GR Promotions Merges With The Vernon Co.
Vol. 879 
December 27, 2011

MN-based distributor GR Promotions (formerly asi/200051) has merged its operations with Counselor Top 40 distributor The Vernon Company (asi/351700). Under terms of the agreement, owners Ray and Jennifer Crowder and their employees will continue to maintain the GR Promotions corporate identity, while now representing The Vernon Company. Vernon will assume all administrative operations, including product research, order processing, invoicing and collections, as well as providing marketing support.

"We are very pleased to add the GR Promotions team to our existing group of account executives in the Minnesota region," said Dave Regan, vice president of sales for The Vernon Company. "By utilizing Vernon's full support system we are confident that they will be able to focus their efforts on what they like to do best – selling. This is definitely a win-win situation for us both."

Jennifer Crowder, one of the owners of GR Promotions, said that merging with The Vernon Company was the right move at this time for her company. "In the past, we had been contacted by other large distributors to join their company," Crowder said. "Each time, after doing our due diligence, we didn't feel it was an appropriate fit for us. After a visit to Vernon and meeting their support staff we found that it was indeed a great fit for us."

The Vernon Company is a fourth-generation family business that was founded in 1902. It ranks as the 25th-largest distributor in the industry, with more than $58 million in annual North American ad specialty sales.