Company News

Allegra Sales Associate Receives International Award

HAMILTON, Ontario, March, 21, 2012 – Carson Taylor, sales associate at Allegra Marketing-Print-Mail in Hamilton, recently received the International Silver Sales Milestone Award from the Allegra Network franchise system. The sales excellence awards are presented annually to the top sales professionals in North America and are based on sales volume and providing an outstanding level of client service.

Taylor has an honours degree in communication studies from McMaster University. He joined Allegra almost five years ago.

“Carson’s diligence and proactive commitment to helping our clients grow their businesses is what has earned him their respect,” said Gasper Lipari, owner of Allegra. “He is tireless in his pursuit of service excellence and sets the bar high for other sales professionals.”

Carson’s networks include the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton Hive and the Downtown Hamilton BIA. He’s also an avid sports fan.

Allegra Designers are Tourism Hamilton Awards Winners

Downtown Hamilton BIA is pleased to congratulate various winners of the 14th Tourism Hamilton Award. More than 500 people attended the event, and there were 115 nominees in 22 categories.

We are pleased to say that Downtown Hamilton BIA was also nominated for three awards, include 2011 Gore Park Summer Promenade for Medium Event or Festival, 2011 Downtown Localicious Experience for “New” Culinary Tourism Experience and won Brochure or Promotional Piece for 2011 Downtown Restaurant Guide. The two graphic designers for our Downtown Restaurant Guide, Tina Belter and Andrea Brierley, are from BIA member Allegra Hamilton. “I get my inspiration by trying to anticipate what the reader would like to see. I designed the restaurant guide by putting myself in the shoes of tourists who might be looking for information on a great place to eat in Hamilton.” said Tina Belter, who developed the original layout of the award-winning Downtown Restaurant Guide.

Moreover, everybody’s favorite “Supercrawl”, which will mark its fourth anniversary this September, won two individual awards – Entertainment Ambassador Tim Potocic and Volunteer of the Year Dane Pedersen.

A special thank you goes to the staff and volunteers from Tourism Hamilton for a wonderful awards experience. The many awards in different categories encourage and promote excellent hospitality in Hamilton. We can expect great developments in Hamilton in the future.

Allegra Marks 15 Years in Business by Changing with the Times

Owning and operating a successful business nimble enough to meet ever-changing market needs is no small feat. Allegra Marketing · Print · Mail has not only met the challenge, they’ve risen to become a market leader with 2012 marking 15 years of service to area businesses and nonprofits.

Since opening its doors in 1997, when owners Gasper Lipari and Dave Knox merged their print shops, many new channels have opened to business communicators that go far beyond printing and copying. “It’s fair to say Allegra has kept pace by successfully evolving from a printing-only company to a full-service marketing communications provider,” says Knox.

To grow their business further, Allegra owners Lipari and Knox recently completed a rigorous marketing certification program that included advanced training in marketing planning, database procurement and management, and the development and execution of cross-media tactics. Allegra’s goal is to become the areas leading one-stop resource for small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits looking for real results from their marketing plans.

“Today’s successful marketers recognize that they need to be more thoughtful and strategic than ever,” adds Lipari. “Over the years, our clients have asked us to play an expanded role, telling us that a single source for planning, design and production services would be valuable to them.” Allegra has even developed an innovative program called Brand Builder; a process that helps clients develop a blueprint for success.

Transforming into a marketing resource for area businesses and nonprofits is not the first time Allegra has expanded services to meet client demand. In 2009, it enhanced its printing capabilities with the addition of blueprinting services to assist clients requiring the printing and archiving of large-scale documents like architectural drawings, landscape designs, site plans and more. In 2011, Allegra expanded its capabilities yet again by adding an eco-friendly wide format printer used for posters, signs, banners and vehicle wraps.

Allegra, now with 2 locations in Hamilton, is a full-service marketing communications provider with added support from its National Marketing Resource Center. Capabilities include in-house offset and digital printing technologies, web marketing, blueprinting, promotional products, signs, posters and banners, graphic design, mailing services, marketing planning and project consulting.

Allegra to award marketing and print services to local non profit organizations

For a fifth consecutive year, the Allegra FootPRINT Fund will award up to $20,000 of in-kind services to nonprofit organizations and associations seeking assistance to complete marketing plans, graphic design work or basic printing of material for new initiatives otherwise without a budget. New for 2012 is an opportunity to be the recipient of Allegra’s exclusive Brand Builder ; a program designed to define, differentiate and propel your brand forward.

“Providing community support is an important goal at Allegra” says Vice President Gasper Lipari, “and the FootPRINT Fund was created to provide a means of helping local organizations receive assistance in an area that may not be addressed by other funding sources.”

Celebrating its 15th year in business this year, Allegra launched the FootPRINT Fund as part of its Community Care Campaign, a North American wide effort supported by the company’s franchise headquarters, Allegra Network. The FootPRINT Fund was developed to help unite and strengthen local communities by assisting eligible nonprofit organizations and associations in building their awareness and increasing local support. Dozens of local nonprofit organizations, such as Temple Anshe Sholom, Special Olympics, Dundas Museum and Archives, Saltfleet Figure Skating, Mountain Kidz, and Catholic Family Services to name a few, have benefited over the years by applying to FootPRINT Fund and receiving assistance on terrific projects.

“The real payoff is when organizations give us feedback on the positive results projects, funded by FootPRINT, have achieved,” adds Lipari.

To be considered for a FootPRINT Fund award, nonprofit groups, associations and charitable organizations with a main office or branch in the Greater Hamilton area must submit a completed application. The deadline to apply is February 15. Further information and application forms may be downloaded from the Community Page.

Award recipients are selected by a review panel and awards based on how the services will be used to further the organization’s goals including service expansion, program enhancement and maximization of existing resources, as well as the organization’s history of innovation and resourcefulness.

“This program is a way for us to make a difference in our community, one step at a time. At Allegra, we feel that it is extremely important to reach out to those in need and help our local organizations and associations leave their ‘footprints’ in the community,” added Lipari, who owns Allegra along with partner Dave Knox, “Since opening in 1997, we have provided in-kind services to several area not-for-profit businesses and organizations. FootPRINT has become an instrumental vehicle allowing us to focus these charitable efforts.”