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What’s this? This year, we gave those ranked in the Top 40 the option to submit an additional statement of verification – signed by a senior financial officer – that the promotional product sales figure for 2001 they initially submitted by mail or verified over the phone was indeed correct. This was our way of raising, even further, the overall credibility of the Top 40. Those firms who chose to participate are indicated by this symbol.

denotes chief executive officer

denotes chief executive responsible for promotional products, if other than chief executive.
 Click here for a chart overview of the 2002 Top 40 Suppliers
  1. Norwood Promotional Products, Inc. (Parent Firm)
    Austin, Texas
    Promotional Products Sales: $386.1 million
    Workforce: 3,500
    Years in Industry: 26
    Privately Held
    Thomas B. Roller, CEO
    Arthur L. Olsen, President/COO



    Norwood currently offers 19 product lines covering 12 of 13 major product categories. These include Action Line, Air-Tex, Barlow, BTS, Duratec, Econ-O-Line, Good Value Line, Jaffa, Letts of London, Marksman, Pillowline, RCC Koozie, Salm, Souvenir, Style-Rite, Tee Off, TimeSquare by Barlow, Triumph Line and V-Line. Norwood’s Web site, norwood.com, offers total technology solutions to help distributors increase sales and profits. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It brought Norwood, and the rest of the industry, back to reality after the high-tech bubble burst. The company made many plans for 2001 based on the “Gold-Rush” feeling of the late ’90s and selling year 2000. We rolled out an apparel line, Norwood Collection and invested heavily in PromoFuel, a distributor Web site development company. Both ventures were dropped during 2001. Norwood was most assuredly affected by the downturn, yet emerged stronger. It brought renewed attention to getting back to the basics of providing excellent service and quality products at good prices. Expense management helped us squeeze out the inefficiencies in our systems, which in turn has helped us provide better customer service..

  2. Broder Bros. Co. Inc. (asi/42090)
    Plymouth, MI
    Promotional products sales: $212 million 
    Workforce: 752
    Years in industry: 83
    Privately Held
    Vincent Tyra, CEO



    Broder, a wearables supplier, is held by Bain Capital of Boston. With a nationwide network of 14 distribution centers in 10 states, it offers one of the largest combined one- and two-day shipping service areas in the industry. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    We were certainly impacted, as was the industry. Although we continued our growth over prior years, it was due to the acquisition of two competitors, not natural unit growth. The impact was most evident in the better goods such as outerwear, poly-fleece, and accessories. Our industry was a benefactor to dot.com spending and the demise on Wall Street for these companies is reflected in our industry market share data.

  3. Alpha Shirt Co. Inc. (asi/34408)
    Philadelphia
    Promotional Products Sales: $174.5 million 
    Workforce: 130 (E)
    Years in Industry: 70
    Privately Held
    Allen Menard, President
    David Grobisen, Vice President of Sales



    Alpha was founded in 1932 by the present owner’s grandfather and uncle. Today, it ranks as one of the country’s largest distributors of imprintable sportswear. Under current owner Ron Berg’s leadership, the company has anticipated and met the ever-changing requirements of the promotional products industry. Alpha offers one of the largest selections of brand-name apparel anywhere. The addition of a fully stocked Los Angeles warehouse gave it coast-to-coast coverage. Alpha acquired Good Buy Sportswear in 1999 and Kays Enterprises this year.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It actually reinforced several key principles here. First, we continue to develop a diverse customer base. We constantly cultivate new business with current customers while pursuing new customers. Second, we continue to bring products and marketing materials to our customers that enable them to enhance their margins, expand their current business and capture new business. Last, we continue to be more efficient at what we do and pass those efficiencies through to our customers. 

  4. BIC Graphic USA (asi/40480)
    Clearwater, FL
    Promotional Products Sales: $142.3 million
    Workforce: 720 (E)
    Years in Industry: 33
    Publicly Held (French Stock Exchange)
    Bruno Bich, Chairman/CEO, Societe BIC
    Jack Teague, President, BIC Graphic, North America/Global



    BIC Graphic was established in 1969 at BIC’s Milford, CT, headquarters and was relocated to Florida in 1979. The company is a manufacturer/supplier of several categories of writing instruments, adhesive notepads/cubes, disposable lighters, shavers and correction fluid, with manufacturing facilities in Milford, Clearwater and Spartanburg, SC. BIC acquired Shaeffer Pen, which has manufacturing facilities in Fort Madison, IA, in 1997.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    The climate of 2001 affected everyone in one way or another. It pressed the entire business environment to not only work harder, but much smarter in order to maximize the total efforts of all involved in the process. Those that evaluated the situation properly and developed a long-term strategy will preserve this successfully.

  5. 3M Promotional Markets Dept. (asi/91240)
    St. Paul, MN
    Promotional Products Sales: $121.6 million (E)
    Workforce: 74,000
    Years in Industry: 19
    Publicly Held
    James McNerney, CEO
    James Halverson, National Sales Manager
    Bart Christenson, Manager Marketing



    3M is a business unit of 3M Co., an almost $17 billion international corporation. 3M was founded in 1902 by five businessmen to sell corundum for grinding wheels. This soon expanded to sandpaper, and in 1926, it introduced world-famous Scotch tape. Today it still produces many varieties of its two original product lines, in addition to hundreds of other patented products. One, the Post-it Note, became, in 1983, the genesis of the promotional markets division. Post-it Notes and cubes remain the core of the line, offered in a wide selection of sizes, shapes, styles and packaging. However, the range of product price points is broadened each year. 3M is committed to rapid global expansion of its promotional markets department business, with operations in more than 60 countries worldwide.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Certainly, the economic and political situation affected our results. We weren’t immune to the downturn and attitudes of corporate America and its cost-containment measures in the face of declining revenues. However, as we tracked the overall industry, we felt our product range in the price points where we generally competed did quite well. By managing costs, yet paying special attention to the needs of distributors and their clients, our presence in the marketplace remained strong. 

  6. SanMar (asi/84863)
    Seattle
    Promotional Products Sales: $112.5 million
    Workforce: 225
    Years in Industry: 12
    Privately Held
    Marty Lott, President



    SanMar was started by Lott in 1971 as a college project involving the import/export of various products, including T-shirts. After graduating, he shifted his focus exclusively to T-shirts for the imprinted sportswear industry. As the industry continued to grow, so did the company and its product lines. SanMar continues to service both promotional products and imprinted sportswear companies, with emphasis on added-value garments for the corporate market. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Yes. Knowing our customers were facing more challenges to generate business, we worked together to keep costs down and innovated new marketing ideas to drive business. Examples included free freight programs and gift-box services.

  7. Bodek and Rhodes (asi/40788)
    Philadelphia
    Promotional Products Sales: $99.1 million
    Workforce: 378
    Years in Industry: 63
    Privately Held
    Art Rhodes, President
    Steve Rosengarten, Vice President of Sales



    A supplier of imprintable activewear such as golf shirts, fleecewear, jackets, denim and oxford shirts, T-shirts, caps and bags, Bodek and Rhodes was established by Harry Rhodes and Edward Bodek in 1939. It’s the exclusive distributor of UltraClub Collection, the industry’s first private label fashion line and one of a select group of suppliers of Bill Blass, Izod, Arnold Palmer and Geoffrey Beene sportswear. It has a 200,000-square-foot warehouse in Philadelphia, a 127,000-square-foot facility in Niles, MI, and a 151,000-square-foot facility in Fresno, Calif.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    We did well, but it was a challenge. With so many of our clients serving corporate accounts who were greatly affected by both the recession and the effects of last September, it naturally made a dent in normal business. However, we were poised at that time to aggressively enter a new market – the West Coast. When our Fresno distribution center opened it helped us balance the numbers. 

  8. Trimark Athletic Supplies Inc. 
    Markham, Ontario, Canada
    Promotional Products Sales: $94 million
    Workforce: 320
    Years in Industry: 27
    Privately Held
    Derrick Milne, CEO



    Trimark was established in 1975 and acquired in 1995 by Milne and his father, David, one of the company’s original partners. In 1999, Derrick Milne created the Trimark parent company. It completed three acquisitions in the U.S. – Rivers End Trading Company in August 1999, LA Loving in November 1999 and Kayman T-shirts in November 2000.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Definitely. Although the number of orders remained fairly constant, the average order size was down due to a decline in price point. As a result, we have rationalized our cost structure and continue to focus on bringing greater value to our customers.

  9. Corvest Promotional Products Inc. (Parent Firm)
    St. Petersburg, FL
    Promotional Products Sales: $90.8 million
    Workforce: 500
    Years in Industry: 6
    Privately Held
    Bob Whitesell, President/CEO
    Tom Oddo, Senior Vice President



    Corvest was formed by the management of Adva-Lite and its financial partner, Trivest Inc. in 1996, to specifically concentrate on acquisitions in the promotional products industry. In 1999, it acquired Toppers, a supplier of sports bags, tote bags, luggage, briefcases, portfolios, caps, golf accessories, towels, aprons and umbrellas, and Gootnick Enterprises Inc. dba/It’s All Greek To Me, a supplier of plush products. These three companies now form the Corvest corporate umbrella.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not? 

    We were affected by both the recession and 9/11. Much of our business comes from distributors that service Fortune 1000 clients. Business was somewhat affected beginning in May, but still fairly solid through the end of August. After 9/11, we were off from 10% to 19% per month for the remainder of 2001. 

    It was a terrible time for America’s businesses. We’re not back to normal yet, but it’s getting better.

  10. Leed’s (asi/66887)
    New Kensington, PA
    Promotional Products Sales: $87.3 million
    Workforce: 385 
    Years in Industry: 15 
    Privately Held
    Michael Bernstein, President



    Incorporated in 1986, Leed’s is a manufacturer/decorator of canvas, vinyl, leather, and ballistic bags, padfolios and business/travel accessories. It expanded its custom division for buyers wanting custom variations of existing products or for promotional products beyond the Leed’s line. It also expanded into writing instruments in 2001. In 2000, Leed’s was purchased by Bank Boston Capital and Black Diamond Capitol partners, a Boston-based bank. Leed’s continues its exclusive marketing agreement with Steel Threads for use of its metal logos. 

    It also continues to offer Atlantic luggage exclusively to the promotional products industry and for 2002, entered into a licensing agreement to design, manufacture and distribute a line of Cutter and Buck business and travel accessories. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Several trends that emerged in 2001 continue to affect our industry. Buyers are more focused than ever on value while still demanding the same level of service, quality and creativity. Budget constraints have reduced average selling prices, as buyers look for lower-priced goods. 

    We also see a trend where buyers are waiting to confirm orders until they’re closer to the event date than ever before. This obviously places increased pressure on suppliers to turn around orders in a shorter lead time. This seems to be a factor of buyers wanting to be sure the event is going to take place and then only ordering enough product for the final number of attendees. The economic climate of 2001 obviously hit the technology sector harder than any other industry. With the free spending attitude of many of these firms gone at least for the time being, distributors and suppliers need to develop products and services that best meet the budget and lead-time constraints that the current economic 
    situation presents. 

  11. Magnet LLC (asi/68520)
    Alpharetta, GA
    Promotional Products Sales: $85.6 million
    Workforce: 1,000
    Years in Industry: 19 
    Privately Held
    Bill Korowitz, CEO



    Magnet was established in 1997 as flagship Magnet LLC began acquiring companies in the industry. Today, its holdings include Benchmark Industries; Perfect Promotional Products; PCE (formerly PhoneCard Express), and Professional Towel Mills (the industry’s only domestic manufacturer of towels).

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Fortunately our business continues to grow despite the fact that 9/11 has seemed to impact the number of larger programs in the marketplace. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of orders, particularly at the smaller volume levels. Additionally, distributors seem to be having a harder time getting decisions made with their end customers as companies seem to be requiring more approval levels to programs, which slows the process down considerably.

  12. Ash City (asi/37127)
    Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
    Promotional Products Sales: $82 million 
    Workforce: 180
    Years in Industry: 27
    Privately Held
    Tom Lamb, Canadian National Sales Manager
    Jack Pieklo, U.S. National Sales Manager



    Ash City is a supplier of customized wearables items for the corporate industry. The company’s entire line is cut and sewn in Canada. Ash offers two import lines: Il Migliore and North End.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    (Declined to answer).

  13. Dunbrooke Promotional Group (asi/50930)
    Independence, MO
    Promotional Products Sales: $77.1 million
    Workforce: 500
    Years in Industry: 20
    Privately Held
    Steve McMullen, President
    David W. Bandy, Vice President of Sales



    Dunbrooke began in 1939 as Dunhill Shirt Co., a manufacturer of men’s dress shirts in Lexington, MO. It introduced sport and bowling shirts in the early 1950s and by 1954, was producing nylon jackets. In 1971, the name was changed to Dunbrooke, and the company was purchased by American Marketing Industries Inc. in 1985. In October 2000, Dunbrooke Industries Inc. was formed as an independent company. Today, Dunbrooke is a full-line supplier of outerwear, shirts, fleece and caps for the promotional products industry. It acquired WestArk Garment Manufactur-ing in 1997 and most recently added Legend Brand Headwear.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Dunbrooke, as a leading apparel supplier, suffered along with other wearables suppliers as a result of the general decline in the economy. This was primarily due to the reduction in ad budgets for corporate promotions. Traditional program business declined as a result of the limited expenditure. We anticipate a resurgence in the market in 2003. 

  14. Sun Coast Merchandise Corp. (asi/90075)
    Commerce, CA
    Promotional Products Sales: $74.8 million
    Workforce: 210
    Years in Industry: 59
    Privately Held
    Kumar Bhavnani, CEO



    Sun Coast was established in 1943 and acquired by the Laltex Group of Companies, an international conglomerate, in 1982. Sun Coast specializes in producing a wide range of premium and promotional merchandise in its factories around the world. It has experienced rapid growth in the promotional products industry, and recently moved into a new 120,000-square-foot facility with a state-of-the-art imprinting department (pad printing, silkscreening and laser engraving), enabling it to turn around large productions of imprinted products quickly and efficiently. With an emphasis on new product creation and development, Sun Coast established a creative department with full-time designers. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not? 

    The economic climate made it difficult for many firms to continue to operate in their traditional ways. With tough times, end-users start to order less and want distributors to work on smaller margins. We saw more competitive bid situations in 2001 than ever before and this trend will continue for the years to come. Our business today is driven by the distributor, whose business is driven by the end-user. If the end-user is looking for new, exciting products at lower prices, the traditional thinking distributor who has worked with the same suppliers year after year selling the same products is going to have a very difficult time. Our commitment to new product design and development and our ability to invest large capital dollars into merchandise means we can import products at lower costs and have more inventory than others. 

  15. NES Clothing Company (asi/72808)
    Middleboro, MA
    Promotional Products Sales: $71.4 million
    Workforce: 300
    Years in Industry: 15
    Privately Held
    Michael Rosow, President
    Bud Schmidt, President of Sales
    Steven Valeri, Vice President of Marketing



    NES is a supplier of blank imprintable apparel. Founded in 1987, it distributes 35 brands of items, including Lee, Bill Blass, Van Heusen, Izod, Wrangler and more. It operates out of a 300,000-square-foot, state of the art distribution facility.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    The biggest effect it had on our business was in a shift in sales from higher-dollar items to lower-priced promotional apparel. Promotional focus went to offering quantity over quality, choosing to get the message out to the masses rather than offering higher priced promotional apparel to select groups.

  16. Vantage Custom Classics (asi/93390)
    Avenel, NJ
    Promotional Products Sales: $68.7 million
    Workforce: 650
    Years in Industry: 25
    Privately Held
    Ira Neaman, President



    Established in 1977, Vantage is a leading manufacturer/embroiderer of quality apparel including knit shirts, woven shirts, sweaters, jackets, windshirts and fleece. The company’s corporate offices, manufacturing and embroidery operations are headquartered in Avenel, NJ. In addition, it maintains sales and contract embroidery facilities across the country. Vantage has been awarded Gold for embroidery in PPAI’s Supplier Achievement Awards the last seven years, and was voted by ASI member distributors as the number one wearables supplier in the industry.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Apparel purchases represent the largest segment of promotional spending, so the national decrease in marketing expenditures did adversely impact the wearables business.

  17. Gemline (asi/56070)
    Lawrence, MA
    Promotional Products Sales: $67 million
    Workforce: 400
    Years in Industry: 44
    Jonathan Isaacson, President 
    Robert Leavitt, Vice President



    Founded by Samuel Issacson in 1958 as an importer/distributor of specialty advertising products, Gemline combines fashionable product design with cutting-edge technology to provide distributors with complete marketing solutions. 

    Its products include coolers and totes, classic portfolios and sports bags, padfolios, writing pads and organizers, contemporary courier bags and a complete line of leather business gifts and accessories. Gemline’s service is designed to match distributors’ needs for quick turnaround. It has won more than 14 industry awards for screen-printing excellence.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Yes. It decreased our business.

  18. Sweda Co. LLC (asi/90305)
    Los Angeles
    Promotional Products Sales: $62.4 million
    Workforce: 2,751 (E) 
    Years in Industry: 26
    Privately Held 
    Marvin Ruwin, President 
    Candy Tien, Executive Vice President 



    Established in 1976 by Ruwin, Sweda is a manufacturer/supplier of watches, clocks, calculators, mugs, pens, portfolios, gift sets, electronic and unique items for the promotional products industry. Sweda is a fully integrated manufacturer with two mold injection facilities employing more than 3,000 people. It has offices worldwide, including Hong Kong, mainland China, United Kingdom, Holland, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Guatemala, Argentina, Peru and Japan. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    In late 2001 we experienced slowing. We took two direct approaches to boost sales – increased our lower-cost items and intensified our marketing efforts. For example, we added another vehicle to our Roadshow Program.

  19. PremiumWear Inc. (asi/79393)
    Minnetonka, MN 
    Promotional Products Sales: $62 million
    Workforce: 350
    Years in the industry: 11
    Dave Berg, CEO
    Tim Klouda, President of the Promotional Products Division



    The Northwestern Knitting Co., predecessor to Premiumwear, was founded in 1886 by George Munsing, Frank Page and Edward O. Tuttle. The company developed a fabric that took the “itch” out of wool by plating silk over it. The new fabric was called Munsingwear in honor of its founder. Munsingwear, now licensed by Premiumwear, entered the emerging corporate apparel market in 1993, with Page & Tuttle following in 1998. In 2000, the firm licensed both the Jockey and Field & Stream brands for the corporate apparel market. That same year, Premiumwear was purchased by New England Business Services (NEBS).

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It did affect our business due to the fact that businesses did not have the funds to spend on promotional products at the same level as previous years.

  20. Tri-Mountain/Mountain Gear (asi/92125)
    Baldwin Park, CA
    Promotional Products Sales: $56 million
    Workforce: 175
    Years in Industry: 10
    Privately Held
    Daniel Tsai, President/CEO



    Tri-Mountain was formed in 1993 by Tsai, who targeted the promotional products market with a few outerwear styles emphasizing “Big & Tall” sizes. Presently, the company manufactures and distributes an extensive line of corporate casual wear for men, women and kids, including a wide array of all-season jackets, windshirts, fashion fleecewear, knit and woven shirts. The promotional products marketplace remains Tri-Mountain’s core focus. In 1999, it received a PPAI Supplier Star Award of Merit.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Fortunately, the economic climate last year only affected us to a small degree. 

    Of course, the floundering economy prior to 9/11 as well as the tragedy itself created an apprehensive business climate headed in a direction predictable by no one. As November and December rolled around, there seemed to be a resurgence of demand for wearables products by our customers probably created by a craving to return to some type of normalcy. Thankfully, we ended 2001 well on the plus side.

  21. PromoResource One
    Hugo, MN
    Promotional Products Sales: $52.1million
    Workforce: Unknown
    Years in Industry: 27
    Glen Taylor, Chairman
    Gary Zellmer, President, Promotional Products Division



    PromoResource One is a coalition of 10 independently operated divisions of Taylor Corp. These include Adimage Promotional Group, Allen & John Inc., Arlington, Carlson Craft, Galaxy, Kingswood, Label Works, Precision Press, Regency Thermographers, Windmill Press Inc./Saratoga Pen Co.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    We were disappointed in our fall sales after September 11, as was the rest of the industry. However, we still had positive sales growth due to the fact we believe there is opportunity for targeted, professional applications of promotional products during times of economic downturn.

  22. Gill Studios, Inc. (asi/56950)
    Shawnee Mission, KS
    Promotional Products Sales: $49.5 million
    Workforce: 456
    Years in Industry: 55
    Privately Held
    Mark S. Gilman, President



    In a basement in 1934, Forest P. Gill set up a one-man silkscreening studio where he printed signs, banners, tire covers, decals, and other products on a job-by-job basis. Today, Gill Studios specializes in flexography, letterpress printing and screenprinting on products such as decals, bumper stickers, and posters. It recently added offset four-color process printing to our line. Gill has won the PPAI Supplier Star Award for industry excellence in its category numerous times since 1975. During election years, its sales grow significantly because its products are used heavily in the political market.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Our business in 2001 was declining due to the weak economy. However, the events of 9/11 led to an upsurge in orders for patriotic and supportive materials. This led to 2001 being about the same as the previous year in total sales.

  23. Hartwell Sports Inc. (asi/60135)
    Hartwell, GA
    Promotional Products Sales: $43 million
    Workforce: 500
    Years in Industry: 63
    Privately Held
    Jay Gully, President



    Founded in 1939 as a manufacturer of men’s work clothes and uniforms, Hartwell designs, manufactures and distributes a broad range of apparel products to the advertising specialty, uniform, military, college bookstore, resort, and team sports channels of distribution. Its brands include Auburn, Hartwell Sports, Sea Palms, Merrygarden, Oarsman and Desert Heat. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    During 2001, Hartwell worked through financial reorganization. Due to this, it’s been difficult for us to determine whether the financial climate or our internal problems caused sales to decrease. Having emerged from chapter 11, we believe that the business environment contributed heavily to our results in 2001.

  24. Sanford Promotional Products (asi/84833)
    Janesville, WI
    Promotional Products Sales: $42.9 million
    Workforce: 150
    Years in Industry: 30
    Publicly Held
    Bob Stoltz, President, Business-to-Business



    Since 1857, Sanford’s vision of quality products and distribution has enabled the company to attain distinction in manufacturing and marketing writing instruments. After going public in 1985, Sanford was acquired by Newell Rubbermaid Co. in 1992, and today is one of the largest divisions in Newell Rubbermaid’s family. Its Business-to-Business Division offers distributors a broad overall selection of writing instruments, including Waterman, Parker, Otring, Paper Mate, Uniball, Sharpie, Accent and Expo.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It has certainly impacted our business. Major end-users are restricting their purchases and/or moving to lower price points. At the distributor level there is significant strategic retrenching and some shake-out occurring. While painful in the short-term, in the long-term many suppliers and distributors will come out of this stronger and healthier. The new markets and new customers that are identified now will expand our volume base for the future. This is the time to focus on making our businesses more cost-efficient and financially healthier, as well as broaden our target markets and customer base.

  25. Prime Resources Corp. (asi/79530)
    Bridgeport, CT
    Promotional Product Sales: $42.7 million
    Workforce: 457
    Years in Industry: 21
    Privately Held
    Bob Lederer, President



    A manufacturer, creator, importer, and decorator of products, Prime was founded by Lederer in 1980 and grew on the strength of one innovative product – the “Telenote,” a device that attached to the back of a desk phone to hold notes. Prime purchased the Lipette line in 1980, the first of five acquisitions in the coming years, and the firm was called Prime/ Lipette until renamed Prime Resources a few years later. The company has steadily grown as a result of five main elements: 1) acquisitions; 2) hiring true professionals; 3) the deliberate choice to go the “department store” route – extending a diverse selection of products that now covers more than 50% of the industry’s offerings; and 4) establishing and maintaining a reputation for introducing innovative, unique products. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Our increase over 2000 was fairly substantial at the beginning of 2001 but was trending down starting a few months before 9/11. Then the bottom fell out, both in terms of order count and average order size in the last quarter, which put us slightly behind at year’s end. 

  26. A.T. Cross Co. (asi/47520)
    Lincoln, RI
    Promotional products sales: $43.1 million (E)
    Workforce: 1,000
    Years in Industry: 43
    Publicly Held
    Russell Boss, President/CEO
    Lisa Bennet, National Sales Manager, Special Markets



    Started by the Cross family in 1846, the company was acquired by the Boss family in 1916. Cross has been publicly held since 1971. It has eight subsidiaries worldwide and is primarily a manufacturer of high-end writing pens, desk sets and time-pieces.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    (Declined to answer).

  27. Barton-Nelson Inc. (asi/38670)
    Kansas City, MO
    Promotional Products Sales: $40.04 million
    Workforce: 401
    Years in Industry: 28
    Privately Held
    J. Nelson II, Chairman
    Chuck Nelson, President, Sales Promotion Division
    Glen Riedesel, Vice President, Sales & Marketing



    A manufacturer of paper and vinyl products, the firm began in 1961 as an advertising agency and in 1974, switched over to promotional products. It offers stock and custom-shaped removable self-adhesive pads and cubes, repositionable paper products, write-on-wipe-off boards, advertising pads, desk pads, a variety of cubes, cubes in a box and more. Primary printing methods include web press, silkscreening, hot-stamping and pad printing. It introduced paper products made from 15% consumer waste as well as custom-printed pads in vinyl folders. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Yes; orders slowed through the fourth quarter.

  28. Mail-Well Inc.
    Englewood, CO
    Promotional Products Sales: $40 million (E)
    Workforce: Unknown
    Years in Industry: 7
    Publicly Held
    Alan Conway, CEO



    Mail-Well is, or was in 2001, the parent firm of Discount Labels and Lancer Label, two industry suppliers. Discount was founded in 1965 by W. Fred Conway in the basement of his home. It’s now the largest manufacturer of custom pressure- sensitive labels. It employs over 650 in a 200,000-square-foot facility. Lancer is another major supplier of labels in all formats. Mail-Well has been publicly traded since 1995.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Both Discount and Lancer saw little effect to their businesses in 2001. Other channels where the two brands market in were much more affected. Both brands feel the promotional market is positioned well to succeed and will continue to support it and develop opportunities for distributors.

  29. King Louie Inc. (asi/64860)
    Kansas City, MO
    Promotional Products Sales: $39.3 million
    Workforce: 584
    Years in Industry: 28
    Privately Held
    Robert Palan, President
    Gary Gray, Vice President, Sales



    Founded in 1937, King Louie opened its doors to fill orders for armed forces uniforms. After the war, it began making sport shirts in the retail market for a variety of leisure activities. In the ’50s, King Louie responded to America’s hottest family pastime specializing in bowling apparel, supplying bowling shirts and accessories to leagues and lanes nationwide. As corporate and product identity boomed in the ’70s, King Louie entered the promotional products industry as a supplier and has continued to grow its apparel business in that market. Basic tees and sport shirts were the staples of the industry and King Louie defined itself in a hugely competitive market. It introduced jackets to its sportswear line in the ’70s and has continued to find tremendous success in sports, corporate, utility, and fashion forward outerwear styles. The last decade has involved a concentrated focus on bringing upscale wearables to the industry. TimeOut for Her, a dedicated ladies’ label, was introduced in 2001.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It did impact our business; most end-user customers of distributors were in cost-containment modes. At the same time, there was a resurgence in patriotism hat worked in our favor because we have domestic manufacturing capability. There was an increase in demand for our domestic products in the same time period. We have adjusted our marketing campaign accordingly.

  30. Hilton Corporate Casuals (asi/60930)
    Lincolnwood, IL
    Promotional Products Sales: $38.9 million
    Workforce: 137
    Years in Industry: 52
    Publicly Held
    Tim Cronin, President
    Phil Crook, National Sales Manager



    Hilton, founded in 1953, is a division of K2 Industries Inc., a major manufacturer/marketer of branded sporting-goods products. Hilton manufactures and embroiders men’s and women’s apparel, including woven shirts, knit shirts, jackets, custom shop, golf shirts, windshirts and knit fleece. It is recognized as an industry leader in the area of unique and custom orders.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    The economic climate had an effect on all of us in this industry. The downturn in business had started before 9/11. September 11 accelerated it. This was further exacerbated by corporations cutting their promotional and advertising budgets. We reacted to this by making strategic reductions in overhead and becoming more aggressive about marketing and market penetration. Our position has been to increase the number and types of services available to our customers to help them in the difficult period. We have already begun to see a positive return on this investment.

  31. Noteworthy Co. (asi/74360)
    Amsterdam, NY
    Promotional Product Sales: $36.9 million
    Workforce: 350
    Years in Industry: 48
    Privately Held
    Carol Constantino, President
    Blaine Wiltey, National Sales Manager



    Noteworthy was founded in 1954 by the late Thomas B. Constantino. Its initial product offerings of car litter bags and tissue visor packs served as its growth mechanism. Today, it offers a full line of plastic and paper bags, notepads, Halloween bags, coloring books and litter bags. In recent years, Noteworthy acquired Filmkote presentation products, Crystal Awards USA and Avanti.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It didn’t have an effect on our core business of plastic bags. When budget dollars are tight, plastic bags become an excellent low-cost advertising opportunity. Our sales levels remained nearly the same. At first our Halloween line was affected, but business in general continued to come in. We also introduced lower minimums, which increased our account base.

  32. Swiss Army Brands Inc. (asi/90414)
    Shelton, CT
    Promotional Products Sales: $36 million
    Workforce: 210
    Years in Industry: 24
    Publicly Held
    Jeff Turner, President
    Andy Peabody, Vice President and General Manager



    Swiss Army was founded under the name of R.H. Forschner in 1855 in Bristol, CT, as a manufacturer of butcher scales. In 1937, Forschner gained the rights to distribute Swiss-made Victorinox cutlery in the United States. In 1974, the firm came under its current management and secured the exclusive rights to all Victorinox products. In 1983, it went public, changing its name to Forschner Group Inc. and in 1996, changed its name again to Swiss Army Brands Inc. SAB acquired Xantia, a European watch manufacturer, in 2000. It’s traded on NASDAQ and the company remains the exclusive marketer of Victorinox Original Swiss Army Knives, Swiss Army Brand watches and sunglasses, Simmons binoculars, Victorinox luggage, business and travel accessories and Victorinox apparel.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not? 

    We were affected by a less responsive business climate, most notably resulting from the terrorism. Our core categories related to Swiss Army Knives and Multi-Tools fell prey to concerns regarding the new FAA guidelines and carry-on requirements for airline travel. This concern was most acute in the fourth quarter, and now the sensitivity has waned as the need to replace these travel companions provides some bounce.

  33. Senator USA (asi/86390)
    Greensboro, NC
    Promotional Products Sales: $35.7 million
    Workforce: 93
    Years in Industry: 12
    Privately Held
    John Delaney, President/CEO



    Senator specializes in the distribution of German writing instruments in the US and Canada through distributors and OEM sales. Established in 1989 in Essex, CT, the company relocated to Greensboro, NC, in 1991. The German parent company, Senator-Germany/dba Merz & Krell, was founded in 1920 and sells writing instruments in over 100 countries worldwide, maintaining a 60% share in the German writing-instrument market. Senator currently produces writing instruments models domestically using German technology.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    The rude awakening of the dot.com collapse and the aftershocks of 9/11 had a significant impact. The most noticeable was attitude. A groundswell of community and commitment toward our customers and each other made us a better company. A renewed focus on service and attention to detail will have a lasting effect on our company’s culture and outlook for the future. After 10 years of double-digit growth, the stall pattern experience within the industry brought us collectively to a competitive reality. The strong will survive, but only if they do it well day after day.

  34. Ennis Business Forms Inc. (asi/52493)
    DeSoto, TX
    Promotional Products Sales: $35.1 million 
    Workforce: Unknown
    Years in Industry: 93
    Publicly Held 
    Keith Walters, CEO
    Ken Overstreet, President, Promotional Products Group



    Ennis acquired the Adams McClure companies in November 1999. Today, the companies have joined with two additional Ennis locations: Admore in Macomb, MI and Wolfe City, TX, Tag & Label Division to form the Promotional Solutions Group. The elements of this group possess more than 250 years of industry experience in production of a wide range of marketing materials.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    (Declined to answer).

  35. Sun Manufacturing Co. (asi/90141)
    Miami
    Promotional Products Sales: $35 million
    Workforce: 355
    Years in Industry: 22
    Privately Held
    Bill Rosen, President



    Founded in 1980 by Jeff Kramer, Sun was the innovator of three-day express production and has extended that service throughout its product line of over 300 items, which include writing instruments, stress balls, drinkware, clocks, computer/desk accessories, flashlights, sports items, insulated bags, portfolios and embroidered caps. Imprint methods offered include heat transfer, hot stamping, pad printing, silkscreening, debossing, computerized laser engraving and embroidery. Sun encompasses more than 210,000-square-feet of production, office and storage in a unified custom designed facility. It has an office in China to help distributors with custom sourcing.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    While it’s undeniable that the economic downturn was exacerbated by 9/11 and had an impact on the industry, it was muted by the normal resistance of the promotional product industry to such cycles. The industry as a whole is structured so that its importance increases as business seeks better value for its promotional dollar. Major suppliers are further insulated by being able to offer an expansive range of products, which cater to each price bracket and promotional need. The greatest impact on the industry was more likely an echo effect caused by the reduction in new product launches and the emotional shock following 9/11, rather than a retraction of core business.

  36. Lanco Corp. (asi/66224)
    Hauppage, NY
    Promotional Products Sales: $33.6 million
    Workforce: 320
    Years in Industry: 12
    Privately Held
    Brian Landow, President/CEO



    Lanco has been in business 15 years, working in the hospitality market (Disney World, Disneyland, Hyatt, Marriott, Wyndham, Sheratons, Princess), consumer retail market (Macy’s, Neiman-Marcus, Target, Bloomingdales) and promotional markets. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Our anticipation of growth was not as we had projected, therefore it did affect our business. However, with emphasis on increased customer satisfaction and prompt delivery, our distributors continue to place orders and believe in us.

  37. Uniflex Inc. (asi/92480)
    Hicksville, NY
    Promotional Products Sales: $29.5 million
    Workforce: 430
    Years in Industry: 39
    Privately Held
    Herbert Barry, Chairman/CEO
    Hy Brownstein, Vice President, Marketing



    Founded in 1963, Uniflex designs, manufactures and markets customized bags, packaging and plastic products. Originally a maker of plastic laundry bags, the firm soon realized the potential in promotional products. Uniflex’s primary manufacturing facilities are in NY, NM and overseas. It was the first to introduce the handle bag and drawstring plastic bag to the industry. Through its distributor base, it produces bags for over 80% of Fortune 500 companies. It also maintains sales offices in IL and FL. Uniflex continues to diversify its line, seeking to enhance its presence in the marketplace.

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    The economic climate has created new challenges for us. We had anticipated an economic downturn for 2001. Consequently, we introduced some very unique products to the marketplace that offer considerable value and cost savings. We maintain an aggressive strategy in supplying a blend of value, service and quality to our distributors. We will continue to develop niche marketplaces and new products. 

  38. Stouse Inc. (asi/89910)
    New Century, KS
    Promotional products sales: $28.2 million
    Workforce: 317
    Years in Industry: 25
    Privately Held
    Bary Marquarhdt, President



    Since 1977, Stouse grew from an 18,000-square-foot facility with approximately 12 employees to an 180,000-square-foot facility with 317. A 92-page catalog offers a variety of screen and flexo-printed products such as decals, roll labels, magnets, posters, poly and corrugated signs, domed decals, static cling, membership cards, parking permits, license plates, sunshades, and more. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    (Declined to answer.)

  39. Gold Bond Inc. (asi/57653)
    Hixson, TN
    Promotional Products Sales: $27.8 million
    Workforce: 256
    Years in Industry: 56
    Privately Held
    Mark Godsey, Vice President of Sales



    Gold Bond is a one-stop supplier of pencils, pens, yardsticks, rulers, plastics, drinkware, stress items, golf balls, and accessories. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    Yes, in many ways. September 11 disturbed us all as people and as consumers. The tragedy engulfed many of our lives and in turn affected much business throughout the world. We had to lay off many employees and move some to areas they were not accustomed to working so we could keep their jobs. We experienced a significant drop in order count and many distributors began to hold back on their spending for the balance of the year. We made huge adjustments here by cutting our labor and overhead. We also tried to offer specials to distributors to entice them to keep the economy rolling. 

  40. Admanco, Inc. (asi/32360)
    Ripon, WI
    Promotional Products Sales: $27 million
    Workforce: 400
    Years in Industry: 80
    Privately Held
    Cris Bumby, President/CEO
    Gregg Chatterson, Director of Marketing



    Admanco was founded in 1922, making carpenter aprons, ladies’ dust caps, potholders and grocers’ aprons. Today, it’s a leading domestic manufacturer of tote bags, barrel bags, golf and beach towels, amenity-filled kits, business accessories, aprons and custom cloth items. It also imports higher-end bags and offers full-custom import services. Admanco continues to be recognized as a leader in customer service as evidenced by 10 consecutive Supplier Star and Award of Merit awards. 

    Did the economic climate of 2001 affect your business? If so, how? If not, why not?

    It obviously affected our sales and profitability negatively. Being a younger business leader who has never experienced this kind of an economic downturn, it was a great learning experience. It forced us to look inside and re-examine our business at a level we may not have done in good economic times. We have streamlined our processes and tried to become as efficient as possible. We had some turnover that brought some new blood into the organization, which is always positive. Even though it was a tough year to struggle through, we got a lot of positive results in many areas of our organization.

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The Counselor's State Of The Industry 2002