As a result of recently being nominated for an award, we feel this is something to shout about. Please see below our latest press release to see what it is all about…

Sheffield company Steel City Marketing Ltd is nominated third year in a row for Promota Distributor of the Year. 

The awards ceremony held by Promota, the UK’s leading trade association for the promotional merchandise and advertising gift industry takes place on 1st March at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.  The evening will be attended by over 450 suppliers, and distributors within the trade and recognises companies on a regional as well as national level. 

The total number of distributors across the UK and Ireland is estimated at between 2,000 and 2,500. Votes are being collected from around 360 UK suppliers.  This follows on from being short listed last year as well as winning the North East Distributor of the Year award in 2008.

James Biggin, joint managing director, commented “It is fantastic news to have been short listed by the industry’s supply base for the third year in a row.  It shows that the company is building upon its foundations and moving forward in the right way.  We have a great team, solid systems and a good work ethic and feel confident in our ability and our experience within the industry.”

Steel City Marketing was established in 1980 and started out sourcing and supplying Sheffield-made gifts but quickly evolved and moved into other ranges as demand for marketing merchandise grew.  The company is one of the only distributors in the UK to produce its own promotional gift directory, offering something unique and giving Steel City Marketing a competitive edge.

Now, with a comprehensive website to back this up, as well as its bi-annual promotional gift show, the company feels it is well placed to cater for all client types.

For any further information on the company or the services provided, please contact the sales team by calling 0114 275 4150 or visit the website at www.steel-city.co.uk.

There is regular coverage in the press about Superbugs and we are all told of the measures we need to take to avoid passing on various forms of bacteria. The “Living Pen” from Senator is an Antibacterial Pen that has taken 2 years to come to market with testing and retesting to ensure this is a unique bacteria killing ballpen. It has been tested against the most virulent of all bacteria including C.Difficile (Spore) and MRSA as well as many others. This pen is the only antibacterial ballpen that has gained British Standards BS EN20645 making it a genuine certified “Superbug Killer”.

So what is so special about an Antibacterial Pen, how does it work and how can a user benefit? This pen has a kill rate of over 99.9% over a 24-hour period. As soon as the pen comes into contact with bacteria (or multiples of bacteria) it starts the process of destroying them through starving them of nutrients. The “Living Pen” from Senator is constantly re-cleansing itself and this is therefore unlike most other surfaces where bacteria will flourish and then be easily transferred.

The antibacterial qualities of this pen are integrated within the product itself. No other competitive pen has this within its makeup. Most have a coating, which can wear off over a short period of time. Some bacteria (that remain dormant) can also be stimulated back to their active state by some of these coatings (especially if alcohol based), again not so with the Senator Antibacterial pen.

The pass criteria for testing the Antibacterial pen is a 1mm zone of inhibition. This pen achieved the British Standard for C.Diff to 6mm and with MRSA it managed a staggering 11mm. This shows the incredible power of the antibacterial structure.

When branding onto the Antibacterial pen, the “compound” is mixed into the printing inks to ensure that the product remains uncompromised. By using the Senator process, your logo or message is fully integrated into the “Living Pen”.

Testing is currently underway on the Antibacterial Pen in terms of H1N1 “Swine Flu” and early indications are that the pen will be as equally effective as it is against all the other “Superbugs”.

Why not consider a pen with unique qualities and one that doesn’t have any competition at equivalent low price points. With 2 good-sized branding positions and a comfortable writing style, this pen could be one that you take forward into your standard merchandise range.