Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) and Meridian Capital LLC  announced the merger of Jacob Ash Holdings (Jacob Ash) with Emanuel Geraldo Accessories (Emanuel Geraldo).  In connection with the transaction, BGL and Meridian partnered to serve as the exclusive advisor to the shareholders of Emanuel Geraldo.

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, Jacob Ash is a turnkey provider of attractively designed winter apparel accessories including gloves, headwear, and related products primarily catering to the men's and children's markets.  The company's products are merchandised under private label brands of its customers as well as Jacob Ash-owned brands and marketed to a diverse, blue chip roster of retailers.

Emanuel Geraldo, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Montreal, is a premier supplier of fashion-oriented winter apparel accessories for young women and girls.  The company designs, sources, and merchandises an extensive line of scarves, hats, headbands, gloves, and mittens.  Emanuel Geraldo has strong sourcing and quality control capabilities through its representative office located in Hangzhou, China.

The merger represents a strategic investment for Jacob Ash that greatly enhances its product line, distribution, and sourcing capabilities, expands its geographic reach, and provides for cross-selling opportunities.

Key members of the Emanuel Geraldo management team will remain in their current roles and the original shareholders of Emanuel Geraldo will maintain an ownership position in the combined entity.

Brian Murphy, managing director at Meridian Capital, commented, "We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with the shareholders of Emanuel Geraldo.  Jacob Ash is the ideal partner for Emanuel Geraldo.  The combined operation will provide an unmatched solution to retailers seeking a single-source product and merchandising solution for the apparel accessories category."  John Tilson, managing director and head of BGL's Consumer team, added, "Rarely have we seen two companies that fit 'hand in glove' in so many aspects like the combination of Jacob Ash and Emanuel Geraldo, and we look forward to working with the combined team in the future."

Brown Gibbons Lang and Meridian Capital are both members of Global M&A Partners Ltd., a leading international partnership of investment banking firms.  Global M&A Partners has 34 members and provides unparalleled middle market investment banking services to clients in over 50 countries.