Strong relationships between suppliers and distributors are crucial to the health of the industry. To that end, Counselor Top 40 distributor Genumark (asi/204588) hosted more than 165 attendees at its annual Supplier Appreciation BBQ on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the company’s head office in Toronto. It’s a Genumark tradition that spans more than two decades.

Genumark’s (asi/204588) Stephen Knox, vice president of technology/CISO, and Monique Sutton, director of operations, greet attendees at the company’s annual Supplier Appreciation BBQ in Toronto this week.

Representatives from 40 suppliers, including Counselor Top 40 companies Cutter & Buck (asi/47965), Gemline (asi/56070), Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125), HPG (asi/61966), SanMar (asi/84863), Starline (asi/89320) and St Regis Group (asi/84592), along with AZX Sport (asi/30250), Levelwear, Redwood Classics Apparel (asi/81627) and multi-line agency PRG, joined about 75 Genumark team members for a barbecue lunch and networking opportunities. Staff from financial institutions, law offices and IT firms with which Genumark works were also in attendance.

Representatives from 40 suppliers and a number of professional services companies joined Genumark staff for barbecue and networking.

“Our Supplier Appreciation BBQ is a great way to show our vendor partners our thanks for all the work they do for us year in and out,” said CEO Mitch Freed, a member of the Counselor Power 50. “Without them, we’d be nowhere. We feel it’s critical to invest in our supplier relationships beyond providing orders and POs. Besides, catching up over a little brisket, ribs and ice cream never hurts.”

With 2023 North American promotional products revenue of $44.1 million, Genumark ranked 39^th on Counselor’s most recent list of the industry’s largest distributors. The company was also named a Counselor Best Place to Work earlier this year.