The apparel supplier located in Trevose, Pa., announced that it is rebranding as alphabroder. The new name unites the company's four brands—Alpha Shirt Company, Broder Bros., NES Clothing Company and Imprints Wholesale—under a single umbrella to create simplified business practices and clear company messaging.
The launch of the new brand builds on the company's momentum since private investment firm Littlejohn & Co. invested in alphabroder in 2012. alphabroder has implemented a number of growth initiatives over the past 18 months, including the acquisition of Imprints Wholesale in 2013.
"Our new brand is recognizable to our customers, yet conveys our new beginning as a leading seamless source provider of promotional apparel products, as well as our growth expectations for the future," said Norman Hullinger, CEO of alphabroder. "We will continue to provide quality promotional products, and this transformation will help accelerate the evolution of our brand and solidify our position as the top service provider in the industry for years to come."
In other news, alphabroder also announced the acquisition of Ash City Worldwide, one of North America's leading promotional apparel manufacturers and suppliers. Since 2006, alphabroder, then known as Broder Bros., has been the No. 1 company on Promo Marketing's annual Top Suppliers list, posting $817 million in sales in 2012. Ash City was the No. 10 company that year with sales of $148 million. With the addition of Ash City, alphabroder expects to have annual revenues exceeding $1 billion. alphabroder plans to combine the companies' range of capabilities, including Ash City's strong presence in Canada, to better serve its customers.
"This transformational acquisition creates an industry leader that delivers a comprehensive selection of promotional apparel with an unmatched distribution network and customer support," Hullinger said. "For over 35 years Ash City has demonstrated a commitment to excellence through its innovative products, strong customer service and expanding product portfolio."
In 1977, Garry Hurvitz established GH Group, which launched the Ash City brand 14 years later in Ontario, Canada. Ash City currently offers six distinct brands, including Ash City, Extreme, North End, North End Sport Blue, North End Sport and Core 365. Hurvitz will be departing from the company.
"I have spent over 35 years building Ash City into a leading corporate apparel supplier in North America," Hurvitz said. "Our tremendous growth in both Canada and the United States would not have been possible without the loyalty and commitment of my colleagues, suppliers and customers. I am excited to move on to the next stage in my career, and take particular comfort in knowing that alphabroder, the industry's leader, will be providing our best-in-class product to a vastly expanded customer base throughout North America and will provide our customers with the level of service that Ash City is known for."
However, Ash City president Doug Hayes and chief financial officer Rob Meier will keep their respective titles at alphabroder, Canada.
"Together, the combination of these two businesses is the natural evolution for our company and the industry," Hayes said. "We look forward to better serving each of our customer bases as a result of the strengths inherent in combining our operational capabilities, product portfolios and geographic footprints."
"The addition of Ash City is our first step toward international expansion and further secures our position as the North American industry leader and innovator in the promotional apparel space," said Dan Pantano, alphabroder's president.
For more information, visit www.alphabroder.com.