Premier Press (asi/298581) is growing.

Since 2020, the Portland, OR-based company has increased its headcount by 50 employees to 200 total and invested more than $4 million in equipment.

Now, the provider of print, promo, packaging and fulfillment solutions said it’s taking the next step in its evolution with the acquisition of KG Specialties, a promotional products distributor also based in Portland. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

KG Specialties President Kyle Gibson is joining Premier as director of promotional merchandise. All KG Specialties employees are scheduled to transition to Premier’s facilities, company leaders said.

“Anybody can buy equipment, but it’s the people who run the equipment – their expertise and their professionalism – that truly matters,” said Manuel Saez, vice president of Premier. “Premier and KG Specialties have decades of experience serving clients and a deep commitment to our craft, and we could not be more thrilled to join forces. As an integrated team, we can help more clients achieve their creative vision and deliver high-quality services that exceed expectations.”

Beyond hard good promotional products and custom branded apparel, Premier Press offers services that include digital printing, large format printing, direct mail, retail graphics production, the creation of branded environments/spaces, project management, logistics and fulfillment. The company is nearing its 50^th anniversary (2024).

In business for about 30 years, KG Specialties delivers promo solutions and has provided in-house embroidery, screen printing and heat transfer services. All the capabilities of both businesses are now offered through the combined company.

“Numerous firms have approached us throughout the years with proposals, and we consistently declined,” said Gibson. “When Premier Press came to us, however, it felt different. Premier has a culture and mentality that aligns perfectly with KG Specialties: a community of family and driven individuals with a focus on building a great company for the future. We are excited to be part of a larger team that can provide our existing clients and Premiers’ with considerably more.”

Privately held and woman-owned, Premier Press was named the 2015 Oregon Manufacturer of the Year by the Portland Business Journal. The firm says it is carbon-neutral, wind-powered and Sustainable Green Printing Partnership-certified. Clients have included Meta and Gatorade. For the latter, Premier Press created custom gift packages that were sent as “thank you’s” to world-class athletes Candace Parker and Bryce Harper.