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SanMar adds Flexfit headwear to fall lineup. While the top promo supplier has partnered with Flexfit for the last two decades, this marks the first time it will carry the brand's products as a standalone offering. Key Takeaways - Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) will add Flexfit as a standalone headwear offering to its fall 2026 portfolio, making eight Flexfit cap styles available to customers. - Known for pioneering stretch-to-fit headwear technology, Flexfit has partnered with SanMar for more than 20 years but will now have a dedicated branded lineup available through the supplier. SanMar (asi/84863) will add Flexfit as a standalone offering in its fall 2026 portfolio, the Counselor Top 40 supplier announced. The Flexfit Wooly Combed Cap (FF6277) is now available from SanMar (asi/84863). The headwear brand, which is known as the originator of stretch-to-fit technology, has partnered with SanMar for over 20 years, but eight of Flexfit's caps will now be available to SanMar customers. The lineup includes Flexfit 110 and Flexfit Delta, among other styles. "For over three decades, Flexfit has redefined comfort and performance in headwear," said Paul Park, CEO of Flexfit. "We're excited to bring our legacy of innovation and craftsmanship to even more customers across the country through our partnership with SanMar. Together, we look forward to delivering premium headwear that gives brands, businesses and individuals the confidence of exceptional fit, comfort and quality." Designed by headwear brand Yupoong in 1994, Flexfit's stretch-to-fit headwear features a polyurethane spandex woven sweatband that offers fitting choices and comfort technology, according to the brand's website. SanMar ranks first in Counselor's most recent list of the top suppliers in the industry, with 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $3.8 billion. New rankings will be released tonight. Product Hub Find the latest in quality products, must-know trends and fresh ideas for upcoming end-buyer campaigns.

SanMar & MiiR forge exclusive wholesale partnership. The Counselor Top 40 supplier is the first to carry MiiR's newly launched soft goods and apparel collection, and will take over as the exclusive supplier for the entire portfolio beginning next year. Key Takeaways - Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) is now the exclusive wholesale provider of MiiR's new apparel and bags collection, with the supplier set to take over the brand's entire portfolio in January 2027 - The partnership brings 31 new apparel styles, bags and, soon, MiiR's full drinkware collection to the promotional channel, giving distributors access to a premium lifestyle brand for corporate gifting, employee recognition, hospitality and event programs. - By adding MiiR to its growing roster of exclusive brands, SanMar continues to strengthen its position as promo's largest supplier while expanding access to products that combine elevated design, sustainability and social impact. The top supplier in promo just added another popular lifestyle brand to its growing portfolio. Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) has announced it will be the exclusive provider of MiiR's newly launched soft goods and apparel collection. Beginning this month, MiiR's bags and apparel will become available for programs including corporate gifts, employee recognition programs, hospitality offerings and event experiences. Featured products from MiiR's recently launched bags and apparel collection Counselor Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070), MiiR's long-standing exclusive wholesale partner, will continue carrying its drinkware and coffee accessories through the end of the year, but SanMar will take over the full gifting and promo portfolio beginning in January 2027. The move represents MiiR's evolution from a premium drinkware brand into a full lifestyle collection, according to the Seattle-based company. "This partnership with SanMar represents a new chapter of growth for MiiR in how we think about access and reach," said Bryan Papé, CEO and founder of MiiR. "We've spent 15 years building products rooted in intentional design and generosity, from the drinkware people use every day to the apparel and bags launching this summer. Partnering with SanMar elevates what we've already been building in the corporate space, bringing our full ecosystem to more businesses through the most trusted name in the industry." Launching as part of SanMar's new arrivals for fall, the MiiR apparel collection is "designed for people who move through the world with purpose," the brand said. The collection will include 31 men's and women's styles, from premium tees and polos to mid-layers, technical bottoms and an assortment of versatile bags. The drinkware collection available through SanMar beginning in 2027 will include water bottles, tumblers and mugs, along with an expanded range of tote bags designed for comfort and easy carry, SanMar said, adding that these pieces will build MiiR's existing apparel and bag collection now available through the supplier. "MiiR is the kind of brand we love bringing to our customers," added Shel Renning, vice president of merchandising at SanMar. "The combination of elevated design and a diverse product line that spans drinkware, apparel and carry gives businesses visually distinct products to work with. We're proud to partner with a brand that leads with generosity, sustainability and craftsmanship, and we're excited to help more organizations experience what MiiR has been building for the past 15 years." Founded in 2010, MiiR is widely known for its diverse line of drinkware and its social impact efforts. As a certified B Corp, the company invests a share of its earnings into trusted nonprofit organizations who work to uplift communities and contribute to the health of the planet. According to its website, MiiR has donated over $5.5 million to more than 200 organizations working across 26 countries as of 2026. SanMar ranked first on Counselor's most recent list of the largest suppliers in the promo industry, with 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $3.8 billion. New rankings will be released later this month. Promo for the Planet is your destination for the latest news, biggest trends and best ideas to help build a more sustainable and socially-responsible industry.

SanMar just bought BELLA+CANVAS. Here's the honest read. The decorated apparel industry woke up to a significant announcement this week: SanMar Corporation is acquiring BELLA+CANVAS, one of the most influential blank apparel brands in the business. If you buy custom shirts, order team apparel, or run a print shop, here's what this actually means - and what it doesn't. What happened. SanMar - a family-owned wholesale distributor based in Issaquah, Washington and one of the largest in the industry - is acquiring BELLA+CANVAS outright. BELLA+CANVAS will continue to operate as an independent brand. Megan Spire, the company's executive vice president, stays in her role. Danny Harris, co-founder, characterized the deal as finding an owner who would "champion the brand's DNA." SanMar CEO Jeremy Lott called B+C "the fashion leader in the industry." This is not a private equity acquisition. That distinction matters and Breaking Free Industries, Inc.'ll come back to it. What changes. Operationally, probably less than you'd think in the short term. BELLA+CANVAS will continue selling through its existing authorized wholesale distributor network. The full product assortment - the signature fabrics, the fashion-forward fits, the quality standards - continues without interruption per both companies. What will change eventually is infrastructure. SanMar has deep warehousing and logistics operations across the country. BELLA+CANVAS runs a cut-and-sew operation in California and maintains its own distribution footprint. Over time, you'd expect some consolidation - not of the brand, but of the back-office and logistics layers. Some warehousing will likely shift toward SanMar's existing network. Some corporate redundancies will get trimmed. That's standard in any acquisition. The California cut shop is the one thing worth watching. BELLA+CANVAS has leaned hard into its domestic manufacturing story - it's part of the brand identity. If SanMar moves any of that offshore to reduce cost, it would be a meaningful shift from what the brand has stood for. There's no indication that's the plan, but it's the variable to monitor over the next 12-24 months. Why this isn't the S&S story. When S&S Activewear was acquired by private equity, the industry felt it. Private equity acquisitions are built around extraction - cut costs, increase margins, sell in 5-7 years. The pressure on terms, service levels, and product quality that comes with a PE-backed distributor is real and felt throughout the supply chain. SanMar is family-owned. Jeremy Lott is not managing to a fund return timeline. The incentive structure is fundamentally different. SanMar built its reputation on service and inventory depth - those are things you protect, not strip out. The B+C acquisition looks more like a long-term bet on the premium blank segment than a financial engineering play. That doesn't mean nothing changes. Scale always has tradeoffs. But the risk profile here is materially different from a PE deal. What decorators should actually do. Nothing urgent. Your existing B+C relationships, pricing, and access through distributors aren't changing in any near-term way. If you're a print shop or decorator who depends on B+C blanks, keep ordering as you were. If you're a buyer - a restaurant, nonprofit, school, or brand ordering custom decorated apparel - this has essentially no impact on your order. The 3001 you've been ordering still exists. The quality hasn't changed. The lead times aren't affected. The one thing worth noting: acquisitions create uncertainty at the sales and customer service level. People leave. Relationships shift. If you have a strong rep or account manager at B+C, check in with them. Not because anything is on fire, but because that's good practice when ownership changes. The bigger picture. The blank apparel industry is consolidating. S&S went PE. SanMar just absorbed one of its most important brand competitors. The mid-tier of the market - regional distributors, independent decorators, boutique blank brands - is going to feel increasing pressure from the scale players. For small shops like ours, that's actually fine. Breaking Free Industries, Inc. don't compete on commodity volume. Breaking Free Industries, Inc. compete on quality, turnaround, and a reason to exist beyond the transaction. The brands Breaking Free Industries, Inc. source - AS Colour, BELLA+CANVAS, Next Level - aren't going anywhere. And the customers who care about where their shirts come from and who made them aren't going to be won by whoever has the deepest SanMar inventory. The merger doesn't change its sourcing plans. Breaking Free Industries, Inc.'ll watch the California cut shop situation. And Breaking Free Industries, Inc.'ll keep printing.