About Us
The Little Company That Could
CSI began as Carolina Specialties back in 1988. In the beginning, the goal of the company was to meet the need for promotional products of the local community. We met those needs and we further responded by adding products and services that benefited our clients and their businesses.
Sometime around 1998 we took charge of our own screenprinting and embroidery in an effort to deliver the quality and deadlines our clients were calling for. About a year later, we launched our Awards & Trophies Division offering a full line of trophies, plaques, executive gifts, interior and exterior signs and more.
The expanded line of products exposed us to a wider and diverse client base. We were now serving clients in Southwest Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and other regions. We changed our name to Carolina Specialties International to reflect our new reality.
Through the years we have moved, we have grown, we have changed our processes, but in our hearts we have remained the little company that could. When others couldn't handle the pressure we maintained our integrity and our wits about us, staying ahead of the trends and not subscribing to anything but our own value and belief system. All the while, keeping in the forefront our client base and responding to their loyalty with loyalty and a positive outlook.
And so, in 2007 we got with the times again and shortened our name to CSI, a name easier to tweet. The shortened version of our name also allows us to change our name one more time if we needed to without having to change those three important letters – CSI. As we stay who we are, one day we may be known as Carolina Specialties Intergalactic. See, at CSI we believe there are no limits. The promotional possibilities are endless. We make our success happen thanks to you. In turn, we help your success too, it is yours for the taking...and we will help your promotion every step of the way.
Here's to your continued success and prosperity,
Ann Marie Swilley
President and CEOContact carolinaspecialties.com
Call her Leader Extraordinaire, but not to her face. Ann Marie is all about her service to her clients and dedication to the business family she has nurtured through these 23 years – a family which includes her clients, her employees and dedicated business associates. She might as well be known as the hardest working woman in the Promotional Products Industry. In this industry, she is a Heavyweight – don't let her petite figure and polite demeanor fool you. Her precise combination of business savvy, fairness and wisdom delivers to her clients time and time again quality products, dependable service and unmatched understanding of the needs of the client. Imparting her knowledge to the staff under her wings weaves her philosophy across the fabric of CSI.
Bobby Joe Swilley
Vice President/Emeritus Sales ManagerContact carolinaspecialties.com
Google him. There are over 30,000 hits on Bobby Joe Swilley. Around here he is known as Ol'Swil. Bobby is now semi-retired from his career at CSI, but remains a musician, songwriter and recording artist. However, his legacy at CSI endures. Through the years, Bobby developed great business relationships that are with CSI to this day. He also shared his business acumen with the sales staff. Those abiding principles help lay the foundation for the company CSI is today.
Cindy Stroupe
Senior Sales RepContact carolinaspecialties.com
Our very own Carol Burnett. Cindy is a hoot, but watch out, she will sell you an ice cube even when you are cold. Cindy has been with CSI almost from the beginning. She has a natural talent for sales, but, more importantly, she has a natural talent for taking care of her clients and their needs. With her loud twang she counsels and looks out for their best business interest all the while forging lasting relationships. She is an expert in military retention, government contracting agencies and hospital systems. Her versatility though has proven valuable to a diverse client base. Her clients wouldn't trade her for the world.
Tammy Cole
Production ManagerContact carolinaspecialties.com
Tammy has the same years of experience under her belt as CSI is old. Tammy joined CSI in 2006 and brought with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise that make her a star within the constellation at CSI. Tammy's southern charm is evident from the reaction of her clients when she is not available – any other rep just won't do. She is an expert with schools, churches, team sports and family gatherings. In addition to her CSI stardom, Tammy is the Production Manager at our sister company The Promo Agency. At The Promo Agency she manages a team that provides the very best in screenprinting, embroidery and awards & trophies.
Joe Squire
Sales RepContact carolinaspecialties.com
Joe joined the team at CSI five years ago and has grown to be very much appreciated by his client base. He specializes in local government, team sports and medical facilities. He has a knack for seeing a client project from beginning to end and offering his skills and knowledge to ensure a successful marketing campaign.
Stephen Haire
Sales Rep/Auxiliary Vice PresidentContact carolinaspecialties.com
Our newest addition to the team. Stephen heads the Wilmington, NC headquarters of CSI. He brings with him several years of salesmanship and has quickly developed an excellent reputation within university systems and coastal military installations. Stephen is persistent and undaunted in his pursuit of the best result for the client's promotional campaign.
Chris Beaman
Trophy Shop ManagerContact carolinaspecialties.com
What’ll you have? Chris has that old-fashioned flair of a diner waitress. You know, the kind who makes you feel at home and will serve you up exactly what you want with a down-to-earth familiarity. Chris Beaman is our notorious trophy-shop manager at the Promo Agency (A CSI Family Company). She engraves, she embroiders, she does it all… and although she’s not really famous for serving shrimp and grits, she is known for providing the best customer service in town.