PPAI 100 is an exclusive, research-backed ranking of the 50 leading distributors and the 50 leading suppliers in the promotional products industry. Companies are scored based on a variety of metrics.
The race to become the first billion-dollar company in promotional products ended in a tie, with both HALO and Wisconsin-headquartered 4imprint (PPAI 107200, D15) topping the milestone in 2022. However, it was the ecommerce giant 4imprint who narrowly posted the stronger earnings, at just north of $1.1 billion.
The company’s digital-first approach, which largely eliminates the need for individual salespeople, has long been a disruptive force in the industry, but more distributorships have sought to emulate its model. 4imprint’s greatest strength may be its marketing efforts. As the industry’s largest advertiser, 4imprint is the closest thing to a household name distributor among end-buyers, and its campaigns undoubtedly help keep promo top of mind for the greater public.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Boundless (PPAI 267078, D11) has grown substantially in the past year, announcing the acquisition of a Minnesota-based distributor and several high-profile executive hires, including a new CEO, in early 2023. The company touts its “people-to-people culture,” with a focus on intentionality, having fun and doing the right thing, and team members are known as “Boundies.” The company’s Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging committee outlined an action plan to support a respectful workplace with an atmosphere of respect and culture of accountability. Fueled by these values, Boundless was again named to PPAI’s Greatest Companies To Work For in 2023.
Practical technology and employee consideration are two factors that placed AIA (PPAI 101364, D12) on the inaugural PPAI 100 list. It graces the lists wit high marks in “2022 Revenue”, “Technology” and “Employee Happiness.”
The Wisconsin-based distributor was named as one of Promo’s Greatest Companies To Work For in 2023. The company is persistent in its commitment to innovating in small ways that help their partners and customers significantly. Last year, AIA enhanced its Most Valued Partner Central platform, providing distributors with increased supplier information and benefits. “We’ve doubled the amount of data points from suppliers in order to get extremely granular with the benefits they provide,” said Matt Chenault, AIA’s director of supplier relations.
A global entity with operations out of St. Louis, Missouri and around the world, Brand Addition (PPAI 105169, D10) has leveraged its growth and impact in the industry toward leaving a similarly impactful mark on the environment. The distributor argues for “More joy. Less junk. A better, brighter future for our partners, our people and our planet.”
Brand Addition backed up those intentions by receiving a “Platinum” rating from EcoVadis, a distinction for the top 1% of companies making strides in sustainability. With a publicly available sustainability report, the company is working toward the mission to send zero waste to landfills by 2030.
In certain ways, AIM Smarter (PPAI 230461, D12) reflects both the promotional product industry’s growth and collaboration between like-minded distributors and suppliers. The Philadelphia-based distributorship is the product of a 2006 conversation between a group of distributors that imagined “a group that united experienced promotional product distributors for benefits with top suppliers.” That initial group consisted of approximately 100 northeast distributors. Now, at over 2,200 distributors, AIM graces PPAI 100 with high marks for its 2022 revenue and its support of professional certification and development among its staff.