Hodges Badge acquires North Carolina ribbon and badge company

PORTSMOUTH – Hodges Badge Company Inc. has purchased a North Carolina ribbon and badge company for an undisclosed sum, taking over its customer list and manufacturing equipment.

Gary Q. Smith, Hodges’ director of marketing, said the acquisition of Southeast Ribbon and Badge in Roxboro, N.C., was completed two weeks ago, and is part of an expansion effort on the part of Hodges, a private, family-owned business.

“We’re in a growth mode,” Smith said in a recent interview. “We’re expanding our capabilities. Our forte has been award ribbons. Now we’re pretty much a full-service supplier of awards, medals, trophies. This is complementary with our growth plans basically.”

Smith said Hodges shuttered the North Carolina company, which he described as a “smaller company that we had known about” with compatible product lines.

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Southeast’s customer list and manufacturing equipment are being incorporated into Hodges’ business operations in Portsmouth, where it is headquartered, and Washington, Mo.

The nearly 100-year-old company employs 100 at its Portsmouth manufacturing facility and headquarters as well as 60 in Missouri.

To accommodate the company’s growth, plans are underway to relocate the Missouri plant to another site in Washington, nearly doubling its space to 80,000 square feet. That should be completed next year, Smith said, adding that more employees will be hired as well.

Smith said the company is looking at making another acquisition, but it is too soon to reveal details. He said the company has several niche markets and mails eight different product catalogs. Schools are a major customer, he said.

Horse shows were an early market for the company, according to Smith.

“Now we do dog shows, fairs, 4-H, swimming, gymnastics … we offer a full line of awards,” Hodges said.
The company does business nationally, and also sells its merchandise on the Internet.

“The key to this business is quality products and customer service – getting awards before the event. That’s why customers are so loyal. Even when the economy is kind of slow, people still have their events, their kids in swimming. It’s really about animals and kids. People love their animals and like to show them, and love their kids and like to have them in activities,” Smith said.
Jennifer Hodges, Hodges’ customer service director, said that Southeast Ribbon customers should expect a seamless transition to Hodges Badge.
Hodges Badge is the nation’s largest award-ribbon manufacturer, and also makes buttons, sashes and rosettes. It was founded in 1920 by William F. Hodges, great-grandfather of the present company president, Rick Hodges.

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