey—a catastrophe that caused damage tomore than 200,000 homes and thousands of vehicles, and displaced nearly 40,000 people—Hirsch helped to orchestrate the distribution of more than 200 skids of donated product, which were sent to schools, churches and community centers in Houston. For those in need locally, donations were driven to nearby residential areas, like Meyerland and Bellaire. Along with the successes of his company Hirsch Gift, President Peter Hirsch has continuously given of his time, talent and resources to industry- and communityfocused causes, from supporting the Promotional Products Education Foundation for the past 17 years, to orchestrating giveback efforts for the nonprofit Homes For Our Troops, to supporting those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. by Danielle Renda 60 | DECEMBER 2021 | THINK
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