Known as a top hard goods supplier in the promotional products industry, Top 40 firm BIC Graphic North America (asi/40480) is continuing its recent expansion into wearables categories through a just-announced partnership with Cap America (asi/43792).

Clearwater, FL-based BIC Graphic said Thursday that it’s now offering 11 best-selling Cap America styles through a strategic partnership with the Fredericktown, MO-based supplier. BIC said that promo products distributors can place orders with BIC Graphic or with Cap America, noting that all pricing /charges will be comparable. There will be no change to current Cap America customers’ product selection, pricing or ordering process, BIC said.

“Partnering with Cap America is BIC Graphic’s true entrance into the headwear category,” said Kelly Diomeda, product manager for outdoor & leisure with BIC Graphic. “Our customers have been asking for retail-style caps and knits they can be proud to put their logo on, and a partnership with Cap America is absolutely the best way we can meet this demand.”

BIC said the new collaboration with Cap America should simplify access to high-quality headwear for promo distributors, while increasing Cap America’s brand recognition throughout the industry. Founded in 1985, Cap America has grown into one of the largest importers of headwear in the ad specialty space, offering stock styles, custom overseas services, camouflage patterns and more, executives said. The supplier also provides USA-made knit headwear.

Mark Gammon, president and chief operating officer for Cap America, said he’s excited about working with BIC Graphic. “This partnership is the culmination of over three decades of hard work and dedication to the Cap America brand,” Gammon said. “We are excited to move forward with another industry-leading supplier like BIC Graphic to provide high-quality, retail-inspired headwear to a more diverse market.”

In July, BIC Graphic announced that it was expanding beyond hard goods to enter the branded apparel market through a partnership with global apparel maker HanesBrands (asi/59528). Launched July 1st, BIC’s HanesBrands collection includes some 70 pieces from brands such as Champion, Alternative, ComfortWash, and Gear for Sports. BIC Graphic noted that the deal allows for Gear for Sports to again be available in the promotional products industry. Come September 1st, BIC Graphic will also begin offering Hanes brand apparel.

BIC Graphic’s partnerships with Cap America and HanesBrands are representative of a growing trend in promo – namely, large suppliers and distributors making efforts to incorporate more products, solutions and services into their offerings to be a “one-stop shop” for customers. One of the most significant developments in this regard came in 2017 when apparel firm alphabroder (asi/34063), the largest supplier in the promo industry, acquired Prime Line (asi/ 79530), a former Top 40 supplier that specializes in hard goods.

With reported 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $314.1 million, BIC Graphic ranked 7th on Counselor’s latest list of the largest suppliers in the industry. BIC’s product offerings now include everything from writing instruments and drinkware, to apparel, headwear, technology items and more.