Two Top 40 promotional products distributors are among the companies with industry connections that earned a place on the 2023 Franchise Times 400, an annual ranking of the largest franchise systems in the United States by global systemwide sales from the previous year.

Proforma (asi/300094), promo’s fifth-largest distributor, ranked 126^th on the list. That was a rise of 33 places above the prior year’s 159^th place finish. Proforma reported 2022 promo revenue of $620 million to ASI Media – a nearly 15% annual increase from 2021.

Meanwhile, promo’s 21^st largest distributorship, Fully Promoted (asi/384000), placed 336 on the Franchise Times 400 – a jump from the previous year’s ranking of 362. Fully Promoted reported 2022 promo sales of $123.7 million to ASI Media – a nearly 13% rise.

Fully Promoted is part of United Franchise Group, a Florida-headquartered company that also has Signarama under its umbrella. Signarama made the Franchise Times 400 too, coming in at 177, up from 2022’s ranking of 204. Signarama provides custom-made signs, banners and decals for buildings and vehicles.

Meanwhile, FASTSIGNS (asi/395000), part of Propelled Brands and led by Power 50 member Catherine Monson, took the 104 spot on the Franchise Times 400 list, up 29 spots from last year’s ranking of 133. The advertising and printing service specializes in promotional products and provides in-house custom design services and consultation.

And Minuteman Press rose up the Franchise Times rankings – from 180 last year to 147 in 2023. The franchiser provides printing services, as well as custom apparel, hard good promo products and direct mail.

Franchise Times Editor-in-Chief Laura Michaels said the rankings are a result of a research process that builds on a database of information that dates back to 1999. Research entails reviewing everything from voluntary financial reporting to publicly available data. To qualify, a company must be a legal U.S. franchise, with franchisees owning at least 10% of the company’s total units. “Systemwide sales,” which determine the rankings, are defined as the total sales for both franchise and company-held units.

“The project is the result of a five-month research and reporting effort that leads to the most credible and objective franchise ranking available,” Michaels stated.

Promo firms were excited to make the list. They’re keen to keep propelling the revenue growth that saw the acceleration up the franchise rankings this year.

“As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we are not resting on our laurels,” said Vanessa Edwards, Proforma’s director of business development. “We are actively engaged in the strategic planning stages for business development in preparation for 2024. Our focus remains on empowering our distributor owners, sales professionals, their team members and expanding our network.”