Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616) is intent on building its international business in a big way.

In June, the Woodinville, WA-headquartered promotional products firm acquired fellow distributor ipm | gruppe – one of promo’s most significant players in Germany.

While BDA already had offices in the United Kingdom and France, and a distribution center in the Netherlands, the move marked the establishment of BDA’s first office in Germany. It was a signal of intent: Germany has Europe’s strongest national economy and is the largest market for promo sales on the continent. BDA is ready to get bigger in Europe – and possibly more broadly in the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions.

In this podcast with ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo, BDA CEO Jay Deutsch, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people, shares the story behind the deal and discusses what the future may hold – including how business opportunities in Europe and North America can cross-pollinate, especially with enterprise clients. One thing becomes clear: For North American distributors with the capabilities and chutzpah, there’s potentially significant reward in going global.