alphabroder, Trevose, Pa., has acquired promotional products distributor Prime Line, Bridgeport, Conn., to join its brand portfolio and function as a new hard goods division.
Prime Line CEO Jeff Lederer will serve as president of the division and will report to alphabroder CEO Norm Hullinger. Dan Pantano will remain president of alphabroder.
“We’ve been enamored with Prime for a long time, and as Jeff and I talked about the future of our industry, we felt we could create a partnership that would benefit our companies and our customers,” Hullinger says. “We’re going to be blending our facilities and our management teams to deliver the very best product choice and service.”
Hullinger says earnest conversations between alphabroder and Prime Line began in March and April 2017. For Lederer, the deal offers “a true one-stop shop” for customers. “These are two brands that are well-known, have seasoned management teams and know what it takes to provide quality,” he says. “The industry is changing and it was important for me to make sure Prime Line is positioned in the best possible way moving into the future. We’ve chosen a partner in alphabroder that matches our values and commitment.”
According to Lederer, Prime Line’s 2017 sales are on pace to increase by at least 10% year-over-year. Hullinger, meanwhile, expects alphabroder’s sales this year to be up “just shy of double-digits.”
During the past five years, alphabroder has acquired Bodek and Rhodes, Ash City Worldwide and Imprints Wholesale. — J.L.
