Smart Source (PPAI 313388, Professional Gold) has announced the acquisition of distributor Kaye-Smith (PPAI 571238, Professional Gold). Based out of Bellevue, Washington – just outside of Seattle – Kaye-Smith will bring a Pacific Northwest presence to Smart Source, which operates out of Palm Beach, Florida.
- In June, PPAI 100 ranked Smart Source as the No. 53 distributor.
- Kaye-Smith will continue to operate under its name but with the distinction that it’s a “Smart Source Company.”
According to Smart Source, the acquisition will bring its annual sales to approximately $250 million going forward.
“We are delighted to announce this acquisition as an expansion of our business in the Pacific Northwest and, more specifically, the greater Seattle area of Washington State and the Portland area of Oregon,” says Tom D’Agostino, Jr., founder, president and owner of Smart Source. “Kaye-Smith has been a great and well-respected company for many years and maintains a dominant position in the print and promo products industry, particularly in the PacWest.”
Adding History And Sharing Resources
Kaye-Smith has a long history, dating all the way back to 1908 during the early days of Seattle’s transformation into a major American city. Already serving many loyal customers in the Seattle and Portland area – as well as the broader region – the company will now have access to greater resources to meet the immediate needs of those customers, according to its owner Alex Smith.
“The acquisition will benefit our primarily PacWest-based clients by now being part of a larger national company that has been built on reliability, quality, prompt service and innovative solutions,” Smith says. “By joining forces with Smart Source, Kaye-Smith will bring many additional product capabilities, deeper marketing spend category expertise, complex BPO print management experience and sales office/distribution locations to our existing customers.”
In recent years, Smart Source has been unafraid to venture into other regions for the sake of growth. In 2022, it acquired Superior Business Solutions, based out of Michigan. There are more than 40 Smart Source U.S. locations, including in Hawaii and New York City.
“Like Smart Source, Kaye-Smith has a long and rich history of managing their client’s print spend on an enterprise level delivering year on year value and brand control for their clients,” says D’Agostino. “This acquisition will enhance our current operational strength west of the Rockies, adding to our significant presence in California and Hawaii.”
