Distributor AIA Corporation (PPAI 101364) has announced the acquisition of OfficeZilla, a provider of financial, technical, sales, marketing and purchasing solutions for entrepreneurs who specialize in the distribution of office, breakroom and facilities maintenance products. The news was first reported in a PPB Newslink Breaking News alert this morning.
“The office supply and promotional product markets served by AIA and OfficeZilla are adjacent, serving like-minded customers in similar ways,” says Matt Gresge, CEO of AIA Corporation. “Because of the synergistic nature of both companies, this acquisition creates tremendous opportunity to grow the businesses of entrepreneurs at AIA and OfficeZilla by expanding their portfolios of competitively priced products.”
OfficeZilla President Susan Mintmire adds, “We’re thrilled to join the AIA family and
leverage the organization’s long history of strong operational and financial success to further grow our dealers’ businesses. This is a natural fit given our shared commitment to the development of entrepreneurs, innovative technology and superior customer service.”
The acquisition allows AIA and OfficeZilla to support entrepreneurial business owners with new financial and operational tools. The combined operations will create expanded sales opportunities for AIA and OfficeZilla’s distributor community. OfficeZilla will remain in its Kennesaw, Georgia, headquarters and operate as a business unit of Neenah, Wisconsin-based AIA.
Speaking to PPB Newslink, Gresge discussed the similarities between the two companies that will simplify their integration going forward. He says, “OfficeZilla is essentially identical to AIA in terms of the services that it provides and way it is set up. It’s a matter of office versus promotional products. The structure, the technology and the tools to deliver those services are the same.”
“We’re seeing end buyers and consumers wanting more convenience and more choice,” says Gresge. “This acquisition allows us to broaden our offerings and services. It’s also bringing some great people onboard that will benefit AIA and OfficeZilla, and we love the technology they’ve built. It is a great platform, with customer and distributor tools we’ll build into AIA’s platform.”
Founded in 2012, OfficeZilla has 30 active franchisees and generated $6.1 million in sales in 2017. OfficeZilla has increased its revenue by 644 percent in the last three years, earning it a spot on the Inc. 5000 list in 2017. AIA has more than 300 independent distributors nationwide, over 3,000 suppliers and nearly 100 team members. In 2017, AIA grew its sales by nearly 2.5 percent and increased the size of its owner community by nearly 10 percent.
“Much of AIA’s growth this year can be attributed to a sharp focus on new technology and
digital solutions that provide a more seamless customer experience throughout the purchase process,” said Gresge. “OfficeZilla’s best-in-class technology and customer analytics will only serve to build on these efforts.”
