Awards July 22, 2020
Top 40 Suppliers 2020
Counselor’s exclusive ranking of the suppliers with the most revenue in the promotional products industry.
Among Top 40 suppliers, 2019 was certainly the calm before the storm. Only one new supplier entered this year’s list, and over half the companies either maintained their ranking on the list or moved up or down just one spot.
The most significant change occurred at the top, where SanMar (asi/84863) once again resides – a title it held two years ago and relinquished last year to alphabroder (asi/34063). New guidance from SanMar places it as the first supplier to break the $2 billion mark – and by a wide margin at that. The number-three supplier on the list, S&S Activewear (asi/84358), also joined the billion-dollar club after an impressive year that saw the apparel company record 80% growth.
The new supplier on this year’s list? Showdown Displays (asi/87188). The signs and display company enters at number 18 and has been growing quickly with 76.5% growth in the last five years. It replaces ETS Express, which leaves the list after being purchased by Polyconcept North America (asi/78897) in 2019.
Click on the links below to find facts and figures on each Top 40 company.
| Supplier | 2019 Sales (millions) | Difference vs. 2018 | Ranking Change | 5 Yr. Avg. Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SanMar (eg) | $2,400.0 | 49.1% | 1 | 28.5% |
| 2. alphabroder | $1,700.0 | 3.7% | 1 | 11.9% |
| 3. S&S Activewear | $1,300.0 | 80.1% | same | 46.8% |
| 4. Polyconcept North America | $818.2 | 25.1% | same | 9.8% |
| 5. Gildan (e)* | $624.0 | -4.0% | same | N/A |
| 6. Hit Promotional Products | $495.7 | 7.1% | same | 12.9% |
| 7. BIC Graphic | $310.1 | -1.3% | same | -0.8% |
| 8. Next Level Apparel* | $228.3 | 9.0% | same | N/A |
| 9. HPG | $205.7 | 4.0% | same | 38.1% |
| 10. Staton Corporate and Casual | $170.4 | 3.2% | same | 9.0% |
| 11. TSC Apparel | $155.0 | 10.7% | same | 8.9% |
| 12. Magnet Group | $121.4 | 3.0% | same | 4.8% |
| 13. Gemline | $105.0 | 1.0% | 2 | 2.2% |
| 14. Sweda Co. | $100.8 | 5.0% | 3 | 2.8% |
| 15. Logomark | $98.5 | -5.7% | 1 | -1.4% |
| 16. Sunscope | $94.9 | -6.4% | same | 2.0% |
| 17. 3M/Promotional Markets (e) | $88.4 | -2.0% | 1 | -3.0% |
| 18. Showdown Displays | $87.8 | 23.7% | NR | 15.3% |
| 19. Cutter & Buck | $79.0 | 9.7% | same | 10.0% |
| 20. Edwards Garment | $71.7 | 2.0% | same | 3.4% |
| 21. Ariel Premium Supply | $71.3 | 16.5% | 2 | 17.0% |
| 22. Innovation Line | $61.8 | 10.4% | 6 | 26.0% |
| 23. Blue Generation | $61.0 | 1.2% | 2 | 5.0% |
| 24. Stouse | $60.6 | 11.7% | 6 | 4.5% |
| 25. Chocolate Inn/Lanco | $60.5 | 10.0% | 4 | 2.8% |
| 26. IMAGEN Brands | $58.3 | -3.8% | 2 | -2.6% |
| 27. SnugZ/USA | $57.5 | 13.4% | 8 | 9.0% |
| 28. Bag Makers | $57.1 | 1.8% | 1 | 3.4% |
| 29. Gill Studios | $54.3 | -8.5% | 3 | 1.3% |
| 30. Garyline | $53.8 | 0.2% | 1 | 4.4% |
| 31. iClick | $53.5 | -22.7% | 10 | N/A |
| 32. Evans Manufacturing | $53.0 | 3.9% | 2 | 5.0% |
| 33. ADG Promotional Products | $52.3 | -16.3% | 11 | -6.5% |
| 34. Vantage Apparel | $52.2 | 1.5% | 1 | 2.2% |
| 35. Tri-Mountain | $50.4 | -5.0% | 3 | -6.0% |
| 36. Spector & Co. | $49.5 | -5.2% | same | 7.2% |
| 37. Stormtech | $47.2 | 3.3% | 3 | 3.9% |
| 38. Delta Apparel | $46.2 | 0.0% | same | N/A |
| 39. Gold Bond | $45.9 | 1.7% | same | 7.0% |
| 40. Charles River Apparel | $45.0 | -4.3% | 3 | 0.6% |
Note: All revenues represent North American sales.
e: estimate
eg: estimate w/guidance
* 25% of sales to other suppliers
NR: not ranked
N/A: not available
Two Decades of Top 40
How has the Top 40 evolved throughout this millennium? Check out our animated chart to witness the fall and rise of the industry’s biggest power players.