Texas-based T-Shirt Tycoon Solutions (asi/87000) and Virginia-based BamBams (asi/38228) have announced the creation of CoLab – a service for distributors designed to offer full-package ordering across multiple product categories. Distributors can use the service to work through one account rep instead of dealing with several suppliers to source items for a project. While two suppliers are the program’s founding members, BamBams’ CMO Ben Taylor expects four other suppliers to join the partnership in the next 90 days.

“One supplier will be a hard goods company, another more of a tech supplier, another a higher-end apparel company,” Taylor told Counselor. “What we’re really doing is building a Facilis Group for suppliers.”

The all-inclusive model features “made-from-stock and made-to-order solutions, with domestic and overseas private-label, supply-chain solutions,” all within one supplier program. While account reps at both T-Shirt Tycoon and BamBams can take CoLab orders, the firms do have a dedicated CoLab team in place, and have added staff to bolster offerings. The CoLab service, which has been quietly offered for the last six months, has already powered “significant” programs for customers, according to Taylor. While leads and orders are currently being tracked and segmented through software, CoLab will launch a fully integrated website in advance of ASI Chicago. Reps from both firms will be at the show to discuss the joint venture.

“Dan Taylor, his partner and their team have really done something special with BamBams. The quality of their supply chain across many categories and their ability to deliver a complete private-label solution with compliance and an organized structure makes BamBams the perfect collaborative partner for T-Shirt Tycoon,” said Adam Walterscheid, CEO and founder of T-Shirt Tycoon.

Another highlight of CoLab, according to Taylor, will be the introduction of a membership program for distributor customers – similar in a sense to Amazon Prime – that will give clients free setup, free shipping and “more aggressive” pricing on orders.

“This is all really exciting,” said Taylor. “It’s something suppliers have talked about doing, but this hasn’t been done before.”