Employee ownership is something that sets American Solutions for Business apart in our industry. In 2001, our founder & CEO, Larry Zavadil, sold this company to its employees in order to maintain its integrity, traditions and success. To this day, Larry remains at the heart of American as the CEO. For our hundreds of employees and sales associates who benefit, this ownership means many things.

Name: Pete Niciphor
Location: Richmond, VA
Joined: 2015

Why you love American: We can do it all! From A to Z, we have the resources, support and expertise to succeed.

What employee ownership means to you: I can control my own destiny!

Name: Maureen Solverson
Location: Rockford, IL
Joined: 2014

Why you love American: I love the people here – it feels like a family!

What employee ownership means to you: I’m building something that I can be proud of. I own it!

Name: Christine Fischer
Location: Glenwood, MN
Joined: 2015

Why you love American: The American family is so supportive! It’s an exciting industry, and this company values my input – it’s exciting!

What employee ownership means to you: It means I get to help make decisions that will benefit all American employees.

To learn more about American, visit our website or find an American associate near you! 

American Solutions for Business is a top-rated supplier of print and promotional materials, and we offer laser focus on your specific needs with our dedicated vertical market teams. Our automotive team has been providing a cost-effective, one-stop-shop to dealerships and other businesses in the automotive industry for nearly 20 years to customers across the country. Our sales associates are knowledgeable in the world of print and promo and through many years of experience are tuned in to the unique needs of the automotive industry.

From packaged goods like key tags and dispatch numbers to custom products such as license plate inserts, printed materials, direct mail and apparel, American helps dealerships operate their daily business and reach their target market with effective, consistent messages, all while providing significant savings. By facilitating an environment of collaboration and problem solving, we have developed partnerships with over 5,000 automotive customers and counting. These partnerships are built on the tenants of customer service, product quality and cost-effective solutions.

With the recent downward trend in new car sales forecasted to continue, our team has looked for ways to diversify our offering and move towards becoming a revenue-generating partner for the dealership. “We’re looking for new solutions that allow us to help dealerships generate more gross with each vehicle sale by adding unique solutions to our vast product offering,” says Jason Gange, Director of Automotive Sales at American. “This initiative has lead to new offerings for the Finance & Insurance Department at dealerships and has elevated American to become a revenue-generating partner for the dealerships we serve.”

Those products include an Appearance Protection program, Identity Theft Protection program and other timely, attractive products that enhance the dealership’s F&I product offering for their customers and increase vehicle gross. “It’s really exciting to have the opportunity to provide significant savings to dealerships on products they need to operate and promote their business, but to also offer solutions that help dealerships recapture some of the lost revenue due to decreased vehicle sales nationally,” Jason continues. Our automotive specialists have established initiatives to add more revenue-generating solutions to the product offering throughout 2018 and beyond. “This initiative will help to strengthen the relationship with our customers and help associates develop new relationships as well.”

In addition to new revenue generating solutions, we are also promoting the utilization of our ACES eCommerce platform as a budget control solution for dealerships. “There are so many features and tools available to help dealerships control spending, forecast budgets and keep branding consistent, it is a great enhancement to the personalized customer service that dealerships receive from our sales associates.”

American is your one-stop-shop for cost-effective solutions and revenue generating programs. You can preview our automotive eCommerce platform and diverse product offering by visiting www.asbautomotivesolutions.com. To connect with your local American sales associate, click here!

Employee ownership is something that sets American Solutions for Business apart in our industry. In 2001, our founder & CEO, Larry Zavadil, sold this company to its employees in order to maintain its integrity, traditions and success. To this day, Larry remains at the heart of American as the CEO. For our hundreds of employees and sales associates who benefit, this ownership means many things.

Name: Dave Caquatto
Location: Naperville, IL
Joined: 2012

Why you love American: It’s a great place to work, the people are like family and there’s lots of opportunities to succeed.

What employee ownership means to you: It means I can be an important part of a successful organization!

Name: Christine Wolff
Location: Easton, PA
Joined: 2016

Why you love American: The roots the home office has in the community and their huge reach of customers across the country. I joined this organization because of the no-nonsense way of doing business with integrity and grit.

What employee ownership means to you: We all have an ownership interest in the company. Knowing my business efforts effect others at American pushes me even harder. I can see the faces of my fellow owners when I need to make tough choices – it’s a great feeling!

Name: Dick Schmidt
Location: Plymouth, MI
Joined: 1998

Why you love American: I am free to do what I want when I want. We are lucky to be a part of Larry’s company!

What employee ownership means to you: I get money at retirement without directly putting anything in.

To learn more about American, visit our website or find an American associate near you! 

American Solutions for Business has always been a family-oriented company with many family teams consisting of parents, children, spouses and siblings. We celebrate every sales team because we know the strength that comes with these dynamics. Families work as a unit and share valuable knowledge to take care of our customers.

Jim George and Stephanie Busby are a father/daughter sales team from Birmingham, Alabama and have been with American for over 5 years.

Why you love working with your family:

Jim: I love working with family because it keeps us in close contact with one another with so much in common.

Stephanie: My Dad has always been my best friend. He has always been the person that I go to…to talk about anything…as long as I can remember. So working with him & discussing work stuff just comes easy.

Growing up – Stephanie and her sister with their parents

What are some challenges (and how have you overcome them)?

Jim: Some challenges would be the different ways we call on customers. I have more of a laid-back approach and Stephanie has more of an assertive approach. I think we balance each other out.

Stephanie: Well – he says I act too eager with customers and I think he needs to be more assertive and let the customers know we want the business. So, we have learned to balance each other out. Technology differences have been challenging. “Right Click… Dad… Right Click!” He has come a long way though. It is fun that he still has such a “shock factor” with the iPhone. He says…”Isn’t this just amazing  that I was able to send a proof from this phone??!”

Jim, Stephanie and kids

Stephanie and Jim attending a tradeshow

What is your fondest memory working with your family?

Jim: Fondest memories would be when we tease each other on who sold the most.

Stephanie: Dad says he brought me into the business to help him out – but instead he ended up being my assistant. I talk him into making deliveries for me often. I will use my kids as an excuse & he falls for it every time…haha! He also makes me feel good when I land a new customer or a big job.

Jim with Stephanie’s three kids

Jim & granddaughter, Brooke

Why should others consider working with their family?

Jim: You should consider working with family so your “ legacy” with your customers will live on after you. I have had some customers for over 40 years. We are fortunate to work with a company that encourages family business and that shows everyone love. The hugs that you get from Larry are the same no matter who you are or how much you sell.

Stephanie: Because you can share your generational strengths & be a strong team. My Dad has worked hard in this industry for 45 years. He has had some of the same customers that long. He loves the idea that his family will continue to service & take care of his customers/business for years to come.

The whole family – Stephanie with husband & children, sister & family and Jim

We’re proud to maintain a company culture that cultivates success and collaboration to support our sales associates and customers. To learn more about American Solutions for Business, visit our website or contact a sales associate near you!

Every day, it seems we take another step into an evolving technical age, spending hours in front of screens, sitting in traffic or on the phone. It should be no surprise that to balance our changing lifestyle, we’re seeing a trend that reconnects us with nature. Incorporating natural textures like wood grain, marble and stone is trending in interior design, clothing, drinkware, accessories and more. In the world of promotional products, understanding how to mix natural style with the right product can help elevate your branding strategy. Get some inspiration for your next campaign:

Wood Grain Speaker – Right now, tech is everywhere. What better way to show off wood grain than with a sleek, stylish Bluetooth speaker!

Marble Pattern Journal – Never underestimate the power of a beautiful notebook. When you love your notebook, you bring it everywhere – meetings, conferences, traveling, etc. It’s the perfect way to spread your brand message and associate yourself with great aesthetic. 

Wooden Sunglasses – All the cool kids wear wood grain shades. This unique look adds sophistication to an item that’s normally bright, plastic and breakable. Bonus = the decoration on wood grain looks amazing! 

Lowball Tumblers – Step aside boring drinkware! These little tumblers keep your drink cold or hot for hours and are just about the trendiest accessory you could have. Coffee in the A.M., wine in the P.M., and you’re all set! 

Riviera Bottles – the style continues with a taller bottle option! The slim shape and accent cap creates a unique, distinguished piece to use as a gift, resale or recognition. 

Marble & Wood Coaster Set – A perfect gift for any occasion – these elegant coasters combine our two favorite textures in one to create a distinguished, functional piece.  

Stone Texture Mug – We love this earthy spin on a classic item. The stone-speckled finish adds a cool, modern vibe to any space.

Marble Non-Woven Bag – Dress up an ordinary grocery tote with this trendy laminated bag – complete with a snap closure to keep everything inside! 

Tahoe Wood Grain Journal – This wire journal is a subtle, yet chic, way to incorporate wood grain into your promotional mix. Plus, with 192 pages and a hard, durable cover, this item will stick around for a long time! 

No matter what industry you’re in, American Solutions for Business can find you the right products to help tell your brand story. We stay on trend and connected so that you don’t have to sweat the small details. For more information or to start your next promotion, contact your sales associate or find one near you!

Whether you’ve been involved in the print and promotional products industry as a supplier, distributor, or customer, you’ve probably been in a conversation regarding the decline in print over the past decade. One industry in which we often hear this referred to is in healthcare, especially with many systems and facilities switching over to electronic medical records. While this may be the popular belief, studies have shown that there is still significant print being utilized in healthcare facilities.

A study by InfoTrends indicates that healthcare facilities expect 38 percent of communication spend to come from printed materials, a higher percentage than online/web materials, video, audio, events, and mobile communication. The same study by InfoTrends found that an average of 35% of a healthcare facilities’ print is ordered over the internet, with expected annual growth of 15%.

With many facilities re-evaluating their print programs and switching traditional print to digital print, now is a great time to understand that resources and technology tools available in the market to enhance productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. By creating an online portal to house all print on demand and inventoried items, facilities can ensure that brand standards are controlled, applicable approvals are in place, and time spent ordering items is minimized.

Working with American Solutions for Business makes creating an efficient and effective print program easy. To learn more about print and promotional product programs and our eCommerce system, reach out to your American sales associate or find one near you!

The importance of engaging shoppers in traditional retail environments has never been greater. With all the attention paid to and growth of eCommerce, you might ask, how can that be?

Consider the following statistics:

• The Census bureau reports online sales in the US to be $453.5 billion in 2017
• Business Insider predicts US eCommerce sales to grow from 12.7% in 2017 to 17% by 2022

Another important statistic to keep in mind is that if Business Insider’s forecast holds true and 17% of all US retail consumer spending is done online in a few years, that translates into over $3.75 trillion of sales still taking place in traditional retail locations by 2022. No reasonable person would deny the importance of eCommerce, but smart brick-and-mortar retailers and the brands that sell their merchandise within are and will continue to invest in their in-store presence.

Retailers and brands understand the need to create experiences in-store to drive foot traffic while providing consumers a reason to leave their homes, computers and mobile devices to make the trip to stores. In addition, while major retailers want to capture their share of e-commerce business, the sale that takes place in-store can be more profitable than the online purchase while also providing the opportunity for additional items to be added to their basket. Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers and the brands that sell their products aren’t going away. They need and want the kind of innovative and impactful brand, category and department re-inventions that American provides.

American’s retail team recently provided Wawa convenience store displays to optimize the buying experience.

American’s retail team is comprised of industry-leading people who have a proven track record of creating effective custom display and fixture programs for retailers and brands alike. We are excited to bring these significant capabilities to you. To learn more about how American Retail can help to achieve your in-store goals and objectives, contact your American representative. To find your local representative, click here.