Fred Oesen, a 40-year veteran of the promotional products industry, passed away early Monday morning, according to reports from the Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC).

  • Oesen was a former president of PPPC.
  • He was named to the PPPC Hall of Fame.

PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham, MAS+, remembers the impact that Oesen had on him when they first met and the years going forward.

“I don't remember the date exactly, but it was sometime around 2005 when I first met Fred,” Denham says. “Once anyone meets Fred, they cannot forget him. He made me feel special and important, and I quickly realized that is one of his many gifts; he makes people feel special the moment he meets them. I witnessed this over and over again in all my interactions with Fred. I mostly had business interactions with him, but there is very little business with Fred that doesn't become personal. And much of his business is done in a bar buying drinks for others and sharing stories.”

A Staple of the Canadian Promo Industry

Much of legacy of Oesen’s impressive career proves him to be something of a pioneer and staple of the Canadian promo industry. Born in Germany, Oesen moved to Canada at a young age, and he began his promo career as a young man in Toronto in 1972.

  • In 1974, Oesen became the Canadian manager of the Parker Pens’ Premium Division.

He made strides in Canada’s promo industry, building on the in-person relationships he formed with distributors. At a time when much of the country’s promo business was reserved for annual trade shows, Oesen was willing to get in his car and drive from Toronto to Vancouver or elsewhere to visit with distributors.

  • In 1978, Oesen became the president of the Ontario Chapter of Specialty Advertising Association of Canada.
  • One year later, he co-founded Canada’s first national rep organization, Can-Am Reps.

Canadian promo benefited from Oesen’s ingenuity when he had the idea that an organization should give U.S. suppliers a chance to visit Canada through tours and networking events.

  • This idea led to him co-founding multi-line representative Task Force Marketing, which in turn led to the creation of the Annual Awards Reception honoring Canadian distributors.
  • The business grew to the point of ASI purchasing it in 2007, with Oesen staying on as vice president of ASI Canada.

Denham was with ASI at the time of the purchase.

“Fred did more than make me and others feel special, he added value to our lives,” Denham says. “He ran a business that drove benefits to others and cared about delivering value. When we worked together on a transaction to purchase his business while I was at ASI, Fred was a man of his word and never played games with the transaction. He delivered more than required and became an important part of ASI Canada well after the transaction was complete, which is a testament to Fred and how hard he works in addition to how hard he plays. 

“The number of people Fred introduced me to in Canada opened so many doors in addition to his direct contributions.”

Oesen retired in 2017. In 2022, ASI recognized his contributions to the promotional products industry, presenting him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor celebrated both his role in building up the industry in Canada and his service mentoring other promo professionals.