Starting in 2024, Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, S13) and IMAGEN Brands (PPAI 114197, S10) are consolidating under the Koozie Group brand.
- Koozie Group acquired IMAGEN Brands in December of 2020.
- Since then, the two suppliers have operated as stand-alone businesses.
- Koozie Group was named the No. 10 supplier in the PPAI 100 list.
The Integration Process
Combining the sales and services teams under the Koozie Group brand – IMAGEN Brands will no longer be used once the integration is complete – as well as the support teams and technology of the two businesses, is expected to create efficiencies and a better customer experience.
- There will be no immediate change to either supplier for the rest of 2023.
- Customers will see a slow transition into one single ordering process and website beginning January 1.
- That transition is expected to go into effect by the end of Q1 of 2024.
By the end of the integration process, the Koozie Group website and ordering process will have a more complete set of offerings than either business currently presents. That is expected to include:
- An expanded assortment of items with full-color decoration.
- More items available at 48-hour standard.
- Products with a sustainability stance.
- Additional free services and waived fees.
No facilities under the Koozie Group umbrella will close as a result of the integration.
- Under this umbrella, pricing will default to Koozie Group’s current structure.
- The IMAGEN Brands website will be in operation through Q1 of 2024.
- FedEx will become the standard carrier option.
What They’re Saying
Recently promoted Koozie Group CEO Pierre Montaubin says that careful deliberation had led to the conclusion that this integration will most benefit the company’s distributor partners.
“This integration will bring our customers a thoughtful assortment of best brands and products all in one place,” says Montaubin. “We will combine our sales and service teams, which allows us to increase our support coverage, provide easier order management via the Koozie Group Tracker and deliver faster lead times, improved flexibility and additional value-added services.
“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.”
While the company will take the time and care to make sure the integration process goes smoothly, Chief Revenue Officer Melissa Ralston says that plenty of factors are already in place for this to be a natural and organic transition.
“Many of our back-of-house teams were already supporting both Koozie Group and IMAGEN Brands and have been working hand in hand since 2020,” says Ralston. “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. We’ll be here to help customers through the transition and know they’ll be encouraged by the new benefits we are now able to offer.”
