Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (PPAI 109381, D14) has acquired German distributor ipm|gruppe, broadening the company’s service offerings in Europe and building out its global reach and capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition reflects BDA’s continued growth. In 2022, it acquired Dallas-based innovations agency Idea Planet.

Benefits Of The Deal

BDA, headquartered in Woodinville, Washington, and No. 12 on PPAI 100’s ranking of the industry’s top distributors, already operates in Europe, with offices in France and the UK.

  • In December 2021, it opened a new distribution and fulfillment center in Amsterdam.
  • The creation of BDA Germany provides a secondary distribution facility within the region.

For BDA clients, the addition of ipm|gruppe immediately creates a seamless gateway into the German marketplace. Across Europe, the promotional products industry represents a €15 billion ($16.4 billion) opportunity with a healthy appetite for creative, high-quality products.

ipm|gruppe services medium to large enterprise clients with extensive reach across Europe.

  • The company’s extensive roster of long-standing, highly respected client relationships includes WÜRTH, TÜV SÜD, Linde MH, UPS, and Skoda and DACHSER, among others.
  • The deal gives ipm|gruppe clients access to more than 50 BDA locations in North America.
  • The German company’s customers can also now take advantage of a global supply chain network’s merchandise capabilities, complete campaign development and fulfillment, and four decades of experience servicing brands like Major League Baseball, Johnson & Johnson, The Home Depot, NBC and Mercedes Benz.

What They’re Saying

“Expanding our creative, manufacturing and distribution capabilities in Germany with a leader like ipm|gruppe will elevate our merchandise programs to new levels,” says Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of BDA. “The combination of our client rosters and deeply rooted expertise in the art of full service merchandise programs will add tremendous value and resources to customers in Germany and worldwide.

“When I first met Peter and Tino, we instantly knew this partnership would change the landscape for our collective clients who want the best provider. Our combined forces now make us the largest merchandising group in Germany; together with the tremendous ipm|gruppe team, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.”

ipm|gruppe, headquartered outside of Munich in Kissing, Germany, has a total of three offices, a team of more than 40 people and is led by industry veterans Peter Beichel and Tino Gerstner.

“Joining forces with a proven market leader like BDA amplifies our commitment to world-class client service and provides a new opportunity for us to offer a full scope of capabilities in the U.S.,” says Beichel, co-managing director of ipm|gruppe. “With Jay and the BDA teams’ infectious energy and unparalleled expertise, we look forward to establishing BDA-Germany, delivering exceptional results to clients, and helping our new American friends navigate the European market and expand their brand awareness with perfectly engineered merchandise campaigns.”

Gerstner, co-managing director of ipm|gruppe, says, “This is a great fit for us, as well as our clients. Just last week, ipm I gruppe received the prestigious German TOP100 Innovator Award, proving our ability to deliver innovative and effective client solutions and showing our value for BDA’s future European operations.”