#17 Jake Himelstein

BAMKO (asi/131431) – President

2024 Rank: #22

Industry Experience: 12 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 3

Jake Himelstein describes the past year as “one of our most dynamic yet” for Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431).

“At BAMKO, we continued to build on our reputation as a leader in branded merchandise,” he says, “by delivering double-digit sales growth, expanding relationships with some of the world’s largest companies and launching our proprietary AI-based deck creation tool called CUBE.”

Himelstein, who became president of the company four years ago, continues to prioritize digital advancement and says technology is at the heart of BAMKO’s future planning. “We’re leveraging technology to do things better, faster and smarter than anyone else in the industry,” he says.

BAMKO is reaping the rewards in sales growth. The company increased sales nearly 7% in 2024, and reported a 14% sales bump in Q2 this year after a dip in the first quarter.

How will the distributor continue that growth? Beyond grabbing existing customers’ wallet share into sectors like uniforms, gifting, and print and packaging, Himelstein believes that adhering to principles of growth, resilience and authenticity can set the company apart from the competition.

“Growth means never being satisfied with ‘good enough,’ pushing ourselves and our clients to think bigger,” Himelstein says. “Resilience means confronting challenges with urgency and creativity rather than fear. And authenticity means showing up as real people: transparent, accountable and willing to roll up our sleeves. Whether it’s an employee AMA, a board presentation or a client pitch, I believe that when you lead with honesty and conviction, people follow.”