BrandAlliance Inc., A Brand Company Announce Merger

Toronto, Ontario-based BrandAlliance Inc., named Canada’s 2015 Distributor of the Year by the Promotional Product Professionals of Canada, today announced a definitive merger agreement with A Brand Company, Charlotte, N.C. This amalgamation between two of the top 50 distributors will represent combined annual sales of $90 million.

In 2012, the two organizations formed a strategic working alliance to begin nurturing a unified, influential presence in North America; today’s merger is an anticipated progression of that initial partnership. A Brand Company’s flagship and largest U.S. holding, Activate! Promotions + Marketing, will initiate a full-scale brand change, and is set to be operating as BrandAlliance Inc. by early 2016.

With this merger, BrandAlliance Inc. can leverage a true North American solution for the organization’s large, international clientele. The combined company will have an increased international presence with minimal business overlap, a stronger financial position and a greater, more aligned service set. The prior three-year relationship between BrandAlliance Inc. and Activate! Promotions + Marketing allowed the organizations to make cohesive, long-term, enterprise-wide investments to their front- and back-end processes, procedures and technologies. These pre-planned synergies will allow for a fast, predictable integration, which will permit the organization to start realizing immediate returns from the partnership.

“This merger will maximize the benefit of our partnership with not only our clients, but our valued suppliers as well,” noted Marc Roy, former CEO of BrandAlliance Inc., now executive chairman of A Brand Company. “We are now positioned for growth not only in North America, but globally, over the long term. As we grow, we will be able to provide new and unique solutions to our clients.”

“From A Brand Company’s side, we are extremely excited about the merger," said Fred Parker, president and CEO of A Brand Company. "BrandAlliance is well known for having a smart, consistent and nimble business approach. Unsurprisingly, these characteristics have made them a force in the Canadian promotional space. From the onset, both companies were keenly aware of the coming shifts to the global marketplace. Large organizations are now viewing North America as a single, seamless spend. We have positioned ourselves ahead of this trend, and this merger is a byproduct of that collective foresight.”

Following the closing, A Brand Company’s newly established nine-person board of directors will include six inside directors and three outside directors. The company’s corporate offices will remain in Toronto, Ontario and Charlotte, N.C., respectively.

For more information on BrandAlliance Inc., visit www.brandalliance.com. For more information on A Brand Company, visit www.abrandcompany.com.