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.

Bolingbrook, Illinois-based supplier S&S Activewear (PPAI 256121, S12) convincingly captures the No. 2 spot on PPAI 100, buoyed by envious revenue growth, a strong web game and a serious approach to responsibility.

The company has experienced hands at the wheel as well, promoting Frank Myers, a 14-year veteran of the S&S, to CEO in October, and is backed by its recent acquisition by a private equity firm. S&S has also made some significant moves to expand its footprint – in late 2021 it acquired major supplier TSC Apparel and only six months later brought TSF Sportswear into the fold.

S&S may be one of promo’s largest suppliers, but it remains agile and has introduced some eye-catching new products. At The PPAI Expo 2023, the company’s Quickflip Apparel line took the inaugural win at “The Pitch,” promo’s version of The Voice in which suppliers tried to win over a panel of veteran distributor judges.

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.
When NC Custom (PPAI 111662, S7) acquired cookie company Fresh Beginnings in July 2022, it joined newly acquired ACE USA, plus Chocolate Inn, Lanco and Taylor & Grant under the NC Custom umbrella. Fresh Beginnings’ manufacturing was relocated from Georgia to New York in time to fulfill holiday orders, and NC Custom is rebranding the baked goods under the Tincredible Treats banner.

Chocolate Inn, a subsidiary of NC Custom, remains the only food vendor in the promotional products industry that is SQF certified – the highest global standard of food safety.

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.

It should come as no surprise that SanMar (PPAI 110788, S16) would stand atop the inaugural PPAI 100, the Issaquah, Washington-based firm having long established itself as the industry’s first choice for branded apparel.

Although the company does not officially report its annual revenue, sources within the company told PPAI Media that past industry estimates have come in “quite low,” and that SanMar experienced a very strong growth year in 2022.

For an operation of its size, SanMar performs beyond admirably in corporate responsibility initiatives. The company has made serious commitments to carbon reduction, and likewise has been a leader in ethically sourced materials.

Read more from the July 2023 issue of PPAI Magazine on why SanMar is promo’s leading supplier in the first-ever PPAI 100: The Making of a Dynasty.

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.
In May, Next Level Apparel (PPAI 272027, S3) announced it will move its production closer to the North American market by partnering with Grupo M, a textile manufacturer based in the Dominican Republic. It has also partnered with forensic science company Oritain to verify the origin of products and raw materials. The positive moves come as some pieces in its inventory were found to contain cotton tracing to the prohibited Xinjiang region of China. Next Level quarantined that inventory.

The company was founded in 2003 to fill an industry gap for blank premium poly/cotton T-shirts that are designed to be easily sublimated. As interest in the products increased, Next Level Apparel has launched six distinct apparel collections ranging from fleece to USA-made to eco-friendly over the past 10 years. In January 2023, it announced the acquisition of Stedman, a European manufacturer of blank apparel.