Over the course of the 2018-2019 academic year, Washington University participated in a pilot program of the Fair Labor Association to test implementation of a pre-approved promotional product suppliers list.  As you may know, WashU is an affiliate of the Fair Labor Association, a collaborative initiative that combines the efforts of business, colleges and universities, and civil society organizations to improve working conditions globally. The university is committed to the ethical sourcing of its products, including the promotional products various campus partners purchase as giveaways.

Promotional products suppliers were included in this pilot because they had an established track record of making a strong commitment to social responsibility and their social compliance programs were accredited by the Fair Labor Association, Quality Certification Alliance, or both.  The initial pilot was determined a success, and the university decided it will continue to source promotional products from our pre-approved suppliers.

We are aiming for the majority of our orders to be sourced from the pre-approved list. Cheaper price can quite often be the differentiator for a buyer between one company supplying promotional products and another.  That reduced price can come at a hidden cost, though, often translating to unsafe and unethical conditions for the workers that manufacture those products.  This is why our university is choosing to make a transition to promotional product suppliers that enact a commitment to sourcing responsibly. If you have any questions about the initiative, please reach out to Janelle Hizer.


Participating Licensed Suppliers

These are the participating licensed suppliers for the Promotional Product Initiative:

  • 4imprint
  • Ad Creations
  • Blue Sky Apparel & Associates
  • Bowers & Associates
  • Casual Tees
  • Club Colors
  • Consolidus
  • CustomInk
  • Eco Promotional Products, Inc
  • Halo Branded Solutions
  • Interstate Graphics
  • Jillian’s of Ideas
  • Larick Associates
  • Lipic’s Engagement
  • Lusso’s
  • MADCO Printing and Advertising
  • Off the Row
  • St. Louis Sportswear
  • Universal Creative Concepts
  • Woltman Trophies