2017
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Safeguard Completes Successful Sale of Former Company-Operated Business, Brand Advantage Group, a Safeguard Company Divestiture creates largest Safeguard distributor enterprise in the Midwestern U.S.
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Safeguard Business Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce that is has completed the sale of Minneapolis, Minn. based Brand Advantage Group, a Safeguard Company. Brand Advantage Group was created by Safeguard following its 2014 acquisitions of MHC and QBF. Both companies were recognized leaders in integrated marketing, supply chain management and brand execution across the United States. Since the creation of the Brand Advantage Group, Safeguard had been operating the business through its company-operated division, under the guidance and management of former QBF executives David Daoust and Tom Lyngdal. Safeguard sold the business to a new company entity created by Daoust and Lyngdal, who will now lead the Brand Advantage Group by Safeguard enterprise as an independently-operated distributorship within the Safeguard network.
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Daoust, who serves as the new company‘s CEO, and Lyngdal, its CFO, have worked together within the industry for more than two decades – starting while the company was run by founder Tom Hoerr. Lyngdal worked for General Mills in their management training program before joining the then start-up printing and promotional company, QBF, in 1987. Daoust entered the printing and promotional industry immediately after college, joining Uarco in the sales division and transitioning to sales management at a Minnesota manufacturer. The transition proved lucrative, introducing him to what had become one of the industry‘s leading companies, QBF. The two were eager to combine their years of industry knowledge to form Brand Advantage Group – but not at the expense of their valued employees. |
“I think the success of a business depends on the strength of its relationships–both internal and external. Many of our tenured employees have built strong relationships with clients and customers, so through this transition, it was very important for Tom and I to keep our families together,” said Daoust. “Following the transaction, we were able to keep everyone, which I think can be attributed to our employees clearly understanding that we had their best interests in mind. The whole group was willing to pull in the same direction, giving us the opportunity to fully integrate under Brand Advantage Group.” |
By focusing on superior customer service, the talent at Brand Advantage Group has provided market-leading expertise in key areas including sourcing, purchasing, distributing customers‘ branded print, email, apparel and promotional items to businesses throughout the Midwestern U.S. |
“We made a conscious effort about 10 years ago to start moving away from traditional print while honing in on marketing because we knew that was the future of the industry,” said Lyngdal. “We‘ve always talked about the idea that print and promotional tactics need to be interlaced with technology as the driving force in today‘s world. That forward-thinking mentality has allowed us to stay ahead of the competition and survive through decades of change.” |
The acquisitions of MHC and QBF to form Brand Advantage Group by Safeguard, and the recent divestiture of the enterprise to Daoust and Lyngdal were completed by Safeguard‘s Business Acquisitions & Mergers (BAM) Team. With more than 100 years of collective experience in franchising, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, the BAM Team has completed more than 150 strategic transactions since 2008. For its work in helping drive company and distributor growth through the completion of strategic transactions, the BAM team was recently honored as a Stevie® Award winner for “Best Support Team” of 2017. In 2014, the Safeguard BAM team was also recognized as a “Dealmaker of the Year” award winner by Franchise Times® magazine. |
In addition to Brand Advantage Group by Safeguard, the BAM team completed the divestiture of Long Island-based print and promotional company L.A.M. Enterprises, Inc. L.A.M. was also operated as a company-operated business following its acquisition in 2016. In March of this year, the business was sold to Canadian Safeguard distributors Ian Barrie and Mike Gommerman, who will operate the L.A.M. business as a Safeguard distributor enterprise. |
“(Daoust and Lyndgal) have been ambassadors of the Safeguard brand since they first joined the company as employees following our acquisition of QBF,” R. Scott Sutton, Vice President at Safeguard and leader of the BAM team. “Both had a dream of business ownership...of creating their own destiny and supporting the livelihoods of the talented team members that make up Brand Advantage. The BAM team is humbled and excited to have had a hand in helping their dreams come true.” |
ABOUT SAFEGUARD
For more than 60 years, Safeguard, through its network of distributors, has been providing the products, services and expertise needed by business owners to help their businesses grow. Through innovation, dedication and a commitment to quality and integrity, Safeguard has transformed itself from a small check printing business to a fully diversified business solutions enterprise. To learn more about Safeguard, please visit www.gosafeguard.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/safeguardgrowth.
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ABOUT SAFEGUARD BAM
Since 2008, Safeguard‘s award-winning Business Acquisitions and Mergers (BAM) Team has been providing growth-focused merger, acquisition and divestiture services to Safeguard, its affiliates, distributors and franchisees across multiple business channels. With more than 100 years of collective experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business strategy and financial performance assessment, the BAM Team possesses the “know how” needed to complete complex transactions in ways that are efficient, effective and rewarding for sellers and buyers alike. The BAM team has completed more than 150 total transactions since its inception, earning accolades at the highest levels, including a bronze Stevie® American Business Award as Support Team of the Year and a coveted Dealmaker of the Year award, presented by Franchise Times® Magazine. To learn more about the BAM Team, please visit safeguardbam.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/safeguardgrowth.
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