July 10, 2019
Top 40 Suppliers 2019
Counselor’s exclusive ranking of the suppliers with the most revenue in the ad specialty market.
For the second straight year, there’s a new number-one supplier in the promo market. With a nearly 20% rise in 2018 sales, driven by a diversified product line of apparel and hard goods, alphabroder (asi/34063) jumps past SanMar (asi/84863) in Counselor’s 2019 rankings. As they annually battle for the top spot, both firms appear set to eclipse $2 billion in yearly promo revenue in the near future.
While the industry’s largest suppliers are growing steadily, there’s one notable change in the top 10. Heritage Sportswear, which reported 2017 sales of $141.6 million, has fallen out of the rankings after a judge recently ordered its liquidation. Court papers show the Ohio-based supplier had financial struggles that left it unable to meet obligations to creditors.
Heritage’s exit is just part of this year’s turnover. In total, three new firms join the 2019 Top 40 Supplier list, led by iClick (asi/62124). The company has ridden the PopSockets craze to become one of the market’s fastest-growing suppliers, with 2018 sales of $69.2 million. To demonstrate its rapid gains, only two years ago the supplier recorded total revenue of $19 million.
Click on the links below to find facts and figures on each Top 40 company.
| Supplier | 2018 Sales | % Difference vs. 2017 | Rank Change | 5-Year Avg. Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. alphabroder | $1,640.0 | 19.7% | 1 | 14.6% |
| 2. SanMar (eg) | $1,610.0 | 15% | -1 | 10.5% |
| 3. S&S Activewear | $722.0 | 48.9% | 2 | 21.8% |
| 4. Polyconcept North America | $654.1 | 7.9% | -1 | 6.8% |
| 5. Gildan (eg)* | $650.0 | 20.4% | -1 | N/A |
| 6. Hit Promotional Products | $430.4 | 8.4% | same | 17.7% |
| 7. BIC Graphic | $314.1 | 0.3% | same | -2.8% |
| 8. Next Level Apparel* | $209.5 | 4.1% | same | N/A |
| 9. HUB Promotional Group | $197.8 | 91.1% | 6 | 39% |
| 10. Staton Corporate and Casual | $165.1 | 4.1% | -1 | 9% |
| 11. TSC Apparel | $140.0 | 7.7% | same | 7% |
| 12. Magnet Group | $117.9 | 3.2% | same | 6.4% |
| 13. ETS Express | $112.0 | 13.9% | 4 | 14.7% |
| 14. Logomark | $104.5 | -4.0% | -1 | 0.4% |
| 15. Gemline | $104.0 | 4.2% | 1 | 2.1% |
| 16. Sunscope | $101.4 | -4.2% | -2 | 2.5% |
| 17. Sweda Co. | $96.0 | 4.8% | 2 | 3.4% |
| 18. 3M/Promotional Markets (e) | $90.2 | -3% | same | -2% |
| 19. Cutter & Buck | $72.0 | 18% | 4 | 2% |
| 20. Edwards Garment | $70.3 | 2.5% | 2 | 4% |
| 21. iClick | $69.2 | 85% | NR | 33.5% |
| 22. ADG Promotional Products | $62.5 | -13.2% | -2 | 1% |
| 23. Ariel Premium Supply | $61.2 | 16.9% | 3 | 16% |
| 24. IMAGEN Brands | $60.6 | -15.3% | -3 | -1.6% |
| 25. Blue Generation | $60.3 | 0.4% | -1 | 3% |
| 26. Gill Studios | $59.3 | 16.3% | 4 | 6.5% |
| 27. Bag Makers | $56.1 | 10.2% | 1 | 2.5% |
| 28. Innovation Line | $56.0 | 9.8% | -1 | 26% |
| 29. Chocolate Inn/Lanco | $55.0 | 12.2% | 4 | 36% |
| 30. Stouse | $54.3 | 6.7% | -1 | 4.8% |
| 31. Garyline | $53.7 | 9.1% | 1 | 5.7% |
| 32. Tri-Mountain (e) | $53.0 | -5% | -7 | -5.6% |
| 33. Vantage Apparel | $51.4 | 3.6% | -2 | 1.2% |
| 34. Evans Manufacturing | $51.0 | 5.8% | same | 32% |
| 35. SnugZ/USA | $50.7 | 17% | 3 | 10% |
| 36. Spector & Co. | $50.0 | 16.3% | NR | 12% |
| 37. Charles River Apparel | $47.0 | 4.4% | same | 7% |
| 38. Delta Apparel | $46.2 | 0% | -3 | N/A |
| 39. Gold Bond | $45.1 | 8.5% | -3 | 7% |
| 40. Stormtech | $42.2 | 7% | NR | 4.3% |
Note: All revenues represent North American sales. Revenue figures are in $millions.
e: estimate
eg: estimate w/guidance
* 25% of sales to other suppliers