Here’s a very nice and extremely well-deserved ‘Top Story of The Day’ published by PPAI about Helen Stromberg’s retirement at year’s end. She is going to be deeply missed by everyone at StrombergBrand and Arch Promo Group, as well as distributors and fellow suppliers across the industry. We wish her all the best!
Helen Stromberg, an industry veteran of 45 years, has announced she will retire at the end of 2024, leaving behind a decorated legacy. She ran New York-based supplier StrombergBrand Umbrellas, alongside her husband Richard Stromberg, MAS, before his passing in 2021. StrombergBrand was founded in 1942 and specializes in overseas manufacturing of handheld umbrellas, patio styles and more. Over the years, it has been consistently awarded SAGE A+ and ASI 5-Star ratings by distributors. The company’s headquarters are in Valley Cottage, New York.
Before meeting her husband, Helen worked in magazine publishing, doing market and media research, and had recently transitioned into ad sales. She met Richard in 1974 after he had taken over the business from his father, and he asked her to join the firm in 1981.
“He started telling me about the umbrella business, and I thought ‘Gee, I don’t know if I’ve ever met somebody in the umbrella business,’ nor did I ever think I would meet somebody again,” Stromberg says. “I found premium promotions fascinating. Once we started working together, we found our management styles complemented each other. Richard focused often on developing products, talking to factories, and meeting with people, and I excelled at the operational part – running the business day to day. However, over the years, we took turns and enjoyed engaging in the various aspects of the business.”
Helen and Richard’s daughter, Jennifer, eventually left the corporate world at the end of 2019 to join the business in a leadership position, a long-awaited move Stromberg says she and Richard happily welcomed.
Stromberg says she was moved by the spirit of the industry, and how it helped connect brands with consumers throughout the United States. The process of putting together a line of products was also fascinating to her. She enjoyed her regular travel to China to review the development of the umbrellas, directly at her factories.
However, her favorite part of her years in promo has been face-to-face work and collaboration, including going to trade shows and interacting with distributors. “I believe one of my strengths is dealing with customers,” Stromberg says. “I love meeting new people, and I have formed many friendships in this business as well.”
One thing that fascinated Stromberg about the promo industry was how many women were involved. She admits to knowing fewer female business owners in the early years, but notes women at that time were commonly the top salespeople at prominent companies.
“As these women became more and more successful, they then went out on their own, and we now see more female entrepreneurs leading their companies than ever before,” Stromberg says. The publishing world was male-dominated, she explains, so transitioning to promo, where women were able to climb to the top, was refreshing. “You didn’t see so many of the old-world, stodgy type of executives,” she says. “It was filled with creative, fun women, with fantastic ideas and products.” Stromberg fondly recalls participating in the industry’s Women’s Leadership Conferences, from which she made lasting relationships.
In early 2022, Helen was pleased to receive an acquisition offer from St. Louis-based Arch Promo Group, PPAI 100’s No. 38 supplier.
“Business had been growing for us at fantastic levels, and Jennifer and I had decided it was a great time to sell. When we first met the Arch leadership team, we were able to see their goals for the future of the company matched ours, 100%. I was hopeful to find a buyer who would keep the best of what was existing – our employees and operations – while adding their support, both financial and strategic, to help to continue that steady growth.”
Helen continued to manage StrombergBrand as General Manager since the acquisition, while Jennifer took on a new consulting role for Arch Promo Group overall.
“I’m happy that the matriarch of one of our industry’s most recognizable companies will now have a more relaxed opportunity to smell the roses and enjoy the fruits of her life work.” – Steven Meyer, National Sales Manager, Arch Promo Group
Steven Meyer, National Sales Manager for Arch Promo, has worked closely alongside Stromberg for the past two-and-a-half years. He says, “I am both happy and sad that someone I’ve grown to enjoy is moving onto a new chapter in life. I’m happy that the matriarch of one of our industry’s most recognizable companies will now have the opportunity to smell the roses and enjoy the fruits of her life’s work.”
Stromberg noted her sincere appreciation for the hard work and dedication of StrombergBrand employees over the decades, which made it a highly rated supplier year after year. She singled out Michael Pastore, currently the Director of Operations, who has been with the company for 16 years (a ‘PPB Service Superhero’ winner in 2020), for his immeasurable role in its success.
After running the business for over four decades, Stromberg feels confident she has left her company in good hands, which will allow her to enjoy the things she loves: traveling, spending time with family, and enjoying the company of her Pomeranian, Poppy. A few of the spots from her travel list include South America, India, Europe, and “some nice island sipping Prosecco.”
Stromberg’s lasting impact will be felt for many years to come. “The industry has been good for me,” she says. “Of course, there are ups and downs when you own a business, but it has now come to the point where we have a great following, and it’s a good, thriving business. I am very pleased that Richard, Jennifer and I were able to leave behind this legacy.”
