McCabe Promotional Advertising

What McCabe Promotional Advertising does

McCabe Promotional Advertising Inc. is a privately held, full-service Canadian branded merchandise agency headquartered in London, Ontario, with two offices in the Ottawa region. Founded in 1981 by Jim and Sandi McCabe, the company sources, decorates, and delivers custom branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, office items, event merchandise, onboarding kits, client gifts, and team apparel) for enterprise and nonprofit customers across Canada and the United States. The customer mix spans financial services (Libro Credit Union, Edward Jones), defense (General Dynamics), mining (Agnico Eagle), technology (Microsoft), construction (Modern Niagara), food retail (Farm Boy), and nonprofits (YMCA, BGC, Orange Shirt Society, Metis Nation Ontario).

The company's core technology is its in-house decoration facility branded as Black Sheep Designs, which provides embroidery, screen printing, and direct-to-film (DTF) transfers, alongside an Impact Collection curation framework that assesses products on lifecycle environmental and social criteria. A significant digital offering is custom Shopify-based online merchandise stores with integrated inventory, order processing, and fulfillment, enabling recurring client programs.

McCabe generates revenue through one-time branded merchandise sales, professional design services, managed warehousing and fulfillment, and transaction/service fees on Shopify-based custom stores. Pricing is quote-based with minimum order quantities varying by product, and the standard turnaround is 10-15 business days after artwork approval. The company markets through content (blog, email newsletter, seasonal lookbooks), LinkedIn, Instagram, and SEO in both English and French, while sales are driven by dedicated account representatives handling consultative, conversation-led engagements. The company is B Corp certified since 2019 and completed a 2025 rebrand across its brand identity and digital presence.

Name

McCabe Promotional Advertising

Legal name

McCabe Promotional Advertising Inc.

Website

https://mccabepro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

McCabe Promotional Advertising is a Canadian full-service branded merchandise agency, founded in 1981, that designs, decorates, and fulfills custom apparel, drinkware, gifts, and event merchandise for enterprise and nonprofit clients across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branded Merchandise Sales: Core revenue stream from sourcing, decorating, and delivering custom branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, office items, and promotional products. Products are sourced through extensive network of preferred vendors and suppliers across North America and globally.
2. Design Services: Complete design services from logo placement to fully custom artwork development for branded merchandise. Creative team transforms merchandise into memorable, conversation-worthy pieces.
3. Warehousing and Fulfillment Services: Inventory storage, kitting, packing, and shipping services for branded merchandise programs. Handles logistics from individual shipments to large-scale distributions nationwide.
4. Custom Online Store Management: Creation and management of Shopify-based merch stores. Services include store creation, product curation, inventory management, order processing, customer service, and fulfillment. Revenue generated through transaction fees and service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

McCabe Promotional Advertising is a full-service Canadian branded merchandise agency that sources, decorates, and fulfills custom promotional products including apparel, drinkware, office items, event merchandise, onboarding kits, client gifts, and team apparel. The company operates an in-house decoration facility called Black Sheep Designs providing embroidery, screen printing, and direct-to-film (DTF) transfers, and complements its merchandise offering with design services, custom kitting and packaging, warehousing and fulfillment, and Shopify-based custom online merchandise stores. Its Impact Collection provides environmentally and socially responsible product options for sustainability-focused clients.

Product overview

McCabe Promotional Advertising is a full-service branded merchandise agency that operates as a single unified offering centered on branded merchandise solutions. The core product is custom branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, office items, event merch, gifts), supported by in-house production through Black Sheep Designs. Add-on services include Custom Online Merchandise Stores (Shopify-based), Custom Kitting and Packaging, Design Services, and Warehousing and Fulfillment. The Impact Collection provides an environmentally-conscious product line. Together, these services transform ordinary brand touchpoints into extraordinary experiences through consultation, creative design, production, and fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branded Merchandise Full-service custom branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, office items, event merchandise, and employee/client appreciation gifts that transform ordinary brand touchpoints into memorable experiences. Sourced through an extensive network of preferred vendors across North America and globally, then decorated and delivered to enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Black Sheep Designs In-house decoration sub-brand providing high-quality design and decoration services using cutting-edge equipment for embroidery, screen printing, and direct-to-film (DTF) transfers. Offers Pantone color matching and serves McCabe's branded merchandise clients with quality control and production agility.
• Impact Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• B Corp Certified since 2019 - meeting higher standards of environmental responsibility and transparency

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcCabe is a proud member of CCIB. The partnership supports Indigenous business development and fosters strong relationships amongst Indigenous vendors and organizations to cultivate shared prosperity.
• Orange Shirt SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier merchandise partner of the Orange Shirt Society. Through this partnership, McCabe helps expand the reach of the Orange Shirt Day movement and raises funds in support of Reconciliation.
• FEEDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSustainable product brand partner in Impact Collection. FEED organic cotton totes help provide school meals with each purchase, delivering over 126 million meals globally.
• ReTrazeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for sustainable headwear. ReTraze collaborates with small businesses, fishermen, and NGOs to transform discarded fishing nets into recycled PE for use in products like organic cotton dad hats.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ePromos Promotional Products: Full-service promotional products agency offering decorated apparel, gifts, and kitting to mid-market and enterprise customers across North America.
• HALO Branded Solutions: One of North America's largest branded merchandise agencies offering end-to-end merchandise programs, in-house production, and fulfillment to enterprise clients — directly comparable in business model and target customer to McCabe.
• Crestline Promotional Products: Large promotional products distributor offering decorated apparel, drinkware, and gifts to enterprise and education markets — comparable in offering breadth and decoration capabilities.
• Boundless (Staples Promotional Products): North American branded merchandise and corporate gifting agency with online storefront, sourcing, and fulfillment capabilities — a close direct peer in service model and customer base.
• Brandvia: B2B branded merchandise and corporate gifting agency with in-house decoration, kitting, and online store management — closely comparable end-to-end model.
• Outstanding Branding: Canadian promotional products and branded merchandise agency serving enterprise clients with sourcing, decoration, and fulfillment.

Emerging players

• Zazzle: Online custom products marketplace that competes for small-order promotional merchandise volume; partial overlap with McCabe on custom corporate gifting and apparel.
• Custom Ink: Digital-first custom apparel and promotional products platform; competes with McCabe on apparel decoration and group ordering, but with a more transactional, self-serve model.

Broad incumbents

• BDA (Benson-Davis): Long-standing promotional merchandise and brand activation agency with global sourcing and in-house decoration — broader incumbent competing for similar enterprise programs.
• 4imprint: Publicly traded U.S./Canada promotional products company with broad catalogue-driven distribution; competes with McCabe in branded merchandise but relies on self-serve e-commerce rather than full-service consulting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccabepro
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccabefalcon
• Xx.com/McCabeFalcon
• Facebookfacebook.com/mccabefalcon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 McCabe Promotional Advertising