The Broder name and its association with integrity and solid service began back in 1919 with Max and Louie Broder—brothers dedicated to wholesaling various dry goods and stylish haberdashery. In 1955, Jack Brode purchased this company and its good name, a name coincidentally very similar to his own. In the early 1970s, Jack Brode passed the company onto his son, Harold. Successfully interpreting a changing market, Harold guided the general wholesale company into the emerging imprintable sportswear industry.

Broder Bros. dedication to satisfying customers has earned the company numerous awards over the past ten years, such as top honors in Best Customer Service, Best Catalog, Best Selection, Best Delivery, and Best Overall Wholesaler in The National Customer Survey. In 1991, then CEO Harold Brode received the title of Michigan’s Entrepreneur of the Year and in 1997 Harold’s son and then company president, Michael Brode received the same honor.

Broder Bros. Co. has expanded at a strong and swift pace. In 1983, Broder Bros. Co. relocated from a building on Fort Street in Detroit that was used as a World War II draft board center to a 36,000 square foot facility in Oak Park, a suburb of Detroit. In 1989, Broder Bros. Co. moved to the 80,000 square foot facility in Plymouth, Michigan, the present location of Broder Bros. Co. headquarters. In 1991, Broder Bros. Co. opened the first branch location in Orlando, Florida. The Dallas branch opened in 1993, Albany opened in 1995, Fresno opened in 1997 and in 1999 Broder Bros. Co. opened the 6th location, a master Distribution Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2000, Broder Bros Co. became a part of Bain Capital, Inc., one of the nation’s leading private equity investment firms, with offices in Boston, London, New York and San Francisco. Founded in 1984, Bain Capital seeks out companies in a wide range of industries—including information, healthcare, consumer products and retailing—that are financially successful and very well-managed. Being chosen by Bain Capital is a direct reflection of our past achievements and future potential.

At the onset of Bain’s involvement, it was made clear to the industry that we would execute a strategy of growth to include future distribution locations and additional branded merchandise. In the fall of 2000, under the leadership of current CEO Vincent Tyra, Broder Bros. Co. began to fulfill this strategy with the joining of Broder Bros. Co. and St. Louis T’s. The St. Louis, Missouri branch joined the team as our 7th facility. In the summer of 2001, a merger with Full Line Distributors, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor, joined together two of the nation’s leading sportswear wholesalers. In the spring of 2002, Broder expanded even further by opening distribution centers in Charlotte, North Carolina and Louisville, Kentucky, bringing the number of locations to 14 in all.

Broder Bros. Co. continues to move forward as a multi-location distributor and the industry leader of imprinted sportswear.

The health of our employees is very important to us. For this reason, Broder Bros. Co. offers all full-time employees a flexible benefit program. Employees can select any, all, or none of the following:

Medical which includes Vision and Prescription Drug Insurance	Long Term Disability
Dental	401(k)
Vision	Flexible Spending Accounts–Health Care and Dependent Care
Home/Auto Insurance	Prepaid Legal Services

The following benefits are provided automatically by Broder Bros. Co. at no cost to the employee.

Life Insurance – term life insurance in the amount of one times annual salary to a maximum of $50,000.00
Time-off Benefits – After eligibility requirements are met, employees receive paid holidays. As well, employees accrue vacation and sick/personal time after their 90-day orientation period has been satisfied.
Merchandise Discount – Broder Bros. employees may purchase merchandise at a discounted price.
Employee Assistance Plan – Broder Bros. provides an effective program to assist employees and their families in resolving various problems such as marital or family distress, alcoholism, and drug abuse.