October 08, 2024
The Specialty Company Acquires Promotional Alliance
The deal sees Mississippi-based promo distributor TSC expand its footprint to Minnesota and the upper Midwest more broadly with the purchase of the Shoreview, MN, distributorship.
The Specialty Company (TSC, asi/341203) just made its fifth acquisition since 2020.
The Ridgeland, MS-headquartered promotional products distributor announced Tuesday, Oct. 8, that it has purchased Promotional Alliance (asi/300728), a distributorship based in Shoreview, MN.
Financial terms of the deal between the privately held companies were not released. However, executives noted that former Promotional Alliance owner Steve Fangel is joining TSC as director of sales for Minnesota.
Sam Riden (left), CEO of The Specialty Company (asi/341203), said he’s excited to have Steve Fangel (right) and his team from Promotional Alliance (asi/300728) coming aboard.
As importantly, company leaders said, the plan is to integrate Promotional Alliance employees and operations into TSC, giving the Mississippi distributor a firm foothold in Minnesota/the upper Midwest.
“The team at Promotional Alliance aligns with TSC’s mission to serve our team, clients and communities,” said Sam Riden, CEO of TSC. “Steve and his team have built something truly special, and we’re excited to welcome them into the TSC family.”
The deal marks the second acquisition in 2024 for Riden and his TSC crew. In February, TSC announced that it had acquired Perfect Promotions & More Inc. (asi/293554), a distributorship headquartered in Apex, NC, with a 22-year history.
— Chris Ruvo (@ChrisR_ASI) February 1, 2024
Since 2020, TSC has made a total of five acquisitions. The others were MPGTandem in St. Louis, MO (December 2022); Lasting Image Promotional Products of Sinking Spring, PA (April 2021); and Ice Blue Advertising in Katy, TX (December 2020).
TSC now has a physical presence in those states and Mississippi, as well as North Carolina and Minnesota through its 2024 acquisitions. The most recent deal with Promotional Alliance has TSC excited.
“The dedication, creativity and expertise of Promotional Alliance’s staff will be invaluable as TSC integrates their operations and expands its offerings into the Minneapolis/St. Paul market,” the firm said.
Founded in 1991, TSC offers warehousing and third-party logistics services, in-house decoration and what executives described as proprietary technology for creating webstores to support branded merchandise solutions.