Make it two acquisitions in 2024 for Geiger (asi/202900).

The Top 40 promotional products distributor announced Monday, April 8^th that it has acquired O2 Marketing + Design (asi/286464), a Pleasant Hill, CA-based distributorship that’s been in business for 24 years. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Looking ahead, O2 Marketing will go to market as O2 Marketing, A Geiger Company. O2 leaders said that shared values, cultural alignment, and Geiger’s technology solutions were reasons for joining promo’s ninth largest distributorship.

“We were seeking a company who shared our passion for exceeding client expectations and who had the expertise and resources to help grow our business,” said Meg O’Dea, partner/co-founder at O2. “Geiger's proven track record and commitment to fostering a positive and collaborative work environment made them the ideal choice. In reality, we were choosing our next employer, and Geiger’s reputation for caring for people, products, and the planet is unmatched.”

O'Dea and her team are all joining Geiger, executives said.

“The acquisition of O2 Marketing underscores our dedication to expanding our footprint, incorporating new insights, and leveraging expertise.”Chris McKee, Geiger

Geiger’s purchase of O2 Marketing follows the firm’s January-announced acquisition of Broadway Marketing, an Albany, NY-based distributorship that’s been in business since 1956. Executives noted that the California and New York locations strengthen Geiger’s position in key geographic markets on both sides of the country.

“The acquisition of O2 Marketing underscores our dedication to expanding our footprint, incorporating new insights, and leveraging expertise - all while staying true to our core values,” said Chris McKee, Geiger’s chief revenue officer.

Headquartered in Lewiston, ME, Geiger is now into its fifth-generation of Geiger family ownership/leadership. The firm has been active in recent years making acquisitions domestically and abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom, where its Geiger U.K. division is a sizable industry force.

For instance, in 2023, Geiger acquired Incentives by Design in Tukwila, WA and Firebrand Promotions in Leatherhead, Surrey, U.K. Geiger has made five acquisitions in the U.K. since entering that geographic market in 2018, all while continuing to buy distributors domestically, too.

“Looking ahead to 2024, we remain committed in our mission to strengthen our brand's influence both domestically and abroad,” McKee shared.

This Promo Insiders podcast offers in-depth insights on selling or buying a promo business from one of the industry’s foremost experts on M&A, Jamie Watson of Certified Marketing Consultants.

Based on reported 2022 North American promotional product revenue of $327 million, Geiger ranked 9th on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry. Geiger operates from offices in the U.S. and Europe and is affiliated with more than 450 independent sales representatives. The firm has prioritized sustainability – a point evidenced by it recently achieving an EcoVadis Gold rating.

Mergers and acquisitions in the promotional products industry were on the rise again in the early part of 2024. While factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, an uncertain economy and soaring interest rates slowed sales of industry businesses for periods in recent years, the general trend in promo has been toward considerable company buying and selling.

The phenomenon is being driven by a variety of elements. They include: a significant number of more experienced owners looking to exit their companies; increased private equity investment in promo; the fragmented nature of the merch market; and businesses being eager to gain capabilities and efficiencies to scale cost-effectively in an era in which the expense and complexity of conducting commerce has increased.