See it and Sell it First at ASI Show Orlando – January 4-6, 2025.   Register Now.

Top 40 Distributors 2019

Counselor’s exclusive ranking of the distributors with the most revenue in the ad specialty market.

Spurred by a strong U.S. economy, distributor sales rose by 4.9% in 2018, hitting a record $24.7 billion. Top 40 distributors posted even more impressive gains, generating $6.9 billion in revenue, a year-over-year increase of 14.5%. Led by 4imprint (asi/197045), the five largest distributors in the market each recorded more than $400 million in 2018 promo sales. Fifteen Top 40 distributors reported double-digit annual growth. Of that group, seven produced revenue hikes of more than 20%.

Similar to last year, there’s minimal movement in the 2019 overall rankings. Twenty-six firms are either in the same position as 2018 or moved up or down just one spot. Corporate Imaging Concepts (asi/168962) is the highest riser, jumping 16 spots following its acquisition of eCompanyStore. At the other extreme, A Brand Company (asi/141964/145177) drops eight slots amid falling sales and the divesture of its Edmonton office.

Seattle-based Kotis Design (asi/244898) is the only new distributor on this year’s Top 40 list, joining the exclusive group after reporting 2018 sales of $45.6 million. Meanwhile, Sunrise Identity slides out of the rankings, as it was acquired by HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000) last August.

Click on the links below to find facts and figures on each Top 40 company.

Distributor 2018 Sales % Difference vs. 2017 Rank Change 5-Year Avg. Annual Growth Rate
1. 4imprint $714.6 17.5% same 17%
2. Staples (eg) $607.7 2.5% same 4.4%
3. HALO Branded Solutions $605.0 45.3% same 26.3%
4. Cimpress (e) $450.0 87.5% 2 N/A
5. BDA $427.0 23.2% same 9.5%
6. Proforma $378.8 2.7% -2 1.2%
7. Taylor Communications $248.2 4.7% same 5%
8. IMS $221.8 5.9% 1 -2.1%
9. DiscountMugs.com $214.8 2.1% -1 11%
10. Geiger $210.6 13.5% same 5.8%
11. iPROMOTEu $198.4 13.7% 1 17.7%
12. American Solutions for Business $190.6 12% 1 8.8%
13. AIA Corporation $189.8 8.2% -2 7.4%
14. Cintas (e) $173.2 3% same 3%
15. InnerWorkings (e) $144.9 -1.4% same 5.1%
16. Safeguard/Deluxe (e) $126.5 15% 2 24.2%
17. Jack Nadel International $126.0 5.9% -1 12%
18. Kaeser & Blair $121.9 6.5% -1 5.2%
19. Fully Promoted $104.1 2.7% same 4%
20. Boundless $98.0 16.1% 2 14%
21. BAMKO $86.5 8.3% 4 30.6%
22. G&G Outfitters $84.2 -5.7% -1 6.8%
23. Corporate Imaging Concepts $83.0 88.6% 16 34.5%
24. Myron (e) $82.6 0% -1 2.4%
25. The Vernon Company $82.5 6.1% 2 4.5%
26. Positive Promotions (e) $82.4 0% -2 3.4%
27. MTM Recognition (e) $79.8 0% -1 2.7%
28. A Brand Company $79.5 -11.2% -8 1%
29. BrandVia Alliance $69.0 25.5% 2 17.7%
30. Summit Group $64.6 -2.6% -1 -6.1%
31. Overture Promotions $60.6 27.6% 6 21%
32. ePromos Promotional Products $60.0 13.2% same 14.1%
33. Genumark $57.7 9.9% same 12.2%
34. Brown & Bigelow (e) $57.0 0% -4 -1.6%
35. Axis Promotions $53.7 6.3% -1 7%
36. Artcraft Promotional Concepts $53.5 7% -1 1%
37. Zorch $48.9 1% -1 7%
38. PromoShop $47.6 3.9% same 6.5%
39. Kotis Design $45.6 34.1% NR 23%
40. Quality Logo Products $44.1 3.5% same 14%

 

Note: All revenues represent North American sales. Revenue figures are in $millions.

e: estimate
eg: estimate w/guidance