While fidget spinners dominated the headlines in 2017, PopSockets were pretty popular as well, routinely placing in the top 10 most-searched items in ESP. With a reported 72% of adults in the U.S. owning a smartphone, it’s no wonder mobile accessories remain a hot promo product.

Supplier iClick (asi/62124) rode the phone grip’s wave of momentum from the retail space to the promotional products industry, offering a variety of designs and styles that customers couldn’t get enough of. The Seattle-based company leveraged the PopSocket’s popularity into other product segments, fueling the company’s $54 million in total sales last year, up from $14.2 million in 2016.

iClick increased sales by a jaw-dropping 239% from 2015 to 2017.

In fact, according to Counselor’s data, iClick was the third fastest-growing supplier of 2018, increasing sales by a jaw-dropping 239% from 2015 to 2017.

“I don’t think anyone could have predicted the speed of the growth we’ve had,” says Taek Sung, senior vice president of sales and marketing at iClick. “It’s been a fun ride, man.”

Originally in the retail space, iClick burst onto the scene in 2001 when it introduced the branded USB drive to the promo industry. Since then, the QCA-certified supplier has racked up eight consecutive Counselor Distributor Choice awards in the USB category, maintaining an impressive customer satisfaction rate.

“Because we sold a commodity, we’ve really had to differentiate ourselves through service,” Sung says. That’s why Jeff Hall, president of iClick, wanted Sung to join the company in January of 2017. After five years as director of client services for Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616), Sung had experience on the other end of the supply chain to know the needs of the distributor. With his knowledge and expertise, he could guide iClick in becoming the perfect partner for its many customers.

“Joining iClick gave me a chance to put my stamp on the company and build it the right way, in combination with our president,” Sung says. “Jeff has been willing to take a lot of risks and make investments in our growth. We’ve a created a company that caters to the customer.”

“Because we sold a commodity, we’ve really had to differentiate ourselves through service.”Taek Sung, senior VP of sales & marketing

With 30-minute quote turnarounds, one-hour mock-ups, free ground shipping and a lifetime warranty on products, iClick has diversified its service offerings. Instead of providing a catalog with thousands upon thousands of choices, the company has limited its number of items, tailoring each product’s function to a customer’s specific needs. It’s a quality over quantity approach, Sung says. “When you have this amount of success, there comes expectation,” he says. “We want to understand what your project is and offer you proactive solutions. Our goal is to always make our distributors look good.”

In order to scale this rapid growth, iClick has expanded the footprint of its facility and warehouse by five times the size, adding the latest equipment and machinery for increased production, speed and capacity. In addition, the company has also tripled its staff, beefing up its production, creative, customer service and account management teams.

“We don’t need an army – we need a SWAT team of specialists,” Sung says. Indeed, Sung thinks iClick has recruited the brightest minds from top distributors in the industry, cherry-picking leaders and visionaries who’ve directed brand strategy for clients like AT&T, Major League Baseball, Coca-Cola, Ford and other well-established corporations. “We believe in hiring A-players who’ve walked in a distributor’s shoes and know what kind of consultation they need,” Sung says.

The supplier’s employee turnover rate is basically nonexistent, Sung adds, which is no surprise considering iClick has been a perennial member of Counselor’s Best Places to Work list. With perks and benefits like employee profit sharing, public transit passes, a three-week paid sabbatical after five years of employment and, of course, happy hour on Friday afternoons, iClick’s 150 employees feel truly valued for their commitment and diligence. “Part of our magic is we create a lot of growth paths for upward mobility,” Sung says. “Nobody is in the same role as when I came in.”

Over the past year and a half, the supplier has created segmentation in its sales department, dividing business into small, mid-size, regional and national accounts. “Before I arrived, we treated every customer the same,” Sung says. “But customers at different levels of accounts have different needs, and now we’ve added specific sales reps who understand and cater to those needs.”

By improving infrastructure and divvying up internal operations, iClick has prepared itself for success in the marketplace, building an ever-growing team of talented, dedicated professionals focused on pleasing distributor partners. Always looking toward the future, Sung says iClick’s long-term goal is to become a full-line technology company that specializes in mobile power and wireless charging, calling it “the next frontier.” The company launched 45 new products last year, and 40 more are expected to be released this year.

All this adds up to an increasing likelihood that iClick will officially join next year’s Top 40 supplier list, as its promo sales surge toward $40 million annually. It would be the culmination of hard work and an exceptionally smart approach. “We’re in constant innovation mode as we continue to leverage what’s doing well,” Sung says.