Whitestone Branding Announces Second Acquisition in as Many Weeks

Joseph Sommer, Whitestone Branding

Make it two announced acquisitions in two weeks for New York City-headquartered Whitestone Branding (asi/359741).

The Counselor 2024 Best Place to Work said Monday, July 15, that it has acquired Design Like Whoa (asi/179554), a multimillion-dollar promotional products distributorship founded in San Francisco. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Whitestone is projecting more than $20 million in 2024 revenue, company President Joseph Sommer told ASI Media in announcing last week’s acquisition of Ontario-based Merchful (asi/267634).

Executives said Design Like Whoa’s integration into Whitestone is effective immediately. Sommer noted that Whitestone is gaining talented and experienced professionals from the firm, as well as an “impressive client roster.”

Design Like Whoa Founder Gemma Burbach, who started the company in 2011, is joining Whitestone as director of growth. She’s pumped for the partnership.

“Not only does Whitestone offer ample growth opportunities for our team, but our cultures and values are incredibly aligned,” Burbach said. “We have some amazing relationships, and I know they will benefit from Whitestone’s expertise and resources.”

Sommer expressed similar sentiments. “I’ve known Gemma and her leadership team for several years,” he said. “When she shared that she was ready to transition the business on, I immediately knew we would be a great fit for one another because of our shared passion for the business and approach and philosophy toward how we service our customers.”

Sommer is keen to keep the acquisition momentum going; Whitestone wants to acquire seven to 10 companies over the next decade. “We’re active in the market and are always looking to meet with owners who are thinking about finding new homes for their business,” said Sommer.

In announcing the Merchful acquisition last week, Sommer noted that the deal expands Whitestone’s footprint to Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Founded in 2013, Whitestone ranked first in the medium-sized company category and second overall on Counselor’s 2024 list of the Best Places to Work. Employees said the three words that best describe the distributorship are “innovative,” “creative” and “collaborative.”

Mergers and acquisitions in the promotional products industry trailed off in the latter half of 2023, but deal-making has picked up again in 2024. Other notable recent acquisitions include Maine-headquartered Counselor Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900) expanding its presence in Germany through the acquisition of a distributor based there.