Michael Hammer and the Sampro group have held a special place in my professional career for decades. The initial connection, forged during a period of exciting growth for both our companies, was based on a shared commitment to value-driven partnerships. The powerful potential of working with Sampro was immediately recognized, and they have consistently exceeded expectations. Michael and his team's distinctive market vision and innovative tools have been game-changers for our sales professionals and their retailer customers. A proven, collaborative approach has consistently enabled customers to achieve dynamic sales growth while maximizing resource efficiency. Their success has been a driving force in the company's success. Sampro's vision, team, and unwavering ability to deliver results are truly exceptional.

Over the past 31 years, I have had the privilege of working closely with the Hammer family and the entire Sampro team in the art supply industry. Together, we've built a strong and enduring partnership centered on thoughtfully curating product assortments for our various locations. What truly sets Sampro apart is their unwavering integrity and commitment. In an industry where trust is essential, the Sampro team has consistently earned both my trust and respect. Their dedication, insight, and determination have been invaluable in helping us select the right products for our carefully curated collections.

Michael, Scott, and Abe approach every challenge with a solution-oriented mindset. For them, it's never just about making a sale — it’s about building brands and long-term value for both manufacturers and retailers. As brand liaisons between suppliers and retailers, they ensure that the right supplies make their way into the hands of artists and consumers. With Sampro, it’s not just business — it’s about building something meaningful. They genuinely care about the end user and work tirelessly to ensure that high-quality art supplies reach the hands of creators.

Over the years, our partnership has evolved alongside the ever-changing art supply landscape. I deeply value our collaboration and look forward to continuing to grow and innovate together in the years ahead.

I have known the Sampro Sales team for several decades; they have done an exemplary job in meeting and exceed customer expectations.

Their care and understanding in representing many of the major brands in the industry is witnessed in the growth and expansion of those fortunate enough to be in their stable. I have personally collaborated with them on the development of some marketing campaigns for various art supply lines.

They are highly dedicated, excellent in communication, follow up and most importantly having the knowledge and nimble enough in addressing any industry challenges.     

Working with Sampro is an on going productive dialog: to begin with, they are listing to what your needs are, to what you would like to have and willingly what you wish to add. They study your market and competitors – based on your needs and there market research, they will offer you the best verity of their line. As you will be working with professionals, you will benefit from their endless knowledge and ability to market each and every product they carry, keep in mind that they will be the first to offer their help (sales and marketing) ways to overcome obstacles you might face and always give you the feeing you are the most important customer on their list .

The bottom line is that they set a new standard of service

I have worked with Hammer associates for over 20 years. They are successful because of three things:

1 - They are not in it to just make a sale.  They treat every customer differently because everyone is different…from their individual needs, abilities, constraints etc to their individual customer bases. 

2 - they intimately understand what the brands and products they represent. They don’t read from a corporate cue card. They understand that sometimes a range or category may be perfect or sometimes it’s just not right for a particular customer.

3 - they care and treat customers like family. 

They have set themselves apart because they don’t operate transactionally. They operate responsibly and with respect.

50 years of family tradition in the art materials industry…”, truly impressive and a great milestone! Congratulations and thank you, Michael, Scott & Abe, and your support staff for many years of guidance, education and consideration you’ve provided. Your thorough knowledge of our industry and the “players” has been invaluable and greatly appreciated.

We’re looking forward to many more years!

The Sampro team has represented our company for over 30 years. Their immense expertise and historical knowledge in all aspects of the business inform everything they do. They are able to share varied viewpoints on a deal or market issue and give the best advice in tackling many of the challenges that we manufacturers face.

This is what makes working with them so invigorating, educational and productive! I depend on Sampro for keeping our company informed on trends & what is happening industry-wide and especially for putting forth our company sales agenda with great enthusiasm and success!

Plaza and Sampro have worked together for decades. Our relationship over that time has grown tremendously. We always know that we can count on Michael, Scott, Abe and their excellent team to provide great service and to work well with us whenever and however we need them.

Their extensive knowledge of the products and brands they represent helps extend our ability to provide the best assortment of goods to our customers. If we need something they are always there to support us.

Princeton Artist Brush Company’s success in achieving market share dominance can be attributed to Michael, Scott and in recent years, Abe Hammer. Determination, dedication and the desire to do what is best for Princeton Brush and the customer defines Sampro’s integrity and professionalism.

Sampro isn’t a rep group, they are an intimate partner to both suppliers and retailers. Their approach, marketing savvy and industry insight provides us with guidance which continually produces verifiable sales growth.

“Above & Beyond” doesn’t begin to describe the service we receive from the Sampro team.

My history with SAMPRO began as a professional one – and that’s not to say that turned into anything else, but rather, I discovered more about what was the heart of the company. In my experience, sales representatives (the most successful ones, anyway) are great at making connections. They’ve got the charm, the communication prowess, and the insight to get the products and services they represent into the hands of right parties. SAMPRO is absolutely that – but you soon learn that they’re more than that. Scott and Michael Hammer have some bonus attributes that I feel set them apart.

For one, there’s a sincere care for people that they both share. In the years I’ve been fortunate enough to know Scott Hammer, there have been times where he’s chosen to show me support and sincere friendship when I needed it most, for no reason other than that he’s a guy (along with Michael) that simply shows love and appreciation when and where it needs to be delivered. It sounds simple, but most of us rarely take the action – often times because it’s too much effort, or we convince ourselves that it won’t mean anything. The team at SAMPRO simply doesn’t view acts of kindness as “too small.”

The second thing I believe makes them successful is that…well, they’re nerds. Make no mistake – that’s a good thing. A great thing – because industries are fueled by passion – and nerds like us are the lifeblood. Scott is a huge pen nerd – and not just for the pens he happens to be representing. He’s a genuine fan of the industry and the community, which plugs him into insights that you don’t get if you only learn about the brand you’re selling. Michael is obsessed with the Yankees and easily falls obsessively down Facebook Marketplace rabbit holes. The great thing is that energetic, passionate people like the Hammer brothers are exactly the type of people that many end users are. Not all of them, of course, but my point is this – the Hammers/SAMPRO understand the trends, the flow, and the excitement & feeling of the customer. Not because they research it, but because they are genuinely passionate for the communities they serve.

I could continue, but I’ll wrap up by saying that over the years, Scott & Michael have inspired me to strive for that perfect blend of natural passion and casual joy with the experience and insight that you gain from long-term professional experience. It’s tough to be excellent at both, but they do a dang good job at it. I’m happy to work with them, and happier to know them.

A Friendship in Business – The Story of Jerry’s Artarama and SAMPRO

To the best of my recollection, I first met Mike Hammer and his dad, Bob, in the mid-1970s. Mike and I were the same age, both still in high school, both working after school in our family businesses — he alongside his father, and I with my brother David in our dad’s first Jerry’s Artarama store, which had opened in 1968.

I remember Bob Hammer as a terrific salesman, one of those guys who could sell you a Magic Marker (yes, a true blast from the past) and make you feel like you’d just bought a piece of history. In fact, my very first memory of Mike is watching him count Plex-Art acrylic frames in our store. Back then, everything was done by hand — inventory sheets, monthly counts, ordering, and all the accounting. No computers, no scanners, just paper, pencils, and lots of erasers. Looking back now, it was practically the Stone Age of retail… but we didn’t know it at the time.

Jerry’s was a unique store from day one. My dad’s philosophy was simple: “If you buy well, you can sell well.” He borrowed inspiration from E.J. Korvette’s discount model and decided everyone — not just art teachers or students — should get a good price. That was unusual back then, but it worked, and it’s a philosophy we’ve carried forward.

Over the years, Mike and I got to know each other better. We both had the same challenge: if we wanted to stay in our family businesses after college, those businesses had to grow enough to support us full-time. The art materials industry was already changing — commercial art supplies were giving way to computers — but while that shift hurt some, our core focus on fine artist materials and picture framing kept us on steady ground.

Meanwhile, Mike was expanding his company’s reach — adding lines, opening new territories, and bringing his brother and sister into the business. We were doing much the same. David launched Jerry’s first mail-order catalog, aimed at watercolorists, which turned into a big success and laid the groundwork for future growth.

The technology race had started. Mike had one of the first car phones I’d ever seen. We got our first fax machine, and soon computers were making their way into both of our operations. Mail orders became phone orders, which became fax orders, then email orders, and finally full online ordering. Mike was modernizing his side too — making hand-counting inventory more and more obsolete and making ordering faster and easier for customers.

We both adapted through every industry change, while many smaller stores faded away. We invested, modernized, and kept our companies relevant. And as the years went by, our personal lives grew too — Mike got married, had kids, and now his son Abe is working with him and running things. My son Michael and daughter Heather work with David and me in our growing company, building their own places in the business.

If you ask me what success really means, it’s this: growing a business without losing sight of family, and having the privilege to share that journey with a good friend. Mike and I have been friends from the very beginning — over 48 years now — and we’ve seen each other through every change in our lives and our industry.

And honestly, after nearly half a century of friendship and business growth, I think the real magic isn’t just in the markers — it’s in the memories.

In our industry, the promises that are made between suppliers and retailers are everything. We rely on an open, straightforward way of doing business — and Sampro understands this.

Our partnership has continued for well over thirty years because the relationship goes beyond simple commerce. The Hammers share ideas with us, new products, and strategies that keep us going.

Cheers to this business, this family, and the next thirty!

Sampro Crew!

On behalf of the entire A&C team, I want to say thank you for your support during our Industry City grand opening. Your partnership played an important role in making the event a success, and we truly appreciate the time, effort, and enthusiasm you brought to the occasion. Events like these remind us how fortunate we are to work with vendors and reps who not only provide great products and services, but also genuinely care about our shared success. We’re grateful for your continued partnership and look forward to many more opportunities to work with you and your partner vendors in the future. THANK YOU!!!

Michael-

Thank you for attending our 70th birthday bash and celebration. On Saturday, we exceeded and crushed it beyond our expectations. Our customer’s loved the interactions with you. Our secret weapon was a thing called “Human Touch”- where the internet, AI and anything else of modern means cannot compete.

That’s correct – they can’t compete. Sure, we had great prices, but we moved the needle because we provided a forum for artists to explore and interact with you and your products. This is how you do it. We are a visual, hands-on experience industry. Saturday was living proof of it.

I am clapping and applauding you from the bottom of my heart and from all the Binders team. We thank you for supporting Binders! You did fantastic, and we appreciate you for your time spent with us and most of all for a job well done.

Thank you- Thank you

Hi Michael, and team.

Thank you for the kind message, and for joining us this past weekend. We were thrilled to host the Kolo Tino launch and Abe - the reception was wonderful.

I’m really glad we had time to talk more about Sailor’s direction. We’re excited to hear that exclusive editions are returning, especially with the new steel nibs.

This feels like a great path forward, and we’d love to continue building on our long history of collaboration. We look forward to receiving the sample and will share feedback right away so we can move quickly.

Thank you again - we truly value the partnership.

The highest compliment I can give someone in business is to call them a Professional. That means they are honest, dedicated, and exceptional at their craft. Michael and the Sampro team embody this in every way.

I’ve known Michael for many years, and in 2024 I had the privilege of working closely with him around the Kolo Tino launch. From day one, Sampro brought clarity, responsiveness, and a deep understanding of the specialty retail landscape. Their guidance, communication, and steady leadership created a partnership grounded in trust.

We were thrilled to host the Kolo Tino launch this past weekend, and the reception was truly wonderful. I’m grateful we had the chance to discuss Sailor’s direction in more detail as well — the return of exclusive editions, especially with the new steel nibs, is exciting and reflects Sampro’s commitment to doing things the right way.

This collaboration has been remarkable. Every interaction has reinforced that Sampro is a team that shows up fully — thoughtful, prepared, and always moving with integrity. We look forward to receiving the sample and sharing feedback right away so we can continue pushing forward together.

I would recommend Sampro to any brand looking not just to grow, but to grow with expertise, honesty, and purpose.