Ideal Images buys fellow Omaha distributor Image Market, built on a 40-year friendship
What's the deal? Omaha-based distributor Ideal ImagesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired local promotional apparel company Image MarketDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, uniting two firms founded by longtime industry colleagues Pete McCann and Kelly Loneman. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Who's involved? McCann founded Ideal Images 28 years ago; it distributes branded apparel, promotional products, and company stores. Loneman started Image Market in 1989, and it now handles screen printing and embroidery on T-shirts, hoodies, and activewear across all 50 states.
Why now? The two first met while working at an Omaha sporting goods store in the mid-1980s. Loneman said he wanted a home that shared his standards: "As we looked to the future, it was important to find a company that shared our commitment to quality and remarkable customer service."
What changes? Not much on the surface. Image Market's name, identity, and focus on school clubs, bands, choirs, and activity groups will stay. "One of the things Image Market does better than anyone is designing for groups that often get overlooked," McCann said.
What about staff? Loneman will step down after the transition to pursue ventures outside the promo industry. More than half of Image Market's employees accepted roles across various departments at Ideal Images, which is now led by second-generation family leadership.
The signal: The deal is another example of consolidation among regional promotional-product distributors, where established founders sell to peers that share their customer base and values rather than to outside buyers.
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Image credit: Image Market
