The Distributor Exchange completes acquisition of Flywheel Brands

iPROMOTEu announced that The Distributor Exchange (DX), a division of iPROMOTEu, has completed the acquisition of Flywheel Brands, a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based merchandising, print, and e-commerce platform serving enterprise and multi-location customers across the United States. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established by iPROMOTEu in 2021, The Distributor Exchange provides succession and exit solutions for iPROMOTEu Affiliates and promotional products distributors throughout the industry who are planning to step back or sell their business.

“DX was built to give iPROMOTEu Affiliates and other independent distributors a trusted partner as they plan for the future of their business, whether that means an exit or a next chapter,” said Lori Bauer, CEO of iPROMOTEu. “Flywheel brings an outstanding leadership team, deep print production expertise, and a culture that reflects iPROMOTEu’s values of integrity, performance, and putting the customer first.”

Founded in 1981, Flywheel provides custom merchandise, branded apparel, in-house print production, decoration, and fulfillment services, along with integrated warehousing and multi-location distribution.

Flywheel will continue to operate under its established name and brand, led by Bart Simpson, who will continue to serve as president. Jay Simpson, Flywheel’s CEO, will remain with the organization as a senior advisor and sales coach, drawing on decades in the print industry to support the broader iPROMOTEu network.

The acquisition of Flywheel brings additional in-house print experience and MerchButler.ai, an AI-powered platform, into the iPROMOTEu ecosystem — resources that will immediately benefit the independent iPROMOTEu Affiliate network, giving them new competitive tools to scale and grow their own businesses.

“Every DX acquisition strengthens what we can offer to our Affiliate network and distributors looking for the right next step for their business legacy,” said Bauer. “Flywheel’s command of print and fulfillment, paired with innovative tools like MerchButler.ai, gives our affiliates new ways to compete and grow, which is always our goal. Bringing the experienced and dedicated team at Flywheel under the iPROMOTEu umbrella was an easy yet strategic decision that is a win-win for everyone involved.”