Norm Hullinger, CEO of Top 40 supplier alphabroder (asi/34063) for the last nine years, is becoming chief operating officer at Commerce, CA-based apparel supplier BELLA+CANVAS (asi/39590).

Dan Pantano, who’s been serving as president at alphabroder, is taking over as CEO of the Trevose, PA-based firm, which is the second largest supplier by revenue in the North American promotional products industry. 

Hullinger, 62, ranked 5^th on Counselor’s most recent Power 50 list of the industry’s most influential people. He was with alphabroder for 19 years, nearly a decade as CEO. In a communication, the supplier thanked him for his “service to the company and his outstanding contributions to alphabroder-Prime Line and the industry overall.” Prime Line, a former Top 40 supplier, is alphabroder’s hard goods division.

Norm Hullinger

Prior to becoming CEO of alphabroder, Hullinger served as alphabroder’s COO for 10 years, following a diverse career that included executive roles at both technology and retail companies.

Chris Blakeslee, BELLA+CANVAS’ president, commented: “The growth of our business necessitated the creation of the COO role, and for us the choice was simple. I personally had the privilege to work closely with Norm for several years at alphabroder and witnessed his leadership, professionalism, and drive for results. It’s now my pleasure to welcome him, on behalf of the entire BELLA+CANVAS team, to join our company, where he’ll lead our pursuit for operational excellence and unparalleled service that exceeds our customers’ expectations.”

Hullinger said that his relationship with BELLA+CANVAS goes back nearly 15 years. “I’ve admired what the company and team has accomplished both as a partner, and as an industry disruptor,” Hullinger said. “I’m excited to now lead the efforts which will solidify the company’s infrastructure as it becomes the largest basics brand in the industry.”

In addition to becoming CEO of alphabroder, Pantano is also joining the company’s board of directors. He has been with the supplier since 2013.

“We have been working with Dan for more than 8 years and look forward to alphabroder’s future under his experienced leadership to take the company to the next level of performance and position it as the undisputed leader in this industry,” said Michael Klein, CEO of Littlejohn & Co., the private equity firm that’s the majority stakeholder in alphabroder.

According to executives, Pantano has played a pivotal role in building a strong sales and marketing organization. As alphaborder made key acquisitions in recent years, such as Ash City, Bodek & Rhodes, Golden State T’s and Prime Line, Pantano worked closely with “all aspects of each these businesses to integrate them into the organization and enhance the customer experience.”

“Under Dan’s direction, alphabroder has expanded the private brand business and elevated product offerings by bringing in some of the leading retail brands, including Under Armour, PUMA, Spyder and Nautica,” alphabroder said in a communication. “By having made these enhancements, the company is well positioned to be the only true ‘one stop shop’ provider in the industry.”

Pantano said: “I couldn’t be more excited to take over the leadership of alphabroder-Prime Line at this time.  Our customers are focused on growing their business’ profitably, especially as our industry rebounds from COVID-19. Our job is to help them do that each and every day and do it as seamlessly as possible.  We will have a relentless focus on that going forward.”

According to BELLA+CANVAS executives, the company has experienced significant growth in recent years, requiring major investments to expand its global operating infrastructure. In the past 12 months, the company added operations in five countries, expanded its Los Angeles cutting facility, and added a 750,000 square foot distribution center on the East Coast of the U.S to support its wholesale distribution partners.

Founded 29 years ago by Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge, BELLA+CANVAS’ mission was initially to meet the changing demand for genuine women’s products in the industry, executives said. The supplier is known for its fashion-forward styles and focus on sustainability.

With reported 2019 North American promotional product revenue of $1.7 billion, alphabroder ranked second on Counselor’s most recent list of the 40 largest suppliers in the industry. The company’s five-year average annual growth rate through 2019 was 11.9%.