American Solutions for Business

What American Solutions for Business does

American Solutions for Business (ASB) is a privately held, 100% employee-owned (ESOP) distributor of print, promotional products, office supplies, eCommerce platforms, and integrated marketing solutions, headquartered in Glenwood, Minnesota. Founded in 1981 by Larry Zavadil, the company serves over 40,000 clients across the United States and select international markets through a nationwide network of 800+ sales associates and 7,000+ supplier partners, positioning itself as the largest ESOP distributorship in the promotional products and print industry. Its core proprietary asset is the ACES eCommerce platform, which supports six customizable eStore modules (Branded Clothing, Company, Direct Marketing, Office Supply, Personalized Stationery, and Promotional Products) with approval workflows, virtual samples, real-time inventory, and reporting, accessing approximately 1 million promotional SKUs and 27,000+ office supply items.

ASB monetizes primarily through transaction-based fees on promotional merchandise, commercial print, fixtures and displays, direct mail, kitting, warehousing, and installation services, with subscription-style recurring elements embedded in the ACES platform's hosted eStores. Go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led through distributed field representatives serving enterprise clients (retail, healthcare, education, financial services, automotive, government, manufacturing, franchise, GPOs) complemented by self-serve eCommerce ordering through ACES. Vertical-specific offerings include patented CareBoard patient communication systems for healthcare, financial envelope and teller supplies for banks, retail fixture engineering and POP signage with US/China/Mexico manufacturing, and educational branded merchandise programs. The company has expanded via the 2024 acquisition of Dubow (embroidery and print) and operates wholly-owned subsidiaries including Canadian Solutions for Business, ACES, and Branded by American (a DTC subscription box program). Pricing is quote-based across most categories, with the supplier-side Partners for Progress (PFP) program operating on tiered commissions ranging from 2% to 20% depending on payment terms and engagement level.

Name

American Solutions for Business

Legal name

American Solutions for Business

Website

https://americanbus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

American Solutions for Business is a 100% employee-owned distributor of print, promotional products, office supplies, and eCommerce solutions, serving 40,000+ clients across the US via 800+ sales associates, 7,000+ suppliers, and its proprietary ACES platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Promotional Products and Print Distribution

NAICS

Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42342), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (4251)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Office Supplies, IT & Workplace Procurement Marketplaces (CRAFAHAF)

Keywords

• Promotional product distribution
• Commercial print services
• Custom eCommerce platforms
• Branded merchandise solutions
• Marketing fulfillment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Promotional Products Sales: Sale of branded merchandise and promotional items including apparel, drinkware, writing instruments, tech items, awards, bags, and gift sets
2. Print & Document Solutions: Commercial printing, forms, labels, signage, and document management services
3. eCommerce Platform Services: Custom eStore development and hosting, approval workflows, purchasing control, and brand image maintenance through proprietary ACES platform
4. Fixtures & Displays: Custom fixtures, POP signage, retail displays, and nationwide installation services
5. Direct Mail & Fulfillment: Direct mail campaign execution, kitting, and warehousing distribution services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

American Solutions for Business is a 100% employee-owned distributor of promotional products, commercial print, office supplies, retail fixtures, apparel, and direct mail solutions. The company delivers these offerings through a national network of 800+ sales associates and a proprietary ACES eCommerce platform that lets customers build custom-branded stores, kits, and reporting dashboards. It serves more than 40,000 clients across healthcare, education, retail, financial, automotive, hospitality, and food-service verticals using 7,000+ supplier partners.

Product overview

American Solutions for Business operates as a product and technology partner offering a comprehensive portfolio of branded merchandise, custom print, and promotional solutions. The core platform is the proprietary ACES eCommerce system, which provides multiple specialized eStore modules (Branded Clothing, Company, Direct Marketing, Office Supply, Personalized Stationery, and Promotional Products eStores) that enable businesses to manage purchasing, distribution, and branding. The company delivers integrated services including Print & Document Solutions, Marketing Solutions, Fixtures & Displays, Kitting & Fulfillment, Direct Mail Strategy, Warehousing & Distribution, and Reporting Solutions. Industry-specific offerings include Patient Communication Boards and Sensory Products for healthcare, Retail Fixture Programs and POP Signage for retail, Financial Teller Supplies and Bookkeeping Solutions for banking, and Apparel Solutions and Training Materials for various sectors. The company also operates vendor partnership programs including PFP (Partners for Progress), SpecConnect spec sampling, and the Branded by American subscription box service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACES eCommerce Platform Proprietary online platform that lets business clients build custom eStores, product kits, and real-time spend reporting for their organizations.
• Print and Document Solutions Commercial print services covering direct mail, training materials, manuals, brochures, and ongoing document production for enterprise clients.
• Promotional Products Branded merchandise and promotional items sourced through 7,000+ supplier partners for corporate marketing, events, and employee programs.
• Direct Mail Strategy End-to-end direct mail campaign management including list acquisition, design, print, and mailing execution for business clients.
• Warehousing and Distribution Inventory management, warehousing, and nationwide distribution services tied to client eCommerce and fulfillment programs.
• Kitting and Fulfillment Solutions Custom assembly and fulfillment of branded kits for new hires, events, marketing campaigns, and ongoing client programs.
• Marketing Solutions Marketing services that combine promotional products, print, apparel, and technology to support client brand and demand-generation goals.
• Apparel Solutions Custom branded apparel programs including design, sourcing, decoration, and ongoing replenishment for client teams.
• Patient Communication Boards Custom healthcare communication products and patient room boards designed for clinical environments.
• Retail Fixture Programs Custom retail store fixtures and displays including modular care board systems, sensory improvement products, and real-time survey tools.
• Teller Supplies and Financial Forms Specialized banking supplies including teller cash tickets, envelopes, and bookkeeping forms designed for financial institution workflows.
• Office Supplies Office supply sourcing and ongoing procurement for business clients, integrated with ACES eCommerce and reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Patient communication boards with 5-year guarantee on standard boards, 50-year guarantee on glass boards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments13 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorASB serves as an endorsed supplier of print and promotional products for GPOs serving Education, Corrections, Corporate, and Healthcare markets. The company passes along volume discounts received through these supplier relationships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 4imprint Group: One of the largest promotional products distributors in North America, with a similar business model of aggregating thousands of suppliers and serving enterprise customers with branded merchandise, print, and marketing solutions. Closest publicly traded comparable for ASB's core promo/print distribution business.
• iPROMOTEu: Promotional products distributor with a network-based sales associate model and proprietary eCommerce tools. Operates a similar independent-rep distribution model as ASB and serves overlapping SMB and enterprise customers.
• Boundless: Promotional products distributor combining a sales rep network with technology-enabled sourcing. Directly comparable GTM and customer verticals to ASB's promotional products business.
• HALO Branded Solutions: Direct competitor in promotional products and branded merchandise distribution with a sales associate/rep-driven model and proprietary eCommerce platform (HALO). Comparable scale, customer verticals, and GTM motion to ASB.
• National Pen (NWP Holdings): Direct-to-business promotional products and writing instruments distributor serving SMB and enterprise customers. Comparable offering breadth (apparel, drinkware, writing instruments) and customer overlap with ASB's promotional products line.
• HPG (Hilton Promo Group): Multi-brand promotional products distributor (Hit Promotional Products, Brand Blvd, etc.) competing across similar product categories and customer verticals. Comparable scale and supplier-distribution model to ASB.

Broad incumbents

• Cimpress / Vistaprint: Large-scale print and marketing services platform (parent of Vistaprint and several other print brands). Comparable in print-on-demand, custom products, and B2B marketing services, but operates a different tech-forward, less field-sales-driven model than ASB.
• Taylor Corporation: Large private print, marketing, and communications services conglomerate overlapping with ASB in commercial print, direct mail, and marketing services. Broader portfolio of print capabilities but similar enterprise customer base.
• Staples (USR Parent): Mass-market office supplies retailer and B2B procurement solutions provider. Overlaps with ASB's office supplies and procurement offering, though it does not specialize in promotional products the way ASB does.

Regional players

• The Office Group (EOH / Forum): Promotional products and branded merchandise distributor operating across multiple US markets with a similar sales-rep-driven model. Comparable product mix and customer verticals though smaller in scale than ASB.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/americanbus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/americanasb
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-solutions-for-business
• Instagraminstagram.com/americansolutionsforbusiness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Solutions for Business