Fluid Branding (asi/195718), one of the United Kingdom’s largest promotional products distributorships, has acquired Reflex Marketing & Promotions, a U.K. top 25 distributor, the companies announced. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

When COVID-19 lockdown restrictions lift, the Reflex team will work out of an office in Brighton, England, thereby adding a South Coast location to Fluid’s existing locations in the U.K. and Europe. Going forward, Reflex will be known as “Reflex Marketing & Promotions – A Fluid Branding Company.”

“This is a great strategic acquisition for us. Reflex has consistently been regarded as one of the top 25 distributors of promotional products here in the U.K. and to have Jon Walker and the team on board will add to our exceptional portfolio of clients and help further strengthen our award-winning team,” said Kyle Scott, Fluid’s director of strategy.

Walker has been owner of Reflex, having built the company over the last 25 years with the help of co-director Don Hinkins. With Hinkins now retiring, Walker felt it was time to “expand the company’s horizons” and doing so by partnering with Fluid was a “no-brainer. I’m just so delighted that we’re now looking to an even brighter and more expansive future alongside all of the exceptional team at Fluid.”

“It was evident from the very beginning of our conversations with Don and Jon, that they ran a great company at Reflex and their culture and values are very much aligned to that of our own,” said Miles Lovegrove, managing director at Fluid.

Fluid is keen to keep expanding by making acquisitions both in the U.K. and beyond.

“As we see trends toward greater consolidation within our industry during these difficult times, we’re currently looking for additional merger and acquisition opportunities,” Scott revealed. “We hope to further bolster our position and offering within our industry in the near future.”

Fluid is a U.K. B-Corp certified company, which means it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose, executives asserted. The distributorship is working toward being carbon net zero by 2030.

Fluid has garnered awards for its work. In 2018, for instance, the firm was honored with the two most prestigious awards in the U.K. promotional products industry: the company was named BPMA Distributor of the Year for the second straight year, and Sourcing City’s Distributor of the Year for the third consecutive year. Fluid Branding also received Feefo’s Gold Trusted Service Award – given to companies who have maintained consistently high scoring customer reviews – for the fourth year in a row.