ASI Names Top 10 Fastest-Growing Canadian Ad Specialty Companies

TREVOSE, Pa., June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Redwood Classics Apparel topped the 2014 list of top 10 fastest-growing ad specialty companies in Canada, released today by the Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI), the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the promotional products industry.

Redwood Classics Apparel, a Toronto, Ontario-based promotional apparel company that specializes in goods made in North America, grew nearly 160% between 2011 and 2013. Kathy Cheng is company president.

"As a company that's still in its infancy, it's truly a privilege to rank alongside some of Canada's most renowned and respected ad specialty companies," said Cheng. "Our mandate to keep apparel manufacturing on North American soil propels us each and every day. To be recognized by ASI in such a significant capacity is not only an honour, but a motivator as well."

ASI also released Canadian highlights from its "State of the Industry" report, showing over 50% of surveyed distributors reported a median increase in sales volume of 13% in 2013. The entire North American promotional products industry posted record sales of $20.5 billion in 2013, up 5.3% from 2012.

ASI released the top 10 list and highlights during its second  ASI Power Summit Canada, June 16-18 at Queen's Landing at Niagara-on-the-Lake, attended by entrepreneurs, multi-national CEOs and small-business owners. The annual gathering featured sessions on emerging markets and business trends, along with a keynote by Brian Lee Crowley, managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

ASI celebrated the top 10 fastest-growing Canadian companies at this week's Power Summit. The list was determined by the percentage each company grew between 2011 and 2013. The top companies are:

• No. 1: Redwood Classics Apparel: 160%
• No. 2: White Paper Office Solutions: 102%
• No. 3: AZX Sport: 95%
• No. 4: Stitchery and More: 75%
• No. 5: Akran Marketing: 26%
• No. 6: BrandAlliance: 21%
• No. 7: BCG Creations: 14%
• No. 8: Genumark Promotional Merchandise: 10%
• No. 9: Superex: 9%
• No. 10: Accolade Promotion Group: 8%

"ASI is proud to recognize the efforts of all the Canadian companies posting impressive growth in sales of promotional products and we are especially thrilled to recognize Redwood Classics for proving you can make money on items made in North America," said Timothy M. Andrews, ASI president and CEO.

Promotional products, aka ad specialties, freebies and giveaways, are logoed items like pens, caps and T-shirts used by companies and organizations to advertise their brand, publicize events and thank clients and employees.  According to ASI's Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, promotional products are a high-impact, cost-effective ad medium allowing even small companies to achieve as high an ROI as major corporations.

Counselor's 2014 "State of the Industry" distributors report – the most important and influential in the promotional products industry – analyzes key sales, marketing and operational metrics used every day by industry practitioners. The magazine's annual "State of the Industry" issue comes out in July.

For more info on the "State of the Industry" report, contact Nathaniel Kucsma, ASI's director of marketing research, at nk[email protected]. For info on ASI Canada, click here.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (www.asicentral.com) is the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the North American promotional products industry, with a network of over 25,000 distributors and suppliers throughout North America.

SOURCE Advertising Specialty Institute