The Sample Group
The Sample Group Inc. is a privately held North Carolina manufacturer founded in 1999 that designs, produces, and fulfills custom sample and merchandising displays—Books, Decks, Folders, Pages, and Boxes—for the window fashions, flooring, and decorative fabrics industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersWeaverville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Sample Group does
The Sample Group Inc. is a privately held specialty manufacturer founded in 1999 by Gary Gottdiener and Pat Manente, headquartered in Weaverville, North Carolina. The company designs, engineers, produces, warehouses, and fulfills physical sample and merchandising display products for the window fashions, flooring materials, and decorative fabrics industries. All operations are conducted in-house at a single 100,000–150,000+ square foot facility staffed by hundreds of trained production personnel operating specialized equipment.
The company's core product line comprises five coordinated physical sample formats—Books, Decks, Folders, Pages, and Boxes—used by client brands to present their product offerings to sales teams and end customers. The company claims patents on certain innovative showcase designs that it markets as sales-driving differentiators for its clients. Capabilities span New Product Development, structural design, manufacturing, fulfillment, receiving, storage, and shipping, positioning The Sample Group as a single-source provider of custom sampling programs for hard window coverings, flooring, and decorative fabrics.
Revenue is generated through a sales-led, project-based B2B model. The company does not publish pricing; customers engage via quote request and contact forms on the company website. Buyers are concentrated in two primary verticals—window coverings and flooring materials—and the company operates exclusively within the United States with no disclosed international footprint. A related-entity relationship exists with Phoenix Partnership LLC, referenced via phoenixsamplellc.com on the company website. No public funding, equity backing, or M&A activity has been disclosed; ownership appears to remain with the founding principals.
The Sample Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Sample Group
- Legal name
- The Sample Group Inc.
- Website
- https://thesamplegroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Sample Group Inc. is a privately held North Carolina manufacturer founded in 1999 that designs, produces, and fulfills custom sample and merchandising displays—Books, Decks, Folders, Pages, and Boxes—for the window fashions, flooring, and decorative fabrics industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Sample Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sample Display Products
- NAICS
- Showcase, Partition, Shelving, and Locker Manufacturing (337215)
- SIC
- Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sampling & Product Trial Programs (BPAFAMAH)
Keywords
Where The Sample Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Weaverville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Sample Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sampling and Merchandising: B2B sampling solutions including design, engineering, production, and fulfillment services for window coverings, flooring, and decorative fabrics. Revenue derived from project-based fees for custom sampling programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
The Sample Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sample Group designs, engineers, manufactures, and fulfills branded sample display products — including Books, Decks, Folders, Pages, and Boxes — for manufacturers in the window fashions, flooring materials, and decorative fabrics industries. The company provides end-to-end sampling and merchandising solutions, from structural design through production and distribution, helping brands present products to dealers and consumers.
Product overview
The Sample Group offers a portfolio of physical sample display products designed for the window fashions, flooring, and decorative fabrics industries. The core product line consists of five distinct sample formats—Books, Decks, Folders, Pages, and Boxes—which work together as a coordinated merchandising system. The company manages the complete production lifecycle in-house, from initial design through New Product Development, manufacturing, and fulfillment, serving as a one-stop solution for brands seeking to showcase their products to sales teams and end customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Books
Companies that use The Sample Group
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Sample Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Sample Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Phoenix Partnership LLCminorReferenced as Phoenix Partnership on the website with a link to phoenixsamplellc.com. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed but appears to be a related entity.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Sample Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 4imprint: Public promotional products and branded merchandise company with broad B2B distribution; comparable customer overlap (brands needing sampling and merchandising collateral) though distribution-focused rather than custom manufacturing.
- Geiger: Family-owned promotional products and branded merchandise distributor serving enterprise clients with custom print, packaging, and merchandising programs; comparable in operating model to a privately held specialty manufacturer.
- HALO Branded Solutions: Large established promotional products and branded merchandise distributor serving enterprise clients across many verticals; overlaps with Sample Group in branded sample/merchandising fulfillment but operates at much broader scale.
- National Pen (PCNA): Promotional products and branded merchandise platform providing custom printed collateral and packaging to brands; overlaps with Sample Group in custom production and fulfillment of branded sampling materials.
Direct peers
- The Gillespie Group: Custom sampling, branded merchandising, and corporate gifting provider serving enterprise clients across multiple verticals, with comparable in-house design, production, and fulfillment capabilities.
- International Services Group (ISG) / Economy Color Card: Predecessor firm where both co-founders of The Sample Group previously worked; a legacy sampling, color card, and merchandising business serving window coverings and flooring manufacturers. Provides the closest historical and functional analog for Sample Group's offering.
- Phoenix Sampling LLC: Directly linked related entity referenced from The Sample Group's own website. Operates in the same sampling and merchandising space for window fashions and flooring, suggesting overlapping customers, capabilities, or shared ownership.
- Halestone: B2B sampling and merchandising solutions provider serving home furnishings, flooring, and decorative product brands; competes directly with Sample Group for window fashion and flooring display programs.
- Chesapeake Display & Packaging: Custom point-of-purchase display and packaging manufacturer producing branded merchandising solutions for retail and consumer brands; comparable in design-to-fulfillment custom manufacturing model serving brands' sales and merchandising needs.
Regional players
- Lozier Corporation: Established U.S. manufacturer of retail fixtures, shelving, and store displays serving national retail chains; comparable in physical display-product manufacturing, though focused on permanent fixtures rather than sampling programs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Sample Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Sample Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Sample Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Sample Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Sample Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Sample Group
What does The Sample Group do?
The Sample Group designs, engineers, manufactures, and fulfills branded sample display products — including Books, Decks, Folders, Pages, and Boxes — for manufacturers in the window fashions, flooring materials, and decorative fabrics industries. The company provides end-to-end sampling and merchandising solutions, from structural design through production and distribution, helping brands present products to dealers and consumers.
Is The Sample Group a public or private company?
The Sample Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Sample Group founded?
The Sample Group was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Sample Group based?
The Sample Group is headquartered in Weaverville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Sample Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sampling and Merchandising.
Who are The Sample Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 4imprint, Geiger, HALO Branded Solutions and National Pen (PCNA). Direct peers are The Gillespie Group, International Services Group (ISG) / Economy Color Card, Phoenix Sampling LLC, Halestone and Chesapeake Display & Packaging. Lozier Corporation is listed as a regional player.
Does The Sample Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Sample Group.
What industry is The Sample Group in?
The Sample Group's product category is Sample Display Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAMAH, Sampling & Product Trial Programs. Its NAICS code is 337215 and its SIC code is 2540.