Page 152, Fire News, February 2017
FireNews.com
ASI FIRE/RESCUE APPAREL ACQUIRES THE AWARD SHOPPE ASI Sportswear has acquired “The Award Shoppe,” originally located on Route 112 in Medford, NY. With 34 years of experience producing plaques, awards, and trophies, ASI sees the acquisition of “The Award Shoppe” as a perfect fit with its growing business. Award plaques are the perfect way to show appreciation to firefighters, EMS personnel, and others. Letting someone know their hard work is appreciated helps to build morale in the workplace and character and commitment in the individual. Trophies are also a great way to boost morale and encourage teamwork. We have a large selection of plaques, awards and trophies on display in our newly designed showroom. We can also custom design and manufacture an award or plaque to fit your needs. Our staff will be happy to assist you in selecting and engraving something special according to your vision, and the purpose of the recognition. All our trophies, plaques and medals will meet your event needs and be completed on time. For 35 years, ASI Fire/Rescue Apparel has been a proven leader in providing the highest quality of custom designed products for the fire service. Three years ago we introduced ASI Decals with great interest and success and we are ready to do the same with ASI Plaques/Trophies Feel free to stop by and visit our showroom or contact Ex-Chief Bob Kutch to arrange for an appointment to discuss your needs. We are located at 460 Waverly Ave., Patchogue, NY; 631-242-8400; www.asiwear.com.
ULTRA BRIGHT LIGHTZ 10TH ANNIVERSARY Ultra Bright Lightz is proud to announce we have just celebrated our 10-year anniversary! We would like to thank all of our loyal customers for sticking with us throughout the years for all of their emergency vehicle lighting needs. Our recent rapid sales growth has been our greatest accomplishment and we cannot wait to see where the future of our company takes us. We have transformed from a business ran by just the owner into a business with many employees in a 5,000square-foot warehouse.
It is humbling and rewarding to be able to provide jobs to our dedicated, knowledgeable staff and to soon provide many more jobs as we continue to grow. The warehouse we moved into just last year has allowed us to keep many lights in different color combinations in stock to get orders out as quickly as possible to our customers. It has also given us the space to have a showroom where customers can see all of our lights in action in order to make the right choice for their vehicle needs.
PHIL GERACE NAMED AS TFT’S NEW VP OF MARKETING
Following an exhaustive nationwide talent search, Philip Gerace, former KME Director of Sales and Marketing, has been named as Task Force Tips’ new Vice-President of Marketing, and will be based at the company’s worldwide headquarters in Valparaiso, Indiana. “This is one of those opportunities I couldn’t pass up, because TFT is a rare company that values its employees, takes great pride in the quality products it produces, and goes out of its way to serve those who serve,” Gerace explains. “In the business world, you often come across those who say one thing and end up doing another as they grow. That isn’t true of TFT; this is a homegrown company that has maintained and built on the values they’ve had ever since the day the company started.” Many in the industry know Gerace from his years of service on the Fire Apparatus Manufacturer’s Association (FAMA) Board of Directors, which culminated in his serving as its president in 2015. The Penn State alum’s professional credits, tied with 12 years of service as a volunteer firefighter, earned him invitations to write for
a variety of industry publications, including Fire Rescue 1, Fire Chief, International Firefighter and Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment. As with his earlier position at KME, Gerace sees himself first and foremost as a team member, “because if you’re part of the team, then you serve a critical role,” he explained. “A team can always develop more than an individual who is left by his or herself.” He added that TFT is unique in that its marketing department is “self-sufficient,” boasting everything from a state-of-the-art printing and banner production facilities, to having its own in-house staff of seasoned print, digital, and marketing professionals. “By not having to outsource, we have a better control over our quality, can customize projects for our dealers and customers, are better equipped to handle last minute changes, and in the end provide a sleek, professional product to serve those who serve,” he said. “We not only embrace change - we anticipate it and prepare for that point in time that it will inevitably surface.”