In December 2020, Top 40 supplier Koozie Group (asi/40480) made headlines across the promo products industry when it acquired then fellow Top 40 firm IMAGEN Brands (asi/93990).

Ever since the marquee acquisition, Florida-headquartered Koozie Group and Missouri-based IMAGEN Brands have largely operated as standalone businesses. That’s now poised to change.

Pierre Montaubin, CEO, Koozie Group (asi/40480)

Koozie Group announced it will be integrating the operations of IMAGEN Brands fully under its umbrella. The IMAGEN Brands name will be retired, and the former supplier will go to market under the Koozie Group moniker.

“This integration will bring our customers a thoughtful assortment of best brands and products all in one place,” said Pierre Montaubin, CEO of Koozie Group.

According to Koozie Group, distributors will begin seeing unified processes and a single outward-facing presence starting Jan. 1, 2024. Under the new structure, Koozie Group/IMAGEN Brands’ sales and service teams will be combined, which executives said will allow for increased support coverage, easier order management via the Koozie Group Tracker, faster lead times, and additional value-added services.

All facilities, including IMAGEN’s in Doniphan, MO, will remain open. “We do not plan to move any manufacturing expertise to other sites,” Koozie Group wrote in a note to customers.

Koozie Group said it will continue to offer products across more than 10 categories and from over 25 brands, with a focus on top-selling proprietary brands and retail brand partners.

Koozie Group shared that there is no immediate change to the day-to-day operations for either supplier, and customers should expect a slow transition into one single ordering process and website, which will go into effect at the end of the first quarter of 2024.

In the lead up to the new year, Koozie Group/IMAGEN Brands team members will communicate with customers about new enhancements, guide them through updates and answer questions.

Those enhancements will include an improved website with online chat, a larger assortment of products with full-color decoration, more items that can be turned in 48 hours, and products with a sustainability story, according to the suppliers. Additional free services and waived fees will make it easier to do business with Koozie Group, executives said.

Interestingly, back-of-house teams at Koozie Group and IMAGEN Brands have been supporting both business units, but customer-facing teams have interacted with customers as two separate companies. Executives said the companies have learned best practices from each other and developed a shared roadmap for delivering a top-notch experience to distributors.

“After three years of working together, this seemed like the right time to align common and best practices from across our sites and functions to deliver impactful products and best-in-class service to our distributor partners,” said Montaubin.

As part of the integration, pricing will default to Koozie Group’s current structure, and the combined company will go to market under the “40480” ASI number as of Jan. 1. The IMAGEN Brands website will stop operating by the end of Q1 2024, and the firm’s ASI number will no longer be active, executives said. In addition, FedEx will become the standard carrier option, and the freight calculator will be updated accordingly.

“We’re excited to be able to leverage the strengths of both companies to provide increased coverage and enhanced tools to help our customers grow their business,” said Melissa Ralston, chief revenue officer at Koozie Group and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people. “We’ll be here to help customers through the transition, and we know they’ll be encouraged by the new benefits we are now able to offer.”

Based on reported 2022 North American promotional product revenue of $317 million, Koozie Group ranked seventh on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry.

Koozie Group is owned by H.I.G. Capital, an investment firm with $58 billion of capital under management, with a focus on the mid-cap segment of the market. Montaubin became CEO in August, replacing David Klatt, who joined the board of directors. Prior to being CEO, Montaubin was chief product and sustainability officer for Koozie Group.