Still faced with ongoing challenges from the pandemic, many promotional products suppliers, distributors and business services firms made employees a top priority this year, with internal development geared toward nurturing, supporting and encouraging team members to do and be their best.

Common sentiments expressed by employees of the 47 companies named to the 2022 list of PPB’s Greatest Companies To Work For were appreciation for an uplifting and motivating workplace culture with a family-like environment, and work-life balance perks such as flexible scheduling and team-building activities that carry over this value. Despite the disruptive nature of supply-chain issues, order delays and tariffs, these companies show that it’s possible to successfully ride the waves of change by becoming stronger together.

Made up of “micro” companies with as few as five employees, to large firms with teams numbering north of 1,000, this leading group of industry businesses from across the U.S. and Canada is reimagining how to bring employees together, particularly in work environments with in-person, hybrid and remote workers. Whether they’re logging in from a home or company office, employees feel “fully supported in expanding my knowledge and skills,” per one response, “provided with so much education and feedback,” says another, and have the “freedom” to express ideas and needs, whether personal or professional.

“Although the survey questions of employees and the standards for qualification were the same, fewer companies met the bar this year—from 52 in 2021 down to 47 this year,” says Josh Ellis, publisher and editor-in-chief of PPB. “The entire world is grappling with the effects of worker disillusionment and disengagement coming out of the pandemic, and our industry is not immune.

“Still, we see dozens of companies in promotional products that are keeping their employees happy, inspired, challenged and thriving. The achievement of these 47 companies is even more impressive considering the environment.”

Since reinstating the annual competition last year, which has run annually since 2011, industry leaders and employees alike have demonstrated an unmistakable priority to back one another throughout. PPB congratulates this year’s Greatest Companies To Work For.

Read more about them below; click each company's unique link for words from their employees about what it's like to work there, as well as perspectives from the organizations' leaders on how they've created the industry's best cultures.

 

   
(In alphabetical order by size)
Employee counts reflect full-time employees as of February and March 2022, when rosters were submitted.


(Five to nine employees)

1338Tryon
City Apparel
Imagen, Inc.
MARCO Ideas Unlimited, Inc.
North Georgia Promotions
Printable Promotions
Promo Assets
Southwest Solutions
Wall Street Greetings, LLC
Ward Promotional Marketing Solutions Inc. 

 
(10-25 employees)

Blue Dog Merch
Flywheel Brands Inc.
Identify Yourself
MediaTree
Scrub Authority
Specialty Incentives
Stowebridge Promotions Group Inc.
Toddy Gear
Walker-Clay, Inc.
You Name It Specialties, Inc.

  
(26-75 employees)

Bel Promo
Chameleon Like, Inc.
commonsku
Concord Marketing Solutions
Cooley Group, Inc.
Goldner Associates, Inc.
MyBrandPromo Inc.
Peerless Umbrella Co.
Picnic Time Family of Brands
PromoCentric, Inc.
Storm Creek
TPS Promotions & Incentives

  
(More than 75 employees)

American Solutions For Business
Boundless
BrandVia Alliance
Crystal D
EPromos Promotional Products
Facilisgroup
Gem-line
GO2 Partners
Goldstar
HPG
Indoff, Inc.
Orbus Exhibit & Display Group
Proforma
SAGE
Spector & Co.

Companies are required to have a minimum of five full-time employees to participate in the PPB Greatest Companies To Work For competition. Companies included had to be nominated by an employee. Nominated companies submitted their team rosters of full-time employees, with each listed employee receiving a 15-question survey to rate their company in five areas: benefits, resources, culture, leadership and company direction. Companies were also required to meet a percentage of completed surveys. The survey results were then tabulated and compared to a pre-established threshold to reveal this year’s winners.  

Danielle Renda is an associate editor at PPAI.