Promo veteran Jeff Lederer is making a splash in the industry with his next big venture.
Lederer was the owner and CEO of Prime Line before selling the company to alphabroder. He served as the president of alphabroder’s hard goods division for nearly three years before leaving in December 2020. For the past two years he has devoted himself to Premium Square Group, a tech-focused supplier he co-owns in The Netherlands.
Now he’s on the distributor side, too.
On Friday, Lederer was announced as the new co-owner of prominent New Jersey-based distributor Myron, partnering with Christian Feuer of Go Global Retail.
- The acquisition was made under the newly formed GIG Myron Holdings.
- Feuer is a private equity investor and has held CEO roles for marketing and retail brands.
Myron
Myron had operated as a family business for 70 years, marketing directly to end users, distributors and suppliers through its decoration facilities. Lederer calls it a “hybrid” company.
- Facilities operate out of New Jersey, Toronto, Honduras, Germany and China.
While it has been a major player in the promo market for decades, industry estimates project its revenues have been largely stagnant or decreasing for several years. Lederer acknowledges that the company has seen its revenues decrease by more than half over the last decade, calling it a turnaround opportunity.
“It’s in need of a lot of analysis, good strategy and a new way of thinking. It’s definitely a business that financially had some issues, and we’re able to come in and turn that business as around,” Lederer says. He also promised that Myron would make acquisitions a focus. “We will use this as a platform to grow from.”
- Myron had most recently been under the leadership of chairman and CEO Jim Adler.
“I am pleased that Myron will be under Jeff and Christian’s leadership so that it can continue its growth trajectory,” Adler says. “Jeff Lederer’s industry experience and track record, combined with GIG Myron Holdings’ resources and expertise, will create opportunities for Myron.”
A New Beginning
Lederer’s move to take over Myron may be the biggest headline, but in a macro sense, the news represents an initial phase in Lederer and Feuer’s ambitions to continue to invest (through GIG Myron Holdings) in companies with what they deem to be strong growth potential and make them market leaders.
“We are excited to have Myron on our platform as we continue to strategically acquire businesses in the promotional products industry,” Feuer says.
As far as Myron’s future goes, Lederer admits that there will be a period of cost-cutting to find a level footing. The duo will look to expand Myron’s product offerings, potentially exploring synergies with Premium Square Group.
Lederer became CEO of supplier Prime Resources, his family’s business, in 1993, and later moved to acquire fellow supplier Jetline in early 2016, strengthening the combined companies prior to their sale to alphabroder.
“The promotional products industry is in my blood,” Lederer says. “I am thrilled that after 30 years in this amazing industry, I will continue following my passion of building, acquiring and scaling teams and businesses.”
The sale was announced to Myron employees during a virtual town hall on Friday morning. Lederer said feedback was positive, and he was impressed by the group’s questions and care for the business. The company’s sales force still numbers in the hundreds.
He says, “Myron has an amazing team, a strong reputation for quality products, including a vertically integrated business model, and we believe that by combining our expertise with Myron’s strengths, we can create a truly exceptional experience for vendors and customers alike.”