The company was founded by Dick Nelson as Nelson Marketing in Logansport, Indiana in 1985.[10] It was acquired by Bemrose Corporation in 1996.[10] In 2000, Bemrose Corporation exited the paper products business[11] and changed its name to 4imprint Group plc.[10] Its North America division was renamed 4imprint Inc.[12]
In 2003, Hanover Investors, a private equity firm, purchased over 25% of 4imprint over the course of a month.[13] They led a shareholder rebellion, and shareholders called for the removal of all non-executive directors after talks between 4imprint and Hanover Investors broke down.[14]
4imprint established a distribution center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2009.[15] In 2012, it sold Kreyer Promotion Service GmbH and Brand Addition Limited to European affiliate companies of H.I.G. Capital for £24 million.[16]
In January 2015, the company announced an expansion of its Oshkosh operations, with plans to add 150 employees over three years. The company pledged to spend $10.8 million to expand its North American headquarters in Oshkosh by 25,000 square feet, and double its distribution center on the west side of the city with a 100,000 square foot addition.[17][15] The State of Wisconsin, through its Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, authorized 4imprint to get up to $1 million in state tax credits, dependent upon the number of jobs created through the expansion.[18]
Kevin Lyons-Tarr became CEO of 4imprint in March 2015.[19]
Operations
Although headquartered in London, 97% of 4imprint's business is in the United States and Canada.[20]
^Miller, Paul (February 2001). "4imprint Makes an Impression with Samples". Catalog Age. Vol. 18, no. 2. New York: Penton Media. p. 18. Retrieved 9 May 2019 – via EBSCO's Business Source Complete. 4imprint sends thousands of types of samples, Iott says, including pens, mouse pads, and travel cups - all imprinted or embossed with the 4imprint logo, phone number, and address.
