Ever wondered how BAMKO achieved success in the wild world of branded merchandise and uniforms? It all began as the brainchild of Phil Koosed and Brett Marz, back when they were college roommates at USC. But what did those early days really look like, and what did it take to achieve the success that we’re celebrating this year, during our 25th anniversary?
We sat down with co-founder Brett Marz to uncover the story of BAMKO’s incredible journey, from humble beginnings to global success.
Q: What was the inspiration behind starting BAMKO?
A: This sounds ridiculous – but – the first spark of inspiration for BAMKO came from Suge Knight. The founder of Death Row records (and a somewhat questionable character) ended up giving a talk at our college campus. While it was far from enlightening, he did say something that caught our attention – that you could make a ton of money selling t-shirts. As broke college students, that sounded great.
Instead of taking traditional internships over the summer of our senior year, we instead spent our time driving around in our old Chevy Tahoe hand-delivering t-shirts. After a few months of that, we realized this could be a real business. We had no idea what it would grow into. We came up with the name BAMKO by playing with our names and putting our initials together – BAM are my initials, and KO are the first letters of Phil’s last name. It was almost PEKBAM – but BAMKO sounded better, and it stuck!
Q: How did BAMKO grow it’s team in those early years?
A: It was funny trying to bring people into our crazy idea. I was so determined to make it work, I created a detailed budget, showing how our early team members could make ends meet on a shoestring—ramen noodles and all—just to be a part of it in those early years. And I guess it worked because we brought on employee number one – Todd Sachs – the same year we started. A few years later, we brought on employee number two, Eli Schneider.
These guys were pivotal in growing our business. Once we had that solid team, it didn’t take long to start bringing on bigger and bigger clients, growing our reputation, and making our mark.
Q: Were there any early milestones that shaped BAMKO’s success?
A: Once we hired a few employees, we recognized the opportunity to go international to find the best talent. Todd ended up going on what was essentially a Craigslist for developers, and that’s how we met Ankur Sinha. We’d meet him in India and work in his parent’s attic developing BAMKO’s first systems. This development was a game-changer, streamlining our processes and setting the stage for us to scale up.
Shortly after that, we made the move into China. This really broadened our production capabilities and allowed us access to a wider range of products. Also, in 2004, not everyone in the industry was working with China. It helped us get ahead and stand out among competitors, which was huge in the early days.
Q: How have BAMKO’s offerings changed over time?
A: The global expansion really opened us up to more merchandise opportunities, helping us expand our branded merch and promotional product expertise into uniforms, displays, stuff like that. However, our product offerings exploded once we were acquired by Superior Group of Companies and began making critical acquisitions ourselves.
Through these acquisitions we were able to get into the gifting space, the automotive space, we expanded our technology and our web store services, and we began to position ourselves as a full-service, one-stop-shop solution for branding and promo. And we’re still growing – just last year we really kicked off our significant expansion into the commercial print space, made a new acquisition, we have six global offices, it’s been amazing to witness.
Q: How has the promotional products industry changed since BAMKO’s early days? How has BAMKO adapted to remain competitive?
A: The promo industry is always making small evolutions that we need to keep up with – new technology, things like compliance, rules and regulations, duties – it’s constantly changing, so I can’t even say that is a challenge to us. It’s something we’re always anticipating and considering in our day-to-day.
I’d say the biggest challenge that we faced was becoming competitive. The promo industry is an incredibly competitive space in general, so building our reputation, and getting our footing, was a challenge. In those early days when we were so small, those procurement partnerships were hard to lock down because we were so unknown. We’ve always been incredibly adaptable, built strong relationships, and focused on delivering exceptional service. Now, from a vendor’s perspective we’re a much safer bet than we were back in our early days!
Q: What are some of the core values that have driven BAMKO’s success?
A: Looking back, it’s clear that a few key values have always been at the heart of who we are. First off, we’re extremely client-focused. We want to understand their needs inside and out and then blow their expectations out of the water. And we’ve always been a company that loves to push the envelope. We’re constantly exploring new ideas, new technologies, and new ways to do things better. Whether it’s been through our early adoption of technology or building a global sourcing network, we’re always looking for that edge.
But none of this would be possible without an amazing team. From day one, establishing a positive and growth-forward company culture was extremely important to us. We created an environment where everyone feels like they’re part of something bigger and where everyone’s contributions are valued – that’s helped us keep people from day one, 25 years later.
Finally, I think one of the biggest things that’s helped us succeed is our ability to adapt. The promo industry is always changing, and we’ve learned to roll with the punches. We’re agile, we’re responsive, and we’re always ready to evolve. Our global reach, our focus on technology, and our commitment to finding the right solutions—it all adds up to a pretty unique experience for our clients.
The BAMKO Story Continues
BAMKO’s journey over the past 25 years is a testament to the power of vision, adaptability, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction.
As we look ahead to the future, we remain committed to innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the promo industry.
Want to be a part of the BAMKO story? We invite you to learn more about our company, our history, and the incredible people who make it all happen. We’re excited to see what the next 25 years have in store!
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