First announced on Friday in a PPB Newslink Breaking News alert, IMAGEN Brands, parent company of suppliers Crown Products (PPAI 113430) and Vitronic (PPAI 114197), has entered into a new partnership with Portland, Oregon, supplier ShedRain (PPAI 112963) as part of its continued expansion strategy. IMAGEN Brands is now the exclusive supplier of all ShedRain products in the promotional products industry; it will no longer supply any other brands of rainwear.

"Shedrain is an umbrella brand with a global retail presence who recognized that IMAGEN Brands is known as a successful brand champion in the promotional products industry," said Paul Lage MAS, president of IMAGEN Brands, in a statement. "We are excited that we could create this strong partnership with a company that shares the same standards and values. Our customers will be the true beneficiaries of this relationship for years to come."

IMAGEN Brands will assume all sales, marketing and decorating of ShedRain products and will move production to Missouri to create more centralized distribution with shorter delivery times nationwide.
In a conversation later with PPB Newslink, Lage added, "IMAGEN Brands has enjoyed the success of our partnerships with some of the best brands in the industry. ShedRain is the best in the rainwear category. They have 70 years of experience and have been recognized as the leader in retail. They are innovative and the trendsetter in the market. The combination of our decorating capabilities and 24-hour service and their products—it feels like the right combination."

Jeff Blauer, president of ShedRain, said, "As ShedRain's business grows at the fastest pace in our company's 70-year history, we were looking for a new partner that could help us continue our growth to existing customers and reach out to new ones. Combining our leading retail brand and superior product with IMAGEN Brands' reputation for excellent service, 24-hour lead-times, and their ideal shipping point right in the heart of the country in Doniphan, Missouri, it is the perfect partnership with two industry leaders and is the foundation for future success in this ever-changing industry."