For Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863), the change truly started in 2018.That’s when the promo industry’s largest supplier began a concerted effort to migrate considerable volumes of its apparel production out of China to factories in other nations.
Nowadays, SanMar sources products from more than 20 countries, a cross-continental approach aimed at ensuring supply chain resiliency and flexibility. The Issaquah, WA-headquartered firm selects each production destination for its unique advantages, such as strategic location, trade benefits or specialized capabilities.
“We expect to further diversify our supply chain network because sourcing decisions are often driven by U.S. trade policy and, as policy changes are made, sourcing will adjust accordingly,” says Dean Draughn, SanMar’s vice president of sourcing and product development.
SanMar’s efforts place the firm at the forefront of a notable industry trend: Suppliers are increasingly trying to geographically broaden their supply chains, importing from more countries than just China.
Read this full feature on ASI Central.
View the full 2025 Counselor State of the Industry here.
