Competitive Edge Owner Earns CAS Certification

Mary Jo Tomasini, president and owner of Competitive Edge, passed the certification examination administered by Promotional Products Association Internal to receive the Certified Advertising Specialist industry certification.

The CAS certification requires individuals to take a series of classes, have at least three years of experience and receive a passing score on the CAS examination. Class topics included an overview of the promotional products industry, promotional programs, best practices, supplier-distributor relations, advertising and business ethics.

Tomasini started her company in 1993. Competitive Edge is a full-service provider of promotional products and premiums, with customers including several major companies.

Appeared in the Herald Palladium February 24, 2008

CE Competitive Edge Gains National Recognition
Named among Top 500 Woman Owned Businesses in the U.S.

Stevensville, MI--February 8, 2007-- In recognition of the economic power of multicultural businesses, DiversityBusiness.com, the nations’ leading multicultural internet site, recently named CE Competitive Edge as one of the “Top 500 Woman Owned businesses in the United States (Div500)”.

The Div500 is the 7th annual listing of the Nation’s top 500 Woman Owned businesses. Ranging in revenue size from $5.3 million to over $1.3 billion, the companies listed on the Div500 represent the Nation’s top Woman Owned earners and challenge the long-held notion that a Woman Owned business is small or insignificant. Div500 members are sought after by major corporations wishing to increase spending with Woman Owned businesses.

“Woman owned businesses and consumers are a growing force in the U.S. economy,” said Kenton Clarke, CEO of Computer Consulting Associates International, the company that built DiversityBusiness.com. This is a whole business segment that provides jobs, products and services, and generates wealth for their communities. These are the new leaders in American business.”

“This is a true honor for our company to be recognized in the same class with these nationally known businesses,” said Mary Jo Tomasini, President and Owner of CE Competitive Edge. We contribute our success to providing a selection of high quality products, a unique blend of services and competitive pricing. I believe that the promotional business requires that you understand the customer’s business, add value to the process, and come to the table with solutions to help them grow their business.”

The Div500
The Div500 is a classification that represents the top 500 Woman Owned businesses in the U.S., in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, food service and professional services. Large organizational buyers throughout the country that do business with small businesses use the list. The Div500 is produced annually by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural B2B Internet portal that links large organizational buyers to multicultural product and service suppliers.

Platinum Stake Award

Competitive Edge LLC, a Certified Women's Business Enterprise, received the Platinum Stake Award from Cornerstone Alliance of Southwest Michigan for the fifth time in the last eleven years. The criteria for the award is to make a capital investment of over $300,000.

CE is positioned in the marketplace as "Right-Sized". They are ranked in the top 4% of the more than 20,000 PPAI distributors nation-wide, which gives their customers the preferred pricing they deserve, and the local attention-to-detail touch they have come to enjoy.

In 2007, CE will continue to rollout their E-Store technology platform for customers to facilitate online shopping and ordering for those who desire that convenience.