Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Electronic Filing System. http://estta.uspto.gov
`ESTTA699065
`ESTTA Tracking number:
`09/29/2015
`
`Filing date:
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`Petition for Cancellation
`
`Notice is hereby given that the following party requests to cancel indicated registration.
`Petitioner Information
`
`Name
`Entity
`Address
`
`Advertising Specialty Institute, Inc.
`Corporation
`Citizenship
`4800 Street Road
`Trevose, PA 19053
`UNITED STATES
`
`Pennsylvania
`
`Attorney informa-
`tion
`
`Roberta Jacobs-Meadway
`Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC
`50 South 16th Street Two Liberty Place, 22nd Floor
`Philadelhpia, PA 19102
`UNITED STATES
`rjacobsmeadway@eckertseamans.com, ipdocket@eckertseamans.com
`Phone:215-851-8522
`Registration Subject to Cancellation
`
`4476721
`NONE
`
`Registration No
`International Re-
`gistration No.
`Registrant
`
`Registration date
`International Re-
`gistration Date
`DUQUE LOPEZ, ADRIANA MARIA
`Centro Comercial Hollywood
`MedellÃ-n,
`COLOMBIA
`Goods/Services Subject to Cancellation
`
`02/04/2014
`NONE
`
`Class 025. First Use: 0 First Use In Commerce: 0
`All goods and services in the class are cancelled, namely: Footwear; Headgear, namely, hats and
`caps; Jeans; Shorts; Skirts
`
`Grounds for Cancellation
`
`Priority and likelihood of confusion
`
`Trademark Act section 2(d)
`
`Marks Cited by Petitioner as Basis for Cancellation
`
`U.S. Registration
`No.
`Registration Date
`
`1176093
`
`11/03/1981
`
`Word Mark
`Design Mark
`
`ASI
`
`Application Date
`
`07/02/1979
`
`Foreign Priority
`Date
`
`NONE
`
`

`
`Description of
`Mark
`Goods/Services
`
`NONE
`
`Class 016. First use: First Use: 1950/09/00 First Use In Commerce: 1950/09/00
`Printed Material-Namely, Reports, Directories, Indices, Newsletters,
`Magazines,Catalogues and Brochures
`Class 035. First use: First Use: 1950/09/00 First Use In Commerce: 1950/09/00
`Preparing Specialty Advertising for Others; Rental of Mailing Lists to Others; and
`Business Consultation for Others in Connection with Advertising
`
`U.S. Registration
`No.
`Registration Date
`
`1729220
`
`11/03/1992
`
`Application Date
`
`05/07/1990
`
`Foreign Priority
`Date
`
`NONE
`
`Word Mark
`Design Mark
`Description of
`Mark
`Goods/Services
`
`ASI QUARTERLY REGISTER
`
`NONE
`
`Class 016. First use: First Use: 1990/04/00 First Use In Commerce: 1990/04/00
`printed directories comprising information about specialty advertising companies
`
`U.S. Registration
`No.
`Registration Date
`
`2160263
`
`05/26/1998
`
`Application Date
`
`03/14/1997
`
`Foreign Priority
`Date
`
`NONE
`
`Word Mark
`Design Mark
`Description of
`Mark
`Goods/Services
`
`ASI CENTRAL
`
`NONE
`
`Class 042. First use: First Use: 1996/07/00 First Use In Commerce: 1996/07/00
`computer services, namely, providing anon-line bulletin board in the field of the
`promotion products industry and providing on-line facilities for real-time interac-
`tion with other computer users concerning the promotional products industry, in-
`cluding scheduled discussions featuring prominent people in the promotional-
`products industry
`
`U.S. Registration
`No.
`Registration Date
`
`4193073
`
`08/21/2012
`
`Word Mark
`Design Mark
`
`ASI
`
`Application Date
`
`06/29/2011
`
`Foreign Priority
`Date
`
`NONE
`
`Description of
`
`NONE
`
`

`
`Mark
`Goods/Services
`
`Class 035. First use: First Use: 1995/11/00 First Use In Commerce: 1995/11/00
`Marketing services, namely, providing on-line non-downloadable software that
`permits distributors to locate products and suppliers, program providing supplier
`data over a wireless device, creating and maintaining Internet sites for suppliers
`and distributors; Publishing of magazines and catalogs for the advertising spe-
`cialty/promotional products industry; Promoting, advertising and marketing the
`on-line electronic publications of others; Membership club services, namely,
`providing training to members in the field of advertising/promotional products in-
`dustry; Advertising, promotion and marketing services based on consumer credit
`reports and scores of others
`Class 036. First use: First Use: 1995/11/00 First Use In Commerce: 1995/11/00
`On-line financial credit scoring services that report on the paying habits of dis-
`tributors
`Class 041. First use: First Use: 1997/10/00 First Use In Commerce: 1997/10/00
`Publishing of magazines and catalogs for the advertising specialty/promotional
`products industry; Non-downloadable electronic publications in the nature of pro-
`motional products distributorship in thefield of advertising specialty/promotional
`products; Membership club services, namely, providing training to members
`inthe field of business and professional development; Conducting, arranging,
`and organizing trade shows for commercial and advertising purposes; Educa-
`tional services, namely, providing on-line classes,seminars, workshops in the
`field of advertising specialty/promotional products
`Class 042. First use: First Use: 1995/11/00 First Use In Commerce: 1995/11/00
`Providing a website featuring non-downloadable software that permits distribut-
`ors to locate products and suppliers, program providing supplier data over a
`wireless device, creating and maintaining Internet sites for suppliers and distrib-
`utors; Providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software develop-
`ment tools for advertising specialty/promotional products industry for use in the
`fieldof advertising specialty/promotional products
`
`Attachments
`
`85359112#TMSN.png( bytes )
`PETITION TO CANCEL REGISTRATION NO. 4,476,721
`(M1426056).pdf(230029 bytes )
`EXHIBIT 1 TO PETITION TO CANCEL (M1426057).pdf(4007280 bytes )
`EXHIBIT 2 TO PETITION TO CANCEL (M1426058).pdf(1234744 bytes )
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that a copy of this paper has been served upon all parties, at their address
`record by First Class Mail on this date.
`
`Certificate of Service
`
`Signature
`Name
`Date
`
`/Roberta Jacobs-Meadway/
`Roberta Jacobs-Meadway
`09/29/2015
`
`

`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`BEFORE THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`BOX TTAB FEE
`
`ADVERTISING SPECIALTY
`
`INSTITUTE, INC.,
`
`Petitioner,
`
`V.
`
`ADRIANA MARIA DUQUE LOPEZ,
`
`Registrant.
`
`Cancellation No.
`Mark: ASI SEA
`
`Reg. No. 4,476,721
`
`PETITION TO CANCEL
`
`Honorable Commissioner for Trademarks
`P.O. Box 1451
`
`Alexandria, VA 223 13-1451
`
`Petitioner, Advertising Specialty Institute, Inc. (hereinafter “Petitioner” or “ASI”),
`
`believes that it is being and will continue to be damaged by registration of the mark ASI SEA,
`
`the subject of U.S. Registration No. 4,476,721, issued February 4, 2014 to Respondent, Adriana
`
`Maria Duque Lopez (“Registrant”), and hereby petitions to cancel the same pursuant to Section
`
`2(d) of the Lanham Act on the grounds that the subject mark is confusingly similar to a mark
`
`used previously and continuously by Petitioner and not abandoned.
`
`More specifically, as grounds for cancellation, it is alleged that:
`
`1.
`
`Petitioner, a Pennsylvania corporation with an address of 4800 Street Road,
`
`Trevose, PA, is and has been engaged in the promotional products industry for more than sixty
`
`years, and has built a successful business in providing products and services in that industry.
`
`{M13199441}
`
`

`
`2.
`
`The services rendered by Petitioner include preparation of custom advertising and
`
`publicizing the availability, use and sourcing of promotional products for others, including in
`
`particular, clothing items such as caps and shirts, and also hats and footwear, jeans, and shorts.
`
`A significant aspect of Petitioner’s business is connecting its clients with apparel manufacturers
`
`to provide those clients with articles of apparel and other items bearing the clients’ names and
`
`trademarks for promotional purposes.
`
`3.
`
`Petitioner has, since at least as early as September 1950, used “ASI” as a mark
`
`and name, and as the dominant component of marks and names, in connection with its services
`
`and goods and business, including providing catalogues in print and on-line form featuring
`
`articles of apparel and other goods available for production and distribution as promotional
`
`products.
`
`4.
`
`The nature and extent of Petitioner’s business conducted under its ASI marks and
`
`names may be seen at ASI’s website, wWw.asicentral.com. Exemplary uses of the ASI marks in
`
`connection with articles of apparel are attached as Exhibit 1.
`
`5.
`
`Petitioner’s ASI.marks and names are inherently distinctive as applied to
`
`Petitioner’s services and goods and business.
`
`6.
`
`By virtue of Petitioner’s continuous use in commerce of its ASI marks and names
`
`in connection with such services and goods and business, such services and goods and business
`
`have become well and favorably known to the relevant trade and public under such marks.
`
`7.
`
`Petitioner has secured and owns the following U.S. trademark registrations, inter
`
`alia, all of which are valid and subsisting: Registrations No. 1,176,093 for ASI issued
`
`November 3, 1982; No. 1,729,220 for ASI QUARTERLY REGISTER issued November 3,
`
`1992; No. 2,160,263 for ASI CENTRAL issued May 26, 1998; and No. 4,193,073 for ASI issued
`
`August 21, 2012 (collectively, the “ASI marks”). All but one of these registrations are
`
`

`
`incontestable. Printouts from the USPTO records showing the status and title of each of these
`
`registrations are attached as Exhibit 2.
`
`8.
`
`Registrant is an individual citizen of Colombia with an address listed as Centro
`
`Comercial Hollywood, Cr 52 no. 46—68BG 1704, Medellin, Colombia.
`
`9.
`
`Registrant has secured a registration for “ASI SEA & Design” as a mark for
`
`footwear; headgear, namely, hats and caps; jeans; shorts; and skirts.
`
`10.
`
`In Registration No. 4,476,721 (“the ‘72l registration”), which is the subject of
`
`this Petition, there are no restrictions on trade channels, so it must be presumed that the goods
`
`identified in the ‘72l registration will be promoted and sold through all trade channels
`
`appropriate for goods of that type to all classes of purchasers appropriate for goods of that type.
`
`This includes persons who purchase and distribute apparel as and for promotional products.
`
`11.
`
`Registrant filed the application which matured to the challenged registration and
`
`secured such registration on the basis of ownership of a foreign registration in Registrant’s
`
`country of origin under Trademark Act §44(e), namely Colombia registration number 360,688.
`
`Registrant can claim no date for purposes of priority earlier than December 22, 2011, which is
`
`the application filing date for the U.S. registration which is the subj ect of this Petition.
`
`12.
`
`Registrant’s mark, ASI SEA, is confusingly similar to Petitioner’s ASI marks and
`
`names in sound, appearance and overall commercial impression. Each of the marks and names
`
`has as its first and dominant element “ASI”. Registrant’s mark incorporates the entirety of
`
`Petitioner’s ASI mark and name.
`
`13.
`
`The services and goods of Petitioner and the goods of Registrant as identified in
`
`the ‘72l registration, which is the subj ect of this Petition, are closely related because Petitioner,
`
`through its promotional products services, makes available and promotes the sale of articles of
`
`

`
`apparel, including articles of apparel identified in the registration which is the subject of this
`
`Petition.
`
`14.
`
`The goods identified in the ‘72l registration, which is the subject of this Petition,
`
`are such as are promoted and marketed and sold to classes of customers which overlap with those
`
`of Petitioner.
`
`15.
`
`Granted the similarities between Petitioner’s ASI marks and names and
`
`Registrant’s ASI SEA mark, and the similarities between the goods and services and the
`
`overlapping trade channels, members of the relevant public and trade on encountering
`
`Registrant’s mark on the goods identified in the registration which is the subject of this
`
`proceeding are likely to believe in error that Petitioner and Registrant are related, or that
`
`Registrant’s goods originate with Petitioner or are produced under license from or in association
`
`or affiliation with Petitioner.
`
`l6.
`
`If Registrant is permitted to maintain the ‘72l registration, which is the subject of
`
`this Petition, the likely confusion of the relevant public and trade is a source of damage and
`
`injury to Petitioner, as it deprives Petitioner of control of its own reputation and impacts
`
`adversely on the strength of Petitioner’s rights in its ASI marks and names, which Petitioner has
`
`used continuously since 1950 in connection with its services.
`
`17.’
`
`If Registrant is allowed to maintain its registration for the mark ASI SEA as
`
`shown in U.S. Registration No. 4,476,721, Registrant will retain at least a primafacie claim to
`
`the exclusive right to use such mark, which claim of right is a cloud on Petitioner’s right to
`
`continue to use its ASI marks for its services and goods and business.
`
`l8.
`
`Such registration would further be a source of damage and injury to Petitioner
`
`because ASI members who manufacture apparel for use as promotional products will likely form
`
`

`
`the erroneous belief that Petitioner has become a direct competitor, resulting in an adverse
`
`impact on such members’ willingness to engage in business with Petitioner.
`
`WHEREFORE, Petitioner, Advertising Specialty Institute, Inc., prays that this petition
`
`for cancellation be granted and that U.S. Registration No. 4,476,721 be cancelled pursuant to
`
`Section 2(d) of the Act.
`
`Dated: September 29, 2015
`
`Respectfully Submitted,
`
`B :
`
`-4
`
`V}
`
`Roberta Ja
`ECKERT
`MELLOTT
`
`-Meadway, Esqui
`AMANS CHERIN
`
`50 South 16”‘ Street, 22”“ Floor
`Philadelphia, PA 19102
`215-851-8400
`
`rj acobsmeadWay@eckertseamans.com
`
`ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER
`
`

`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that a true and correct copy of the attached Petition to
`
`Cancel was served on Registrant and Correspondent for Registrant on the date and at the addresses
`
`listed below via U.S. mail, international mail and email:
`
`Adriana Maria Duque Lopez
`Centro Comercial Hollywood
`Cr 52 no. 46-68BG 1704
`Medellin
`
`COLOMBIA
`
`Arturo Perez—Guerrero
`
`Law Offices of Arturo Perez-Guerrero
`
`P.O. Box 9024163
`
`San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902-4163
`arturo@perezguerrero.com; serViciosmarcarios@yahoo.com
`
`Dated: September 29, 2015
`
`By:
`
`

`
`EXHIBIT 1
`
`

`
`A _.-.......
`
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`Bound Textiles Pet Market
`When Florence Mano learned that
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`designers routinely discard end-run
`and sample fabrics, she...
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`Ask an Expert: Run Metallic
`Thread Correctly in Fashion
`Designs Apparel
`Q l try to stay on top of trends and
`offer my customers fashion-fowvard
`embroidery that w...
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`WEARABLES & DECORATION
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`9 mats; in prbnrofidnari laippfaréiliand; the yirniprinis ;;se,,5»;..
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`Fair Winds for Nautical-
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`Mudhook Clothing offers simple,
`nautical-themed apparel. Kyle
`Sayler recently made the
`
`More Monogramming
`Embroidery
`In the summer, Trend Finder
`from Accessoriesmagazinecom
`highlighted monograms as a
`stron...
`
`Embroidered Insects a Hit for
`Japanese Firm Embroidery
`Takahiro Harada, president of
`Harada Embroidery in Japan,
`turned his childhood love of
`inse...
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`Easier Online Design for
`American Apparel screen
`Printing
`American Apparel ( asi/35297)
`has collaborated with lnkSoft to
`make garment selection and
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`STARTUP
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`"How I Started My Own $2
`Million Business From Home"
`Getting Started
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`Fresh Off the Farm
`Opportunities
`Farmer Tom Mertz stumbled
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`A Fresh Start Getting Started
`After dealing with life-or-death
`situations, Abby Clark was
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`Soaring Sales Opportunities
`A latex allergy derailed Lori
`Garofalo's career as a balloon
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`Scott Mollahan staned his
`business and quickly racked up
`more than $2 million in
`revenues.
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`upon an ingenious business-to—
`business marketing idea: putting
`adv...
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`searching for a fun business
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`Home I News I Magazines I Wearables I September 2015 I Wearables Trendsetters
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`Wowing clients to changing the very nature of
`their industries, these gurus set the bar for
`l.
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`\V“<:u1'z1lJles
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`RELATED ARTICLES
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`Fun & Games
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`This Illinois distributor is
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`growing thanks to its
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`Supplier Celebrates 30
`Years of Success
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`A Trendsetters “Ti” ‘
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`i.
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`
`
`Kara Ward
`
`Corporate Image Consultant, City Apparel
`When reflecting on her recent sales success, Kara Ward cites a
`bit of wisdom gleaned from her grandfather: "Why play a game if
`you're not playing to win?” After several years of impressive
`numbers at City Apparel in Findlay, OH, it's obvious Ward has
`taken his words to heart. Today, she’s a corporate image
`consultant and a newly elected board member of the Ohio
`Promotional Professionals Association. And in three of her five
`
`years at City Apparel, she’s reached over a million dollars in
`sales. But it wasn't an easy road. Just a couple years into her
`promotional career, Ward was diagnosed with breast cancer. “It was a hard year,” says Ward,
`who is currently in remission, “but l already had my goals set, so nothing was going to stop me.
`The team had my back 100% and helped me live my life normally. When I wanted to go visit
`eight clients at a time, they never said, ‘No, you're not up to it.’ They’d say, ‘Ok, let's go,’ and
`they’d drive me.” At the end of that year, Ward reached more than $1 million in sales for the first
`time. “I very much have my eye on the prize,” she says.
`
`Fun Fact: Ward teaches lyrical and jazz dance four nights a week.
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`impressive numberofindustry awards.
`Promo Items
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`C Case Study: Rum
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`‘ ,;. Rum marketers embrace
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`How To Expand Your
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`The goal is finding
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`‘ ; customer preferences.
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`Cary Heller
`Vice President of Sales, All USA Clothing
`For Cary Heller, every sale is the best one of his life. "I know it
`sounds corny, but it's true,” says the vice president of sales at
`Keego Harbor, Ml-based All USA Clothing. A people person who
`emphasizes the business value of “being nice,” Heller loves
`connecting with customers, counting them as friends rather than
`just clients. He also carries a torch for made-in-America clothing
`and winning high-profile converts, including the White House.
`"The textile and garment industry was a thriving American
`industry for decades,” Heller says. “We are bringing American-
`made clothing and uniforms back.” When he’s not working, Heller is likely to be volunteering at
`The Friendship Circle, a charity which pairs typical teens with children with special needs. For
`the last decade, Heller has spent 20 to 30 hours a week mentoring a boy with extreme autism
`and cerebral palsy. “He has really become like my adopted child, and I cannot express the depth
`of my relationship with him,” Heller says. “I have learned that when you help someone else, the
`person who is really being helped is you.”
`
`Fun Fact: An accomplished trumpet player, Heller's band had a number-one record on NPR and
`college stations nationwide, and was Ray Charles‘ opening act.
`
`
`
`Andy Anderson
`Owner, Anderson Studio Inc. (asiI121990)
`Andy Anderson, owner of Anderson Studio Inc. in Nashville,
`provides contract screen—printing work for some of music's
`biggest stars. But after printing his first shirt in ‘I971, he almost
`never did it again. "I hated it," he says. "We didn't have the same
`educational resources. You basically asked a friend how they
`did it." His first “machine" was a wooden Coke case, and his
`assistant was his 8-year-old sister. He stretched the shirt over
`the case, used super-sticky flock adhesive in only one color, and
`knew nothing about meshes. His primitive equipment and
`methods made the process frustrating, so Anderson gave it up. Then in 1975, he ran into art
`school friends who introduced him to actual machines and quality inks. He opened Anderson
`Studio the next year. The company's location in Music City boded well for a future in
`entertainment merchandise. Since the early 1980s, Anderson and his team have won almost 90
`awards for their full-color prints. “Quality work is how we built our reputation,” he says. “I care
`about what goes out the door, and my staff makes it all possible. I appreciate each and every
`one of them, and they all contribute to our success.”
`
`..-
`
`Fun Fact: Since the age of 14, Anderson has built and painted motorcycles, building up an
`international fan base. One of his bikes was exhibited at the London Museum of Art.
`
`
`
`Doug Jackson
`President, Storm Creek (asil89879)
`This tailored "kirigami” vegan leather trench by Byron Lars
`stands out with its laser-cut, lace-like pattern and bold metallic
`belt buckle.
`
`Decoration Tip: Sometimes good design is about taking
`something away, rather than adding on. Vtfith a sharp pair of
`scissors and a creative plan, a decorator can manipulate even
`the most mundane T—shirt into something unique,
`
`

`
`James Park
`
`
`
`CEO and Co-Founder, Fitbit
`James Park was an out-of-shape gamer when he came up with
`the idea for the Fitbit. One of the first in line to buy the popular
`Nintendo Wii nearly a decade ago. Park saw the potential of
`combining motion sensors and software, with a focus on better
`health. In 2007, the serial entrepreneur and former cross-
`country runner started the ubiquitous fitness tracking company
`with business partner Eric Friedman as part of his own efforts to
`get fit. When the product launched two years later, it already had
`drawn huge consumer interest, generating more than 25,000
`initial orders. “lt was the right product at the right time at the right price point,” Park told Forbes.
`The interest has continued togrow, with much-hyped products like the Apple Watch unable to
`make much of a dent in the company's market prominence. Vlfith more than 20.8 million devices
`sold, Fitbit accounts for 85% of tracker sales, according to The NPD Group. The publicly traded
`company is worth more than $8 billion, and it’s clear that no one is doing more than Park and
`Fitbit to legitimize wearable technology in the minds of consumers.
`
`Fun Fact: Park dropped out of Harvard before finishing a degree in computer science.
`
`Marci Kinter
`
`
`
`Vice President of Government & Business Information, SGIA
`When Marci Kinter first started with SGIA in 1989, she had her
`work cut out for her since no one had stepped in front of
`regulators to represent the printing industry. “it was really critical
`that we were in there talking to them about the differences in the
`industry,” says Kinter, who remembers the difficulty of regulators
`to simply distinguish between graphical and textile printing. The
`vice president of government & business information for SGIA
`quickly became one of the most important assets for the printing
`industry, cutting her teeth on clean air legislation in the early
`years, and leading the charge on a number of key issues today: safety and health, environmenal
`regulations, product safety and sustainability. Equally important, she is a fount of knowledge,
`endlessly fielding questions from members who can't be bothered or can’t grasp the wealth of
`byzantine regulations. She revels in the complexity of it. “You have to look at it in terms of a
`domino game," she says. “If I push this piece down here, what do l think will be the final
`outcome?"
`
`Fun Fact: Kinter is a "closet environmentalist" who likes to garden and do her own canning, and
`lives in a passive solar house.
`
`Jay Feinberg
`Owner, FPS Apparel (asiI53475)
`The next step in Jay Feinberg’s career didn't exist after he left
`Richard A. Leslie Co. after seven years as a national sales
`manager. So Feinberg created it. “When i left them, I couldn't
`find a job that would take advantage of my knowledge and
`capabilities, so i started my own company,” Feinberg says.
`Thus, FPS Apparel was born 15 years ago, with a desire to be
`different and innovative — to “offer unique, desirable apparel that
`customers cannot find elsewhere.” Based in Florida, NY,
`Feinberg has created an entire apparel line with custom accents
`-
`— sublimated hoods, sleeves, pockets and more. in addition, the decorator has greatly expanded
`
`
`
`

`
`its roster of techniques while making a push toward PVC—free inks. Feinberg’s passion is geared
`toward building trust with his customers, keeping the quality of FPS’s goods top-notch and
`innovative, and building a solid team with all parts working together. He’s proud of “growing from
`a one-person startup to a business serving customers that are nationally recognized household
`names — while maintaining our headquarters on Main Street in a small town.”
`
`Fun Fact: To keep the presses humming during a blackout, Feinberg once chased down a utility
`truck, begging them to fix FPS’ electricity.
`
`
`
`Jennifer Grigorian
`Vice President of Marketing, Hit Promotional Products
`(asi/61125)
`There might not be anyone more passionate about the
`promotional product industry than Jennifer Grigorian, who has
`always felt this industry was right for her. She stumbled upon
`this path by accident, answering phones as a temp for a
`distributor when she was in college majoring in psychology. “I
`really could not see myself in any other industry, I truly love what
`l do,” says Grigorian. The VP of marketing for Hit Promotional
`Products has been in the industry 19 years, and juggles a
`number of roles for the fast-growing supplier, including overseeing the product selections and
`strategies with Hit’s recent move into apparel — a key development as more suppliers move into
`wearables and offer one—stop shopping. Grigorian is driven to stay current (“You need to
`constantly evolve and change,” she says) and continues to enjoy the opportunity to be creative
`and innovative with fun products every day. "This is the greatest industry in the world,” she says.
`
`Fun Fact: Grigorian grew up in Southern California and has never seen snow before.
`
`
`
`Danny Gruninger
`CEO, lmage West Signature Apparel
`For Danny Gruninger, life in the fast lane used to mean drag
`racing. But the industry wasn't a mystery to Gruninger, whose
`parents ran a small trophy and awards business. He eventually
`gave up his professional racing career, but is finding success as
`CEO of lmage West Signature Apparel, a Lakewood, CO,
`decorator. Gruninger and his brother Brandon started the
`company (formerly known as US Recognition Apparel Division)
`in 2006 with just one manual press, but have ushered the
`company through tremendous growth, due in part to the
`company’s amazing artistic prints. “We have the best art team in the world, and our passion is to
`bring their designs to life on the garments we embellis