Alpha/Broder buying Ash City Worldwide

[cbjamel]

alphabroderOpens in a new window, the Trevose, Pennsylvania-based apparel supplier and highest-ranked company on Promo Marketing's 2013 Top Suppliers list, announced today the acquisition of Ash City WorldwideOpens in a new window, one of North America's leading promotional apparel manufacturers and suppliers.

The companies will leverage alphabroder's existing national distribution platform and Ash City's market leading brands, sourcing and design capabilities as well as its leading Canadian presence. The combination immediately makes alphabroder the leading North American seamless-source supplier of trade, retail and private label branded apparel, including t-shirts, outerwear, corporate apparel, and fleece to the promotional and corporate apparel industry. alphabroder expects to leverage the broad suite of capabilities within both companies to better service its customers.

Check back with Promo Marketing Headlines this afternoon for more information.

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Alphabroder Acquires Ash City ADVERTISEMENT
 

In a deal that unites two of the 10 largest suppliers in the ad specialty market, alphabroder (asi/34063) announced today that it has acquired fellow apparel supplier Ash City Worldwide (asi/37127). Financial terms of the transaction were not released. Alphabroder, the newly re-named company that had been Broder Bros., said that it looks forward to combining its products and services with that of Canada-based Ash City.

“This transformational acquisition creates an industry leader that delivers a comprehensive selection of promotional apparel with an unmatched distribution network and customer support,” said Norman Hullinger, CEO of alphabroder. “For over 35 years, Ash City has demonstrated a commitment to excellence through its innovative products, strong customer service and expanding product portfolio.”

As part of the deal, Ash City’s founder, Garry Hurvitz, is leaving the company. However, Doug Hayes, president and CEO of Ash City, will become president of alphabroder, Canada, and Rob Meier will also remain as CFO of alphabroder, Canada.

This is alphabroder’s second deal since equity firm Littlejohn & Co. recapitalized the company in 2012 and assumed control of its board of directors. The company acquired Imprints Wholesale (asi/62486) late in 2012. Including the addition of Ash City, alphabroder now has more than $1 billion in overall annual sales. Follow Counselor PromoGram for more information on this deal.

Make them Huge!
Shane

[Inkworks]

Here is what North-of-the-Border Ash City customers got:

To our Valued Customers:

Today we are announcing the joining of two great companies and teams: alphabroder and Ash City. This announcement marks more than just two companies coming together; it establishes a new standard in the industry for product quality and availability. It also creates a complete North American service and product assortment solution by joining alphabroder's unmatched reach and delivery with Ash City's unparalleled products. The driving force behind this union was You - our customers. Your request and need for an increased level of product choice, quality and availability in our industry is at the heart of this move. We appreciate the input and look forward to delivering on your request.

As we began to discuss our plans around integrating our companies, both companies agreed that we would place one priority above all else:

We will maintain/exceed current Customer Delivery and Service levels.

This is the 'golden rule' of our integration. The combination of these companies was born out of your input so we will honor this by not trading off service or delivery at any level or phase of integration. To ensure we can deliver on this commitment, there will be NO immediate CHANGES to the product assortment/service offering from either company. In the near term, please continue to conduct business as you always have with your respective team from Ash City or alphabroder. It will be business as usual for the next several months. Over time our intention is to fully integrate our products and services. We are looking forward to doing this on a measured basis while maintaining your delivery and service levels. As we make changes that affect you, we will communicate those changes in advance.

This union would not be possible without the support and commitment from you. We are very appreciative. We will respect and repay your loyalty to us with a commitment to continued improvement in service and delivery to you and an open 'ear' to listen to your feedback. We will provide regular updates throughout the integration process to ensure we keep you informed of our progress and any updates to our combined product and service portfolio.

Please let us know if you experience any issues during the integration process. We need your input and feedback to ensure you receive the level of service required to run your business. Your business is our top priority. Thank you again for your continued support and commitment.

Sincerely,

Norm Hullinger, Chief Executive Officer, alphabroder
Dan Pantano, President, alphabroder
Doug Hayes, President/CEO Ash City

[mk162]

they should just call it Prestige Worldwide...run just about as well.