Gordon Brothers Group Acquires Blast-Off Brands, Appoints Founder, Ramez Toubassy, as President of Brands Division

BOSTON, May 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm announced today that it has acquired Blast–Off Brands, the Los Angeles-based licensing and branding company. Blast-Off Brands co-founder, Ramez Toubassy, will join Gordon Brothers as President of the Brands Division and the rest of the Blast–Off Brands team will take on senior leadership positions on both the creative and licensing sides of the business. The transaction strategically bolsters the firm's Brands Division and serves as the foundation for its next generation brand investment platform.

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"While Gordon Brothers has been very active in the brands space for years, we saw a unique opportunity in acquiring Blast–Off Brands to bring even deeper brand building and licensing capabilities in-house," said Kenneth Frieze, CEO of Gordon Brothers Group. "In so doing, we will have the most robust, end-to-end middle-market brand platform in the market with the unique flexibility to work alone or with strategic partners," he added.

Since founding the company in 2014, the Blast–Off Brands team has established a reputation for providing a unique mix of art and science to licensing clients such as the Life is Good lifestyle brand. Prior to Blast–Off Brands, the same team pioneered a hands-on and integrated branding and licensing approach with dozens of high-profile brands over the course of more than a decade at leading licensing agency, Brand Sense Partners.

The team's branding and licensing skill-sets will serve to complement the existing capabilities of Gordon Brothers Group. For over a century, the firm has been a leader in hard asset management, recovery and valuation, and has applied those same principles to intellectual property. Gordon Brothers Group leverages its intimate knowledge of consumer markets, sourcing, marketing and retailing to maximize brand values. Notable past brand acquisitions include Polaroid, Coby Electronics, Linens 'N Things, Bombay & Company and The Sharper Image.

"We couldn't be more excited to be joining the Gordon Brothers family," said Ramez Toubassy, President of Gordon Brothers Group's Brands Division. "The landscape in the consumer brand space is rapidly changing and the breadth and depth of operational capabilities resulting from this marriage will be the critical and differentiating ingredient for successfully acquiring, developing and operating brands well into the future. By combining forces, we will be able to seamlessly invest in, lend to and consult to all manner of consumer brands on a global basis, specifically tailoring our approach to each unique situation."

The new team will oversee Gordon Brothers Group's existing consumer brands portfolio including collaborating with the management team of Polaroid to grow the brand and to pursue additional brand investments that complement that business. Toubassy and the Brands team will also support the valuation practice within Gordon Brothers with market perspective and licensing expertise, as well as coordinate with Gordon Brothers Finance Company, the firm's middle-market debt investment partner, to provide underwriting expertise on intellectual property loans. Rafa Klotz, a founding member of Gordon Brothers' Brands Division, has been promoted to spearhead the firm's international growth and will continue to advise and support the Brands Division.

About Gordon Brothers Group
Founded in 1903, Gordon Brothers Group (www.gordonbrothers.com) is a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors. Gordon Brothers Group maximizes value for both healthy and distressed companies by purchasing or selling all categories of assets, mitigating leases, appraising assets and operating businesses for extended periods. Gordon Brothers Group conducts over $70 billion worth of transactions and appraisals annually. As of November 2014, debt financing is provided by Gordon Brothers Finance Company (www.gbfinco.com).