2022 Top Suppliers: What We Learned

By Elise Hacking Carr and Brendan Menapace

Many questions loom around the print and promo sector. When will inflation slow down? Can suppliers find the materials needed to produce their products? Who will run the equipment? Will orders arrive on time? Are we headed toward a recession? We don’t know the answers, but we do know the industry reacts to the economy.

As we highlighted in Print+Promo Marketing’s 2022 State of the Industry Report, a Wall Street Journal economic forecasting survey of 60 economists agreed that the gross domestic product could grow by approximately 5% in 2021, owing in part to the aggressive COVID vaccine rollout. It was the boost print and promo professionals needed after deep cuts in 2020.

Another thing we know is print and promo suppliers are resilient. Just like their distributor counterparts, they rebounded this year, as evidenced by Print+Promo Marketing’s 2022 Top 65 Suppliers list. According to our data, the Top 65 Suppliers totaled $6.4 billion in 2021 sales — up 23% from 2020, which finished at $5.2 billion. Of the top 65 suppliers who reported annual sales this year:

55 had revenue increases, compared to only 18 last year.
Four had revenue decreases, compared to 45 last year. One of those companies still placed in the top 10.
Five finished evenly.
One could not be measured.

Those who paid attention to Print+Promo Marketing’s first joint list will recognize similarities surrounding our top five, though there is a surprise. alphabroder | Prime Line reported a 30.8% increase in sales — enough to hold onto the No. 1 spot. Hit Promotional Products and Ennis Inc. defended their respective second and third place titles. However, 4over, a company that did not submit information last year, came in with the last-minute upset, knocking Koozie Group out of the No. 4 spot despite the latter’s impressive 17.7% increase in revenue.

Several notable entries were missing this go-around: Discount Labels (2021: No. 12), I.D. Images (2021: No. 15), Vantage Apparel (2021: No. 33), Britten Inc. (2021: No. 39), and Envelope Mart USA (2021: Tied for No. 46). Furthermore, HPG opted to submit as one entity instead of through its individual brands (seven of which made the 2021 list). And even though they don’t typically report, powerhouses like SanMar and Gildan have the revenue to shake up our top 10.

While their absences were felt, they created room for some new and returning names: Showdown Displays (No. 18), PromoMatting by Americo (No. 27), OTTO International Inc. (No. 38), Calibre International/High Caliber Line (No. 43), AmerIKYP Marketing Group (Tied for No. 48), Gordon Sinclair (Tied for No. 48), Diamondback Branding (Tied for No. 58), Landway Outdoor Apparel (Tied for No. 58), Xpres LLC (No. 62), Fisher Space Pen Co. (No. 63), and Royal (No. 65).

We could go on, but why not let the suppliers do the talking?

Download the full 2021 Top Suppliers and Supplier Excellence Awards Resource here.

In this resource, readers will see a detailed analysis of this year’s findings, followed by a Top 65 Suppliers chart, individual product category breakdowns, a Top 25 Fastest-Growing Suppliers chart and company profiles featuring senior executives.

And that’s not all. This resource also includes the full results of the 2022 Supplier Excellence Awards, an annual celebration of the industry’s best supplier companies as voted by you, the readers.