Meet the Team
Caroline Roberts
As the CEO of CCM, Caroline oversees the day-to-day of the company. When she's not running a successful business with a podcast playing in the background, she loves to spend time outside at the beach or in the mountains with the four men in her life: her husband John, two sons Miller and Eli, and their two dogs a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Marty and a Mini Sheepadoodle Flo. She also enjoys nonfiction, kombucha, Mexican food, and organizing spaces with her other business, The Simplified Island.
Favorite Promo Product: Le Pen ink pens in all colors!
LAURA THORNBROUGH
Laura wows clients daily with fresh ideas and her ability to find the perfect product for their needs. She handles even the most complicated projects with ease. Laura has her work cut out for her with four kids, but she still finds time to enjoy growing vegetables in her garden and playing in and on the water. She enjoys mint chocolate chip ice cream, live music, and strong, black coffee.
Favorite Promo Product: Corkcicle® Tumblers
LIGIA HABECK
Ligia is hands on with each and every order. She manages every detail from production to delivery, ensuring that each order is fulfilled accurately and promptly. Ligia’s favorite part of being on the team is seeing clients happy with their final product and witnessing the results that it brings to their brand. Outside of the office, Ligia enjoys spending time with family, going brewery hopping and hiking with her dog, Porter. Yes, he is named after a type of beer.
Favorite Promo Product: Cotopaxi® Backpacks
Emily hager
Emily loves chatting with clients, learning more about their marketing goals, and finding the perfect products for them. She moved to the Crystal Coast from Philadelphia about 3 years ago with her husband and dog, Willow. She's a sucker for an outdoor restaurant with live music and spends her free time reading on the beach or boating in the ocean!
Favorite Promo Product: Numos® Quilted Blanket
ASH FITZGERALD
Ash is the artistic talent behind our social media, emails, and even this site. She maximizes SEO on every blog post, and her ability to take the team's ideas and turn them into reality is unmatched! When she's not testing keywords and tweaking Canva graphics, she's wrapping up her communications degree at NCSU. Ash loves spending time with her family and friends, preferably doing something active on the beach!
Favorite Promo Product: All Yummy Lip Balm Flavors!
— Carrie Shields, Executive Director, Duplin County Economic Development Commission
"Caroline and her team have been nothing short of amazing. The items we have ordered are great quality and represent our County perfectly. Regardless the project or event, Coastal Connections Marketing is our preferred vendor and our go to for all our marketing needs."
This year, 2022, marks Coastal Connections Marketing's 20th year in business! When Debbie Chused saw the need for a local promotional products supplier that offered a wide range of top quality personalized products at competitive pricing, she took matters into her own hands. Just months later in January 2002, Coastal Connections Marketing, Inc. opened its doors in Kinston, NC.
In December 2012, Caroline Roberts purchased CCM from Debbie. Caroline started with the company in 2006, so her familiarity with all aspects of the business
allowed for a smooth transition. Over the 20 years, CCM has expanded and evolved to serve clients in most of the 50 states.
Today, the team lives all over the country and works remotely. They enjoy working with large, national brands and small businesses alike. Many of the clients that started with us in 2002 are still working with us today.
Our promise continues to be the same—to provide our clients with great ideas, quality products, and best-in-class customer service.
