News
The Dunstan Group Welcomes Ellen Davis as New Account Manager
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 12, 2025
Charlotte — The Dunstan Group, an award-winning customized apparel and promotional merchandise firm, welcomes Ellen Davis as Account Manager. Ellen brings a wealth of experience in the promotional products industry and a client-focused approach to the team, strengthening The Dunstan Group’s commitment to delivering outstanding service.
A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ellen is based in Charlotte and is passionate about helping brands make a lasting impression through creative solutions and personalized support. Her industry knowledge and approachable style make her a perfect fit for The Dunstan Group.
“Ellen really knows the promo industry,” said Scott Dunstan, president and founder of The Dunstan Group. “Her commitment to building relationships aligns perfectly with The Dunstan Group’s focus on listening and delivering standout customer service.”
Ellen’s expertise and enthusiasm will contribute to The Dunstan Group’s goal of providing promotional goods and apparel that companies will be proud to showcase and share with their clients, team members, and friends.
About The Dunstan Group
Headquartered here in Charlotte, NC The Dunstan Group is a leading provider of customized apparel and promotional merchandise. Our reputation for inventive and thoughtful design, quality product and on-time delivery have allowed us to grow, and continue to exceed our customers’ expectations. https://dunstangroup.com
Spooktacular Swag: 5 NEW Halloween Hits!
Halloween is creeping closer (see what we did there?) and that means it’s time to treat your team, customers, or event attendees to some fang-tastic branded gifts and promotional products! Whether you’re hosting an employee celebration, organizing a community trick-or-treat, or looking for leave-behind gifts for fall sales calls, these Halloween-themed promotional items are perfect for delighting your audience and keeping your brand top of mind.
Pumpkin Drawstring Bag
Make trick-or-treating – or any Halloween giveaway – extra special with a bright orange pumpkin drawstring bag. Lightweight and roomy, this bag is ideal for collecting candy at an office party, distributing swag at a community event, or using as a themed goodie bag for students and staff. The fun pumpkin face design is sure to draw smiles while giving your logo prime visibility throughout the season.
Halloween Ghost-Shaped Stress Ball
Lighten the mood at work or on the go with a squeezable ghost-shaped stress ball. This spirited desktop companion is both functional and fun – a practical stress reliever during busy fall weeks, and an eye-catching gift for tradeshow booths, staff goody bags, or customer thank-you packages. The classic ghost shape captures Halloween whimsy and is perfect for desks, drawers, or handouts.
Halloween Pumpkin Scooper
Every jack-o’-lantern artist knows: carving is all treat, no trick with a sturdy pumpkin scooper! Perfect as a family-friendly handout at school carnivals, fall festivals, or sponsored pumpkin-carving contests, this practical tool gets branded with your logo and helps keep the mess under control. A great tie-in for autumn home, garden, or family service promotions.
Creepy Candy Box
Classic Halloween treats get a custom twist with a branded creepy candy box. Ideal for client gifts, team surprises, or trade show goodies, this box comes filled with a mix of sweet favorites to fuel fall festivities. Its eye-catching design makes a memorable impression – a simple way to show appreciation and spread some seasonal cheer.
Pumpkin Strobe Light
Safety meets fun with pumpkin-shaped strobe lights. Clip them to kids’ trick-or-treat bags, employee lanyards for after-dark events, or as giveaways at community fall festivals. The blinking strobe effect is a festive way to keep everyone visible during nighttime activities, making this product a timely blend of function and Halloween flair.
2025 Holiday Gift Guide: Apparel and Accessories that Set the Scene
Sustainable Style and Everyday Performance: Storm Creek Outerwear at The Dunstan Group
When it comes to outfitting your team with gear that looks great, performs in all conditions, and helps make the world a cleaner place, Storm Creek checks all the boxes. At The Dunstan Group, we’re big fans of their high-quality outerwear — not just because it’s built to tackle the workday, the weekend, and everything in between, but also because it’s made with sustainability without sacrifice.
Storm Creek is serious about sustainability. In fact, every piece in their line is crafted using innovative recycled materials — like turning discarded plastic bottles into high-performance fabrics. The result? Garments that are soft, durable, and designed to keep you comfortable in any weather, while helping reduce waste and protect our natural resources. Style with a purpose? Absolutely.
And because we know our clients are looking for versatile pieces they can wear anywhere, here are four of Storm Creek’s standouts that we think will be hitting all the right notes this season.
1. Sidekick Quarter Zip
Your go-to mid-layer just got an upgrade. Lightweight, breathable, and soft against the skin, the Sidekick Quarter Zip is perfect for a morning run, a cool office, or layering under a jacket. With both men’s and women’s fits available, this piece keeps you warm without adding bulk, and it’s made with recycled polyester so you can feel good about wearing it — in more ways than one.
2. Traveler Vest
For those days when you need a little extra warmth without sacrificing mobility, the Traveler Vest is a perfect choice. It’s windproof, water-resistant, and made to handle changing conditions, making it ideal for travel, outdoor events, or simply running errands. Both men’s and women’s styles combine sleek design with practical features. And yes — those sustainable materials make it even better.
3. Overachiever Sweaterfleece Jacket
True to its name, the Overachiever goes above and beyond. Imagine the cozy comfort of a sweater with the structure and warmth of a jacket — that’s what you get here. Perfect for cooler days, outdoor meetings, or casual office wear, it’s a piece that works hard at keeping you comfortable while helping to keep plastic out of landfills and waterways.
4. Pacesetter Quarter Zip
Designed for movement, the Pacesetter combines lightweight warmth with a sleek, athletic look. It’s great for layering or wearing solo, whether you’re on the golf course, hiking, or working through a busy day. Like all Storm Creek apparel, it’s crafted from sustainable fabrics that don’t compromise on performance.
At The Dunstan Group, we can customize any of these Storm Creek favorites with your company’s logo or event branding — creating gear that reflects your style, your team spirit, and your commitment to sustainability. When you choose Storm Creek through The Dunstan Group, you’re getting hardworking outerwear that looks just as good as it performs!
Hello, Meet Ello!
Hello, Meet Ello!
Ello is the hottest brand in storage, known for its stylish and functional food storage solutions, particularly its glass containers with silicone sleeves and airtight lids. Ello offers a variety of containers, including meal prep sets, divided containers, and individual bowls, all designed to be leak-proof, stain-resistant, and easy to clean. And those are just some of the reasons we love Ello!
Safe. Clean. Green.
Ello is on a mission to eliminate single-use food and beverage containers by creating beautiful, functional products that make you feel good and look great doing it.
Materials That Matter
Ello thoughtfully selects high-quality materials — like stainless steel, bamboo, wood, silicone, and Tritan plastic, not just for durability, but because they’re better for you and the planet. Every component is chosen with sustainability and performance in mind.
Designed to Delight
If it doesn’t make them say “OHHHH,” it doesn’t leave the Ello design lab. From their Quick Fill™ technology to leak-proof locking lids, every feature is engineered to simplify your routine and elevate your experience, without compromising style.
Now! Completely Customizable through The Dunstan Group
Make Ello totally yours with customization and decoration from The Dunstan Group! If you’re looking to “wow” them with on-trend branded merchandise they can use every day, you’ve got to see Ello storage solutions!
24 Foundation Goes All-Out and Full-Custom for 24th
For 24 years, the 24 Foundation has been a late July ritual in the Charlotte community. As the nonprofit prepares for its 24th annual “24 Hours of Booty” event, organizers want to make certain this 24-hour cycling and walking fundraiser is the summer’s must-do charity event.
Katherine Murphy is Executive Director of 24 Foundation. We checked-in with her to talk about the organization’s mission and the exciting plans for this milestone year. “We raise funds that make an immediate impact on the lives of those with a cancer diagnosis,” Murphy explained. “That means untangling the maze of appointments and information and helping provide funding for treatments and programs that insurance typically doesn’t pay for but are just as important as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, research, etc.” Since its founding, the foundation has raised over $30 million, all of which stays local to support the Charlotte community.
Like Murphy said, the 24 Hours of Booty event is a 24-hour celebration of hope, healing, and community, starting Friday evening and running through Saturday evening. Participants ride, walk, run, or ruck as much as they want during the 24-hour period. Along the way, they’re supported by meals, snacks, and a vibrant expo area featuring sponsors and community partners. Murphy described the event as “a big party for the cancer community,” adding, “it’s hard to explain it unless you’ve experienced it, so we always tell people just to show up whether it’s as a participant, volunteer, sponsor, donor, or someone just coming out and cheering people on.”
The Dunstan Group’s role in supporting the foundation has grown over the years, most recently highlighted by a special custom backpack created for the 24th anniversary event. Murphy was visibly excited about the collaboration, during our interview: “We love working with Dunstan Group. They help us create products that not only look great but also embody the spirit of our event and mission—they just get us!”
The backpack plays off a popular retail design that Murphy and her team enjoy, but takes it several levels higher. It’s a completely customized product, designed with thoughtful branding and practical features –all the way down to the color of the zipper pulls and placement of the tag. Yes! The Dunstan Group can get that granular when it comes to detail and design. Just give us the time, and we’ll make the magic happen.
Over the years, The Dunstan Group has provided a range of branded apparel, awards, and promotional items that help unify the event experience and boost visibility for the foundation and its sponsors. Murphy noted, “They really understand our needs and work with us to make sure everything matches our brand and feels special for the community we serve.”
Naturally, we had to ask Murphy was else was planned to celebrate year 24. She said to expect new on-site experiences to enhance the event’s impact and engagement, including a “Lighting of the Loop” ceremony—a nighttime program with special guests and surprises—and expanded family-friendly activities like a kids zone and a dunk tank. Murphy shared, “We’re going big for year 24, and The Dunstan Group’s support helps us bring all these new ideas to life with cohesive, professional branding and quality merchandise.”
And there’s still time to get involved. For more information about 24 Hours of Booty, including how to participate or support the event, visit 24foundation.org.
A Quack-Tastic Cause: KinderMourn’s Hope Floats Duck Race
The Whitewater Center hasn’t gone fully “quackers,” but on May 4, you might have done a double-take when you witnessed a tidal wave of yellow bobbing down the rapids. Actually, it was more than 57,000 rubber ducks dumped lovingly into the water as part of KinderMourn’s annual Hope Floats Duck Race. And The Dunstan Group was proud to be in the middle of it all, cheering on the cause, supporting the community, and this year, claiming victory in the ever-competitive Sponsor Duck Race.
In its 21st year, the Hope Floats Duck Race is now one of the largest in the country. It’s also one of KinderMourn’s biggest fundraisers, raising a record-breaking $400,000 this year. Here’s how it works: Every rubber duck—adopted in honor or memory of a loved one—represents the mission of KinderMourn to offer hope and healing to grieving parents, children, and teens across the Charlotte area.
“We’re grateful to have community partners like The Dunstan Group,” said Staci Brown, Community Relations Director at KinderMourn. “They’ve been incredible in helping us with branded items for events like our golf tournament and now the duck race. It’s meaningful to have local support from just two doors down.” (Yes, the KinderMourn office is just a couple doors down from us here at The Dunstan Group!)
“I think the coolest part is that our families are such a big part of the fundraising,” said Kaela O’Donnell, Executive Director. “They’re the ones creating the teams … and sharing with friends and family and coworkers because it’s been like so special to them.”
Started in 1978 by bereaved parents Bill and Lucy Christopher in a church basement, KinderMourn has grown to include individual counseling, support groups, and an innovative outreach program called Helping the Hurt, which provides grief support directly in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Fort Mill schools.
“I don’t think people always realize the scope of what we do,” added Brown. “We’re talking with students after school tragedies, providing comfort when it’s most needed, so we’ve really expanded our services.”
The Dunstan Group lent a hand—and a few creative ideas—to this year’s race-day gear and giveaways. From reusable duck-themed race bags and koozies to co-branded magnets and holographic stickers; KinderMourn’s event was stocked with fun, functional swag that also served a purpose.
“This year, we also did a bag which is something we’d never done before,” said Brown. “People were buying tons of merchandise—plushy ducks, t-shirts, all of it— and we realized so many people were buying a lot of duck merchandise and didn’t have any way to carry it!”
And then there’s the matter of the event itself. The Dunstan Group took home the coveted “Quackiest Duck” award for winning the Sponsor Duck Race, in which giant decorated ducks are launched into the water before the BIG rubber duck drop. That trophy will soon have a special place in The Dunstan Group showroom.
Beyond the laughs and the floating plastic fowl, the Duck Race serves a greater purpose: helping KinderMourn provide essential grief support services to those who need it most. With more than 100 volunteers on race day, hundreds of fundraising teams, and tens of thousands of adopted ducks, it’s a true community event – and one The Dunstan Group is honored to support.
“I think the magic of the Duck Race is that it brings joy to a really heavy subject,” said Brown. “It’s a fun way to honor someone they love, and for our community to get involved.”
To learn more about KinderMourn or get involved in their upcoming events—including their Tee Off for Hope Golf Tournament this fall—visit www.kindermourn.org.
