This week, as promo industry professionals take the industry’s message to Capitol Hill as part of PPAI’s Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.), the Association recognizes two retiring architects of the annual initiative. Eric Ekstrand, MAS+, regional vice president, Mid-Atlantic, for HALO and a former PPAI board chair, and Dale Limes, MAS, senior vice president of sales, for HALO, are stepping down from PPAI’s Government Relations Action Council, a group they helped found in 2009.

Background

GRAC was originally established to address the promotional products industry’s concerns over the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which required reporting of payments and any other transfers of value from manufacturers to physicians. However, the council soon expanded its portfolio beyond that one issue to establish itself as a clearinghouse for a broad range of legislative or regulatory proposals that could impact the industry.

  • GRAC members have been instrumental in helping PPAI devise an approach to various threats to the independent contractor model, whether it presented itself through California’s AB 5 or the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which has been introduced in every session of Congress since 2019.
  • Other relevant topics addressed by GRAC include corporate tax changes; specifically the stepped-up basis and advertising deductions, among others; the National Labor Relations Board’s shifting joint employer rule; and the Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL) Online Act.


GRAC has been successful in getting name recognition for PPAI and its legislative outreach on the Hill. During the annual L.E.A.D. fly-in, members of Congress and staffers often recognize PPAI volunteers by face or industry affiliation because of their consistent visits to Capitol Hill. PPAI is recognizing Ekstrand and Limes for the consistent advocacy they have supported for more than 13 years, and the tangible results it engendered.

Launching Legislative Outreach

Both Ekstrand and Limes have contributed years of hard work and dedication to the promotional products industry. With passion and a strong sense of purpose, these volunteer industry leaders have shaped PPAI in its government relations approach and beyond.

“Presiding over the very first GRAC meeting not knowing what to expect was exciting, the PPAI staff had chosen volunteer members passionate about digging into issues affecting the industry,” says Ekstrand. “The first LEAD event showed our industry that PPAI was serious about keeping our government electors educated on the importance of our industry in the economy.”

Limes’ input has been invaluable to the Association over the past thirteen years. He says, “It was an honor to serve as a member of GRAC from its inception to my pending retirement in 2023. I made a commitment in 1999 to begin PPAI committee volunteering which included terms on the Distributor and Leadership Advisory – chair in 2007 – committees before joining GRAC.”

Ekstrand adds, “It was encouraging each year at LEAD, meeting the same staff, having them remember the importance of our industry and listening to our concerns. I feel that GRAC is the most important benefit to being a PPAI member, having a unified voice advocating for our great industry.

“We are lucky to have Anne Stone [PPAI Director of Member Engagement] and Maurice Norris [PPAI Public Affairs Manager] as dedicated, committed and educated staff keeping us informed of pending threats to the industry.”

Connecting On Capitol Hill

During their tenure on GRAC, Ekstrand and Limes were instrumental in helping PPAI establish a presence on the Hill. In their time in D.C., both accumulated numerous stories of connecting with members of Congress and legislators recognizing their groups during LEAD at various restaurants around D.C. and spending time with them after dinner.

“Meeting with Ohio Representative Steve Chabot in the meeting room right outside the house chambers, we – including Dale Limes and Mike Burns of Quikey – had a scheduled meeting with him in his office but he was called to the floor,” says Ekstrand. “He wanted to meet and had an aide escort us to the capital by the tunnel tram. At the meeting Mike was explaining the importance of promotional products , Mike pulled from his pocket a coin purse his company manufactures in Ohio. The Congressman said that brought back memories of his childhood, Mike emptied his coins and presented him the coin purse. He always took the time to meet with us after this encounter.”

Reflecting on his efforts to build a lasting industry presence on the Hill, Limes said “It’s exciting and empowering to build relationships with our elected congressmen and women along with their staff. Each year at L.E.A.D became more productive and enjoyable as relationships blossomed. I can even say friendships have been built over the years with some of the congressmen and women to where we exchanged fond greetings and conversation when we see each other in our home state.”

Among Limes’ fondest memories are meeting with then House Speaker John Boehner, spending time on the Speaker’s balcony at the U.S. Capitol, and an initial meeting where the Ohio group watched a member of Congress “pull out all of his cherished SWAG from around the office with a big grin on his face.”

Limes also said he learned a lot about Washington, D.C. functions, the legislative process, how to avoid unintended consequences of legislation, the impact of each industry voice through in person meetings and support letters.