Bolingbrook, Illinois—S&S Activewear and HanesBrands Inc. are proud to announce a landmark agreement that makes S&S the exclusive distributor of the Hanes brand in the North American printwear channel. This milestone builds on a decades-long partnership and sets the stage for a bold new era of growth, innovation and customer focus.
At the heart of the Hanes legacy is the iconic Beefy-T®, a style that helped define the printwear category and continues to be a customer favorite for its comfort, durability and printability. Hanes is the top-selling apparel brand in the U.S. and brings over 110 years of heritage in quality and innovation to the market.
With this exclusive partnership, S&S will not only carry the full range of Hanes styles but will also offer deeper inventory positions and enhanced availability across its national distribution network—ensuring decorators and promotional partners get what they need, when they need it.
“This is more than an agreement—it’s an evolution of one of the industry’s most enduring relationships,” said Mike Faircloth, HanesBrands President Global Operations. “Hanes has been a foundational brand in printwear for decades. With S&S as our exclusive distributor, we’re doubling down on that legacy while positioning ourselves to lead in the next chapter of the market.”
The partnership comes on the heels of S&S’s successful integration with alphabroder—creating a unified platform that offers customers expanded product access, faster delivery and unmatched service. With over 6 million square feet of warehouse space, advanced automation technologies, and a portfolio of more than 100 top industry and exclusive brands, S&S has established itself as the leading technology-enabled, customer-focused distributor in the channel.
“We’re incredibly proud to deepen our relationship with Hanes, a brand that represents both heritage and reliability,” said Frank Myers, CEO of S&S Activewear. “As a unified company, we’re in a better position than ever to bring more of Hanes’s trusted styles to more customers, more efficiently while continuing to raise the bar on service.”
Through this strategic alignment, customers can expect:
- A focused and expanded Hanes assortment, available exclusively from S&S
- Deeper inventories across S&S’s nationwide network of distribution centers
- Faster shipping and delivery windows for Hanes styles
- Seamless ordering through the unified S&S website and service model
- Customers may continue to purchase Hanes products from other distributors through the transition period. This partnership will be fully operational by December 31, 2025.
This agreement reflects a shared belief that the future of the printwear industry will be shaped by deeper, more strategic partnerships between manufacturers and distributors—focused on long-term brand building, supply chain alignment and delivering unmatched value to customers.
“As we continue to grow, our focus remains on supporting the industry’s most trusted brands,” added Myers. “We believe strong partnerships with manufacturers like Hanes are what drive value and progress for the industry and our customers.”
