2023 Top Distributors: BAMKO Is Setting Itself Up for Present and Future Success

As part of Print & Promo Marketing's 2023 Top Distributors list, we asked some of the top-ranked distributors about how they managed to continue their growth throughout the uncertainty that has still loomed over 2021 and 2022.

Read on as Jake Himelstein, president of BAMKO, which ranked No. 6 on the Top Distributors list, goes into how BAMKO made smart decisions over the course of 2022 to achieve short-term success while creating an environment for success down the road, too. Also, Himelstein details the economic and societal variables that he's focusing on the most.

Jake Himelstein, president of BAMKO

BAMKO has undergone noticeable changes over the last decade. Acquisitions and new business development have put the distributor on a course for continued success, and BAMKO president Jake Himelstein says a commitment to the company's core principals and all of the pieces from previous years settling more into place got the company to where it is now.

From a product-focus perspective, he says that a greater focus on uniforms will be a difference-maker for BAMKO going forward.

What They're Looking At

Over the course of 2022, BAMKO made numerous strategic moves, like entering a partnership with Carder and Associates LLC, acquiring Guardian Products, and bringing on additional talent to leadership positions. Through the rest of 2023 and into 2024, Himelstein says that the plan will remain the same: Make smart choices that make an instant impact, and also set them up for success down the road.

"We got to where we are by taking a long-term focus toward growth," Himelstein says. "That mans making the investments in the near-term that we know pay off down the road. 2023 is no different, with our core focus being the infrastructure and technology investments that will pay dividends for years down the road. I think this year, more than any other, we are really putting the pieces in place to have the sort of competitive advantages from a technology and infrastructure perspective that is going to pay off for years to come."

Himelstein said he'd be hard pressed to think of a better time to be at BAMKO.

"We try to keep a lot of this sort of stuff close to the vest, but I cannot remember a more exciting time at BAMKO in terms of our ability to project how we will stack up against competitors from a capabilities perspective in the years to come."

What Variables They're Watching

Like so many in the promotional products industry and beyond, Himelstein and BAMKO are looking at tech innovations. AI was a big topic of conversation throughout 2023, but as technology allows for greater automation, Himelstein says it's probably the thing he's paying the most attention to.

"Automation is probably the No. 1 thing I am personally keeping an eye on," Himelstein says. "In terms of long-term impact on the industry as a whole, that is what I'd say is the likeliest major disruptor, and I don't think there's a close second. Beyond that, we continue to pay close attention to economic trends, including what's happening in the tech sector, credit markets, job data, as well as Fed policy and inflation."