Industry updates
In memoriam
Brian Stahl
STAHLS’
Brian Stahl, co-founder and longtime operations leader at STAHLS’, died Nov. 22, 2025 in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was 78. An announcement released Dec. 16 by STAHLS’ said he carried a lifelong commitment to service, discipline, and integrity — values that shaped both his personal life and his decades-long impact on the decorated apparel industry. As head of operations for more than 30 years, Stahl was instrumental in building the foundation that allowed STAHLS’ to scale while maintaining uncompromising quality standards. He was widely known throughout the industry from trade shows, customer visits, and behind-the-scenes work that customers rarely saw — but always felt. He will be remembered for his generosity, quick wit, steady leadership, and the lasting impact he made on the industry he helped shape. In honor of his military service, Stahl was inurned with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
2026 Events
Mergers & acquisitions
Out-of-home adtech provider Broadsign announced it has acquired Place Exchange.
Sky High Marketing, a branded merchandising agency, has announced the acquisition of Maple Avenue Printing & Embroidery, a screen-printing company founded in 1989.
Sticker Mule, a privately-owned online printing company, finalized the acquisition of Texas-based sticker printer Rockin Monkey.
Updates
Author, consultant, and Sign Shop Mastermind Alliance Founder John Hackley has released “Sign Shop CEO Playbook,” a guide designed to help shops transform how they operate.
Signelements.com relaunched with a redesigned platform and an expanded library of creative assets.
During the 2025 college football season, Legacy Headwear selected six of its 28 college partners and sent team members on road trips across the country to attend home football games and showcase Legacy merchandise.
Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, a custom apparel franchise, is officially open on Chicago’s North Shore.
Awards & recognitions
Girls Who Print, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women in the print and graphic communications industry, announced the winners of the 2025 Girls Who Print Awards following its annual global conference: Neil Felton of FESPA, Tara Seth and Mackenzie Griffin of Talk More Print, and Ayanfeoluwa Ibitoye of Girls Who Print Africa received awards.
New hires & promotions
Chris Alfano
Vantage Apparel
Vantage Apparel appointed Chris Alfano to chief information and digital officer. In this expanded role, Alfano will lead the company’s enterprise technology strategy, data ecosystem, and digital transformation initiatives. In Alfano’s initial nine years at Vantage, he served as chief technology officer and, most recently, as chief digital officer.
Ross Hunter
Liquid Graphics
Ross Hunter has joined Liquid Graphics as chief operating officer. Hunter comes to Liquid Graphics from ROQ.US, where he led the company through a period of growth, expanding its footprint in North America. Hunter now joins the Liquid Graphics executive management team, working alongside founder and CEO Josh Merrell and President Roy Thorsen to guide the company’s strategic direction and accelerate its next phase of growth.
Greg Mastro
613 Originals
613 Originals welcomed Greg Mastro as its new senior vice president of operations. Mastro brings more than 35 years of leadership and experience across manufacturing, engineering, and high-volume production environments, including senior leadership roles at alphabroder, Primeline/Jetline, and PCNA. Mastro will focus on expanding operational efficiency and supporting the long-term scaling of its U.S.-based facilities.
Corey Cardinal, Daniel Van der Kolk, Janine Moore & Danielle Augustine
STAHLS’
STAHLS’ added four senior leaders to its commercial and platform teams: Corey Cardinal, vice president of integrated partnerships; Daniel Van der Kolk, vice president of enterprise sales, global; Janine Moore, senior director of dimensional embellishments; and Danielle Augustine, vice president of sales for Fulfill Engine technology. These strategic hires are said to reinforce the company’s commitment to scaling Fulfill Engine, expanding enterprise partnerships, and accelerating innovation across heat-transfer and on-demand fulfillment technologies.
Rob Hamill
S&S Activewear
S&S Activewear announced the promotion of Rob Hamill to chief strategy officer. Since joining S&S, Hamill has been a driving force behind several of the company’s most important strategic initiatives, including the transformative acquisition of alphabroder in 2024. As chief strategy officer, Hamill will oversee enterprise strategy, market intelligence, M&A, and the continued development of technology platforms.
Andrew Bishop
General Formulations
General Formulations (GF) appointed Andrew Bishop as vice president of sales. In this role, Bishop will lead sales strategy, customer engagement, and team development to continue to drive growth across GF’s global distribution network and customer base. Prior to joining GF, Bishop served as president of RecogNation, a Baudville Brands Company, where he led sales and customer experience initiatives.
Dustin Moe
LAT Apparel
LAT Apparel promoted Dustin Moe to senior director, distributor sales. Moe has been an integral part of the company for nine years, LAT announced in a press release, consistently demonstrating a deep commitment to strengthening distribution partnerships. In his expanded role, Moe will lead key strategic initiatives designed to accelerate growth, deepen collaboration with distributor partners, and align cross-functional teams to deliver long-term value.
Webinars
Anniversaries
STAHLS’ celebrated the 10th anniversary of STAHLS’ TV, the company’s free video education platform dedicated to supporting and educating apparel decorators worldwide.
