Sign-Zone, parent company of 2017 Counselor Supplier of the Year Showdown Displays (asi/87188), accelerated its expansion into Europe with an acquisition that closed April 30.

Minnesota-headquartered Sign-Zone said late Thursday that it acquired Nederweert, Netherlands-based Promic B.V. Display Systems, a designer and distributor of custom promotional displays. Terms of the deal were kept private.

John Bruellman, Sign-Zone/Showdown Displays.

According to Sign-Zone executives, Promic provides mobile presentation systems and supporting hardware for products such as retractable banners, beach flags, floor displays and banner stands. The acquisition emphasizes Sign-Zone’s commitment to provide wholesale and reseller partners with solutions on a global scale, executives said.

“We’re very excited to add the Promic brand to our family,” said John Bruellman, president and CEO of Sign-Zone. “Promic’s company culture, values and focus on impeccable service have established its reputation as a leading provider of display hardware in Europe. This makes them a perfect match for us, and we intend to enhance these capabilities even further.”

Going forward, Promic CEO Jim Oud will continue to run Promic, which will function as its own operating entity. Under Sign-Zone, the Netherlands company will expand its product offerings and introduce print services. Capabilities Promic already has in place will further bolster Sign-Zone’s solutions.

“This is a perfect fit strategically,” said Rick van den Wildenberg, founder and CSO of Promic. “The breadth of services we can provide to our customers will be simply unmatched.”

Promic is the second European firm that Sign-Zone has acquired in the last half-year. In October 2018, Sign-Zone bought Czech Republic-headquartered Jansen Display Group, which designs and manufactures customized poster systems, snap frames, poster boards, notice boards, sidewalk signage and digital displays. Jansen has additional locations in Germany, the U.K., Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.

While excited about growth opportunities in Europe, Bruellman has said that promo distributors in North America remain the company’s primary focus. “Showdown customers should continue to expect the same world-class experience for which we are known,” Bruellman has told Counselor, noting the supplier is deeply committed to the traditional supplier-distributor ad specialty industry model.

Chicago-based private equity firm Pfingsten Partners LLC backs Sign-Zone, which offers a portfolio of wide format, portable promotional signage and displays under the Showdown Displays, Victory Corps and Jansen brand names. Its main products include table covers, retractable banners, event tents, sail signs and floor displays.