DAVIE, Fla. Sept. 20, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- China Direct Trading Corporation's (OTCBB:CHDT) wholly owned subsidiary, Souvenir Direct Inc.(SDI) has hired John Petko, a seasoned sales and sourcing veteran of souvenirs and promotional products, to head up SDI's promotional products division. Mr. Petko has extensive experience in product developing, sales, sourcing, and design and will be an asset to the company's efforts to grow SDI. He has worked in the industry since 1990 and for three years lived in Hong Kong designing, selling and sourcing licensed products.
SDI's promotional products orders continue to increase year-to-year with minimal advertising. With the addition of Mr. Petko, SDI will begin to target the top 50 Advertising Specialty distributors, which generate over five billion dollars in industry sales, through personal visits. SDI management has been in China for over 20 years and has the ability to source many of the highest quality industry suppliers with competitive pricing. The company hopes to use that resource in competing in the U.S. promotional items markets.
"We are honored to be able to add such an experienced employee to our company -- someone that does not need to be trained and can add his sources to ours -- making us a more versatile company. The flow of promotional products inquiries has continued to grow to a point where we needed to find a full-time employee, and I can't be happier that John is filling that need," said Howard Ullman, CEO of SDI.
CHDT is a global trading holding company with subsidiaries involved in trade in various industries in China. SDI is one wholly owned subsidiary engaged in product development, manufacturing, distribution, logistics and product placement of souvenirs, gifts and promotional products into mass retail.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although the company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Many factors are beyond the company's and its subsidiaries' control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's projections and expectations are disclosed in the company's existing and future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by such cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. China Direct and its subsidiaries disclaim any obligation to update information in this press release.