National company acquires Sarasota marketing firm

Sarasota-based Links Marketing Group has been acquired by a national firm as the owner heads into retirement. 

Links was founded in 1996 by Kent Kleist. During that time, Kleist’s business grew an extensive portfolio of clients including PGA, LPGA and Senior PGA tour events, according to a statement. 

Grossman Marketing Group, a Massachusetts firm that handles promotional products, printing, graphic design, e-commerce and distribution acquired Links. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.  

“At this point in my career, I’m ready to transition into retirement, but also want to put my clients in the hands of successful experts,” Kleist says in the release, adding that he’s known the Grossman Marketing Group team for many years, which lends to his confidence regarding the acquisition decision. 

Grossman Marketing Group is a fourth-generation family-owned and -operated business, the release states. Some of its well-known clients include the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Columbia and Harvard universities, L.L. Bean, CVS and Hewlett-Packard. 

In an email exchange with the Business Observer, Ben Grossman, president of Grossman Marketing Group, says the acquisition’s purpose was to allow Kleist to retire while ensuring his clients were left with a “reliable and robust team” that offers more capabilities, namely graphic design and e-commerce services. 

As for Grossman Marketing Group, he says, “We expect this acquisition to help us expand our footprint in Florida, which is one of the most rapidly-growing areas in the country. We had success with our 2019 acquisition of Suncoast Print Solutions, also of Sarasota, and we were excited at the opportunity to invest more deeply in the region.”