Suppliers Penguin Products/FastTrack Promos (asi/77074) and Matrix Source Industrial Co. (asi/69594) announced this week that they have agreed to a strategic alliance. The partnership will give FastTrack direct access to Asian factories.

“Having Matrix Source as a partner allows us to have feet on the ground in Asia, not only to insure compliant products via our catalog but also to help with those custom import orders, as well as line-extension products as they become available,” said Mike Franco, head of FastTrack Promos.

FastTrack is a 10-year-old industry supplier that has products focused in the wellness, sports, travel, and novelty categories. Matrix Source, headed up by Henry Fajardo, is a sourcing company headquartered in Hong Kong and with offices in the U.S., South America, and the Middle East.

“Via Matrix Source we can help take FastTrack to the next level, with our insider knowledge of the Chinese manufacturing landscape,” said Fajardo. “We have experience dealing with the contemporary issues of quality control, product safety, and regulatory compliance, which are just as important as the traditional questions about price and delivery.”