CKN is an all Canadian National Sales and Marketing Company covering all classes of trade. CKN is structured with separate Grocery and Pharmacy divisions to service the specialized needs of Grocery / OTC-HBA products. CKN also operates a Buy/Sell division that takes possession of certain products, distributes, and invoices the customers directly.

CKN is one of the largest Sales and Marketing agencies in Canada, furthering ASM’s position as the largest Sales & Marketing agency in North America. This acquisition will allow ASM to offer their customers and clients the largest array of selling, merchandising, and promotional marketing services available in North America. Additionally this transaction supports ASM’s objective of following all major international customer flows. The CKN division of ASM Canada, Inc. will operate under the name “Advantage CKN.”

With the acquisition, ASM will be retaining the industry expertise of Henry Gerstel, President; Milt Dobson, EVP Grocery; Rick Moore, EVP Pharmacy and the CKN existing management team/associates who have been key to this company’s success. In addition, Don Crombie, the founder and leader of CKN since 1977 will serve as Chairman Emeritus providing advice and counsel to senior management. Operations for Advantage CKN are headquartered in Toronto, Canada and supported by fully connected regional offices in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

About Advantage Sales & Marketing
Advantage Sales & Marketing provides sales, marketing, and merchandising services to retailers and manufacturers of consumer products in Canada and the United States. ASM, formed in California in 1997, is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Creating a seamless extension of its clients’ sales and marketing team, Campaigners specializes in product demonstrations, events and promotions, sales force training, mobile marketing, sales incentive programs, market research, sampling, consumer surveys and more. Campaigners has boosted brand awareness, indisputable ROI, and dramatic improvement in category leadership and market share for its clients.

Campaigners has developed and launched hundreds of successful campaigns for such Fortune 1000 companies as Fujifilm, Intel, Samsung and LG Electronics, driving more than $1 billion in retail sales. This acquisition rounds out ASM Marketing Services’ comprehensive marketing and promotions offerings and is consistent with ASM’s growth strategy which includes expansion of its marketing businesses into the Consumer Electronics space.

Campaigners will continue to be managed by its existing management team led by Melissa Orr and will operate as a division of ASM Marketing Services. Melissa will report to Tanya Domier, President of ASM Marketing Services.

This acquisition further strengthens ASM’s commitment to the Natural, Specialty and Ethnic class of trade and contributes to ASM’s national growth strategy.

With this acquisition, ASM is excited to be retaining the industry expertise of Bruce Nierenberg and his existing management team to include Bill O’Connell and Frank Calafiura along with other B.I.N. associates who have been key to this company’s success. Bruce will report to Scott Presnall, National Client Team Director of Natural/Specialty/Ethnic.

With over 30 years of combined leadership experience in the hardware and home improvement industry, Sigma continues to successfully compete in a changing market by offering strong corporate relationships, resources, and solid operational execution in the stores. Sigma is currently structured to provide The Home Depot stores in the Southeast region In-Store Service (ISS) continuity service, monthly projects, and surveys in the fashion plumbing department (D29).

In addition, Sigma provides construction support for The Home Depot stores in the region with new store setups, vendor resets, store remodels, and capital projects. Sigma will continue to maintain its offices in Norcross, GA, and has facilities in Georgia and Florida for warehousing and display work.

This acquisition further builds ASM’s commitment to the Home Center business and is a part of ASM’s vision and growth strategy to expand its home center capabilities nationally.

Frank Wicker, John Jeffries and Ray Bergman will continue to lead the Southeast service team and will report to Todd Baird, ASM’s Vice President, Home Center.

Try-Foods provides quality and innovative retail grocery programs that generate sales and increase consumer awareness. The company specializes in recipe dissemination programs, health & wellness initiatives, food safety education, employee training manuals, ethnic marketing campaigns and custom published magazines, cookbooks, calendars, and themed booklets. This acquisition rounds out ASM Marketing Services’ comprehensive marketing and promotions offerings and is consistent with ASM’s growth strategy which includes expansion of its marketing businesses.

Try-Foods will continue to be managed by its existing management team led by Harry Rozelle and will operate as a division of ASM Marketing Services. Harry will report to Tanya Domier, President of Marketing Services.

Founded in 1993 and based in Santa Ana, California, Marketration is an Integrated Field Marketing company that executes nationwide promotional events and marketing efforts for a broad array of clients and hundreds of well-known CPG brands. Marketration’s core services include Event Marketing, Retail Store Front Promotions, Mobile Marketing, Grassroots/Intercept Sampling, Hispanic Field Marketing, Image Design & Production, Promotional Products, and Asset Management.

Marketration will continue to be managed by its existing management team led by Brian Clausman and will operate as a division of IN. Brian will report to Tanya Domier, President of IN.

Advantage identified expansion of its specialty and natural business as a strategic growth priority. SWB’s client base and relationships with key natural foods retailers and distributors are important to Advantage’s achievement of its growth objective.

“Southwest Brokerage is the leading sales and marketing agency focused on the natural products industry in the Southwest,” saidScott Presnall, National Director of Advantage’s Specialty/Natural Sales Division. “Advantage is proud to have them as a part of the premier specialty/natural sales agency in the country.”

“We look forward to bringing new relationships and clients to Advantage,” said SWB founders Anita Tschurr and Donna Williams. “It’s an exciting evolution for us after many years of serving our customers and friends.”

Superfridge is a Connecticut based organization established in 1988, In-Store Opportunities, Inc (f/k/a Superbin USA) runs the SUPERFRIDGE program, currently available in 2,700 stores covering more than 50 markets.  SUPERFRIDGE was created to provide frozen and refrigerated brands with a point of purchase event combining three key marketing elements – advertising, off-shelf display, and dedicated merchandising support – maximizing brand sales through increased in-store visibility.