CUSTOM INK ACQUIRES SWAG.COM, DISRUPTIVE PLATFORM FOR CUSTOM SWAG AND CORPORATE GIFTING
Deal Positions Custom Ink for Growth in $100B+ Corporate Gifting Market, as Companies Use Custom Apparel and Other Gear to Build Connections with Remote Teams
Fairfax, VA – November 8, 2021 – Custom Ink, the leader in custom apparel and accessories for companies, groups, and organizations, today announced the acquisition of Swag.com, an innovative platform for corporate swag and the emerging “gifting-as-a-service” category. The combination will help organizations of all sizes build meaningful bonds with their remote teams, customers, and partners through custom swag and gifting, and it will position Custom Ink for continued growth and success in that expanding $100+ billion market.
“With Swag.com, we’ll help organizers and organizations meet the really important need of sustaining a sense of connection and community no matter where people are located,” said Marc Katz, Cofounder & CEO of Custom Ink. “Nothing creates the feeling of pride and connection like custom gear, and Swag.com has set a new standard for easy and intuitive gifting of high quality swag. There is amazing alignment of values between our companies, and we’re excited to build and extend our platforms together.”
Swag.com was launched by Jeremy Parker (CEO) and Josh Orbach (COO) in 2016, as the two college friends from Boston University saw an opportunity to transform the industry through high quality products, streamlined online design and ordering, turnkey storage and distribution, and a focus on customer experience. The two entrepreneurs will continue to lead Swag.com as part of Custom Ink.
“During the pandemic, people couldn’t gather in the office or connect at sales meetings or trade shows,” said Parker. “With many employees and partners feeling out of touch, our new model for swag distribution helped companies maintain their identity and cohesion.”
According to Inc. magazine, Swag.com is one of the fastest-growing companies in the US. Despite the pandemic, the company doubled in size in 2020 and shows no sign of slowing down, as it tracks to break $30M in sales this year. Swag.com’s 5,000 customers include corporate giants like Amazon, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, McDonald’s, Netflix, Spotify, Starbucks, TikTok, and Walmart.
"In an increasing virtual world, physical items play a tangible role in connecting people, building relationships, and showing generosity,” said Orbach. “Swag.com and Custom Ink were both built on the power of using swag to bring people together, and we believe this combination will position us for long term leadership in our category.”
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
About Custom Ink
Custom Ink is the leader in custom gear for all types of teams, companies, organizations, events, and other communities. Custom Ink helps organizers connect their colleagues, families, and friends in person and at a distance through fun and easy design tools, caring customer service, high-quality merchandise, and bulk or individualized delivery. It also offers Custom Ink Fundraising, a platform to raise money and awareness for charities and personal causes through the sale of custom t-shirts. Custom Ink is based in Fairfax, Virginia with other operating facilities in Charlottesville, Virginia; Reno, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; and Los Angeles, California.