HUB Promotional Group has acquired Salt Lake City, Utah-based supplier HandStands PROMO in a deal finalized December 21. This marks HUB’s seventh acquisition over the past two years, bringing the group to eight supplier brands—HUB Pen, Beacon, Best USA, Cooler Graphics, Debco, BCG Creations, Origaudio and HandStands.
Established in 1983, HandStands was one of the first companies to bring mouse pads to the marketplace. Today, it offers a wide variety of promotional products, from phone and tablet accessories to air fresheners, stress relief, lifestyle and automotive accessories. HandStands’ Salt Lake City location enhances HUB’s expanding nationwide footprint, and its product lineup complements the technology and lifestyle products of the HUB Group.
Chris Anderson, chairman of HandStands, will become the chief operating officer of HUB Promotional Group. He says, “I am super excited for HandStands’ next chapter and the opportunity to play a larger role in the growth and development of HUB. Given the rapid evolution that is occurring in the promotional products industry, we were looking for more than just growth capital. We wanted a strategic partner to help us become an industry leader on a far more rapid timeline—and our partnership with HUB provides exactly what we have been looking for.”
Rodd Steuart, HandStands CEO, will continue to lead HandStands Promo. He says, “I am excited to leverage the reach and resources of HUB Promotional Group for the benefit of HandStands’ customers and employees. By teaming up with HUB, we are greatly enhancing the customer experience we are able to offer as a result of this combination of businesses.”
HUB Promotional Group CEO Joe Fleming says the addition of HandStands to the HUB family of companies enables it to expand the product lineup, add a production facility and expand its distribution network to become the leading hard goods supplier in the promotional products industry. He adds, “We are delighted to have HandStands join our portfolio of companies and we welcome Chris, Rodd and their entire team to HUB. The HandStands team has worked very hard to consistently deliver innovation and value to their customers and their rapid growth and exceptional reputation in the industry speaks for itself. Working together, we will share and incorporate best practices across the entire company to make HUB even better for our customers.”
