PPAI • JUNE 2026 • 43 Since 1958, the annual awards have honored creative excellence in the industry and recognized dependable suppliers, outstanding promotions, creative campaigns and exceptional craftsmanship by Association members. And for the first time in 2026, both submissions in the program and Pyramid wins counted toward companies’ final rankings in PPAI 100, in line with the Association’s updated mission to “elevate the industry.” Neaman considers Vantage’s three-decade streak of Golden Pyramid Awards to be validation of its commitment to operational consistency and continuous investment in people, technology and process. “The millions of pieces we do every year become represented by the award winner,” Neaman says. “We know we’re the best at embroidery. We like pushing the envelope, and the digitizers like to be challenged. We take pride in raising the bar. It’s not that we walk on water, but we know we’re the rock stars.” Threading The Needle WinterPalooza is a series of events in New England that include winter-themed sports along with festive food and drinks. Vantage partnered with a top merch distributor to create the award-winning design for WinterPalooza 2025. The design, applied to the Vantage Roadie Denim Jacket, required nearly 60,000 stitches alongside direct-to-film embroidery to add depth and texture to the visually striking decoration. The guitar centerpiece was elevated with a laser-cut appliqué base, serving both aesthetic and functional purposes. By building the foundation with embroidery, the Vantage team could incorporate metallic gold threads – a notoriously challenging thread type due to frequent breakage – for the guitar strings. This approach minimized stress on the metallic thread, ensuring clean, uninterrupted runs while enhancing the design’s dimensional appeal. By using advanced equipment capable of handling high stitch counts and intricate detail, the team was able to maintain the highest level of craftsmanship throughout the process. Perhaps most impressive is that lead digitizer Dave Buzinkai pulled it all off on his first try. “It takes a lot of work, but we try to do things that push the boundaries,” says Buzinkai, who came to Vantage right out of college and hasn’t needed to update his résumé in 32 years. While surveying an array of previous Pyramid Award-winning designs in Vantage’s showroom, I’m blown away by the eye-popping colors and imagery. Buzinkai remembers the painstaking precision that went into each. “Our customers trust our creativity,” he says. “My favorite part of the job is when someone asks, ‘This can’t be done, can it?’ I’ll go out of my way to make sure it can be done.” Neaman says the team has always been obsessive about quality – the best thread, the best fabrics, the best yarns. “If you make it better than everybody else, you’ll always have a market,” he says. “You never want to be in a race to the bottom. If you have competition, let them cut corners, because eventually the truth wins out. The distributor who’s looking out for the customer will get the best product for the customer.” Setting Sail Yearning to sit under Neaman’s learning tree, Watson, 47, requested to be at his table during an awards dinner more than a decade ago. Neaman’s reputation preceded him, and Watson, who had never met his future boss, was drawn to the industry veteran’s knowledge, easy-going nature and endless ambition. “There was something about Ira – he’s the entrepreneur and thought leader, and yet he’s not done,” Watson says. “He has a pulse of where we need to focus. He has his foot on the gas pedal, and he’s not afraid to invest in what’s next.” Watson, a James Madison University graduate, shares that restlessness, eager to disrupt the status quo. Before entering the branded merch industry, Watson was marketing and revenue manager for Royal Suppliers | Must Read Dave Buzinkai “My favorite part of the job is when someone asks, ‘This can’t be done, can it?’ I’ll go out of my way to make sure it can be done.” – DAVE BUZINKAI
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