It all started with hustle.

Just a couple of fraternity brothers pulling 80-hour weeks to get their entrepreneurial adventure off the ground, hand-delivering orders of branded T-shirts in a used Chevy Tahoe.

The same work ethic continues to inform the company today – only now, instead of a few University of Southern California students fulfilling promo orders locally, the business operates on a worldwide scale, providing branded merchandise solutions for clients across the globe.

A panel that included BAMKO (asi/131431) founders and leaders spoke about the company’s evolution at a 25^th anniversary kickoff celebration.

That company is Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431), a Los Angeles-headquartered merch agency with six global offices and more than 1,000 employees that has staffers in North America, Asia and beyond.

The distributorship’s humble origins are of special note because it’s marking its 25^th anniversary in 2025. BAMKO commenced those quarter-century milestone celebrations with a special event, which included a leadership panel and party, held in conjunction with the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas.

The event brought together BAMKO’s full sales team, marketing and creatives, account managers and others, including BAMKOers based in India who made the trip across the sea for the special celebration. Attendees received anniversary-branded merch, including an oversized tote bag, two stylish pieces of BAMKO outerwear, branded Crocs and other goodies.

“It’s incredible to think this all started in a frat house,” said Phil Koosed, BAMKO co-founder and recipient of Counselor’s 2017 Bess Cohn Memorial Humanitarian Award. “BAMKO’s success has exceeded my wildest dreams. The late nights, the crazy projects, the triumphs and the occasional mishaps – it’s all part of the BAMKO story. I’m incredibly proud of the talent, dedication and hard work everyone has poured into making this journey possible.”

BAMKOers enjoyed a party at the SkyFall Lounge as part of the 25^th anniversary celebration.

Koosed was speaking on a panel that also featured fellow co-founder Brett Marz; current BAMKO President Jake Himelstein, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people; and BAMKO veterans Ankur Sinha, Eli Schneider and Todd Sachs.

The panel discussed the company’s origins, building a culture of excellence, early partnerships and global expansion. There were interesting anecdotes, like how Koosed and Sinha, an India-based technology whiz who heads BAMKO’s 400-person strong India team, connected in the early days online and then worked for a time in the attic of Sinha’s parents’ home.

“BAMKO’s a real force now, but it wasn’t always this way,” Himelstein said. “We built this company brick by brick, with a ton of passion, amazing partnerships and a stubborn belief in what we could do. To everyone who’s been part of this journey – our incredible team, our partners across the globe, our vendors and our amazing clients – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Oversized branded bags were part of the gifts BAMKO employees received.

After the panel, BAMKOers attended a party at the SkyFall Lounge. They got to enjoy the views, entertainment, networking and no shortage of fun, which included a magician, executives said.

“Who would have thought that delivering T-shirts in an old used Chevy Tahoe would lead to this?” Marz said. “BAMKO’s transformation has been incredible to be a part of. And the best part? We’re just getting started.”

Based on reported 2023 North American promotional product revenue of $342.7 million, BAMKO ranked eighth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry. The firm’s publicly traded parent, Superior Group of Companies, is also marking a milestone – 105 years in business. For that, the SGC leaders got to ring the opening bell on the NASDAQ on Jan. 16.