2022 Top Distributors: How Zorch International Inc. Invested During 2020 to Position Itself For 2021

As part of Print+Promo Marketing's 2022 Top Distributors list, we asked some of the top-ranked distributors about what their future plans look like, and trends they've kept their eyes on in the industry. Here, we talked to Zorch International Inc. CEO Mike Wolfe — No. 23 on our 2022 list — about how it used the slowdown of the pandemic to boost its efficiency and hit the ground running when things started to normalize.

Zorch International Inc. rebounded from a tough 2020 in a big way, growing sales by 33.6% to reach $52.5 million in 2021. Mike Wolfe, CEO of Zorch, said the company used the pandemic year to position itself for rapid growth, investing in multiple areas. That, in turn, allowed Zorch to add new clients and programs at a "record rate," Wolfe says, putting the company on track for 40% to 50% growth in 2022. Also key to that outlook is a distribution model the company says "redefines how branded merchandise is supplied to large corporations."

Zorch CEO Mike Wolfe

"In simple terms, we leverage technology and operational efficiency to streamline the order-to-shipment process," Wolfe says. "A large portion of this involves delayering or eliminating the multiple redundant touch-points that are inherent in the legacy promotional products industry. ... These efficiencies result in significant cost savings and an overall better user experience for our clients."

On Supply Chain: "Supply chain interruptions are becoming more common, and distributors need to be nimble with their service offerings to avoid customer issues," says Wolfe. "Fortunately, we designed our model to incorporate supplier redundancies that enable us to quickly make changes."

... and Inflation: "The current inflationary environment is unlike anything we've seen in a while. Additionally, it's not impacting all items in our industry consistently. Therefore, managing the increases in a way that maximizes our clients' budget is a key area of focus for us."