BDA (PPAI 109381, Platinum) has acquired European sports merchandise provider The Great Branding Company, expanding its reach in Europe as well as bolstering the Seattle area-based distributor’s already robust offerings in the sports apparel and merchandise.
- BDA was recently named the No. 4 distributor in the 2024 PPAI 100.
- This continues a trend of European expansion for BDA, which acquired German-based ipm|gruppe last year.
The merging of the two companies is fitting as BDA – also known as Bensussen Deutsch & Associates – already has partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB and FIFA, while The Great Branding Company works with prominent European sports franchises including Manchester City, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
The Great Branding Company has worked in sports licensing for more than 20 years and offers end-to-end service for retail products and quick solutions. It will now benefit from the resources of BDA, which includes e-commerce and retail solutions, expanded supply chain possibilities and product development teams.
“BDA has been on our radar for years as a fierce competitor and best in class merchandise provider,” says Pino Grillo, CEO and co-founder of The Great Branding Company. “We jumped at the opportunity to unite with BDA and look forward to leveraging their global footprint and vast resources to expand our service offerings for clients.”
- BDA maintains offices that operate to of the UK, France and Germany. The Great Branding Company’s UK and German teams will be integrated into existing BDA operations.
As part of BDA, which headquarters in Woodinville, Washington and was still acquiring American companies in 2022, continues its strategic operational expansion across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, The Great Branding Company will offer regional expertise and connections that further smooth that endeavor.
“Joining forces with The Great Branding Company was a no-brainer for BDA,” says Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of BDA. “We see numerous synergies with our culture, values, and customer-centric approach to delivering incredible curated and bespoke products.”
This most recent acquisition is a continuation of BDA’s growth, which increased in revenue by 53.2% from 2021-2023.
