AALP merges with Western Shield

AALP, founded in 1995, is headquartered in Dublin, CA, with an additional manufacturing facility in Memphis, TN, specializing in premium flexo, digital, and offset labels, shrink sleeves, folding cartons, flexible packaging, and grand format signage. 

Western Shield has been providing labels and packaging for manufacturers, distributors, and brokers in Southern California and throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada since 1970. The company specializes in expanded content labels, instant redeemable coupons, and 10-color work. Western Shield has locations in Dallas, TX, Pasadena, TX, Mogadore, OH, and is headquartered in Rancho Dominguez, CA. 

Western Shield and AALP’s combined operations across California, Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee are ideally positioned to service customers nationwide.

‘AALP complements Western Shield in many ways,’ said Nizar Elias, chief executive officer at Western Shield. ‘AALP serves similar and adjacent end markets such as wine and spirits and will allow us to extend our manufacturing footprint into the Southeast. We are excited about this merger and our combined ability to provide even greater service and expertise to our combined customers.’

‘We are excited to join forces with the deep bench of wonderful and talented people at Western Shield. We have evaluated several opportunities in the market, and none had the kind of sales and operational synergies we see here,’ added Brad Brown, founder of AALP.

‘We were pleased to support AALP and Western Shield with this transformational merger,’ said Demetrios Dounis, managing director of Heartwood Partners. ‘The combination of these businesses makes tremendous sense and creates a number of ways for them to win. Our unique equity-rich capital structure resonated with the management teams and owners of both AALP and Western Shield. Moving forward, we anticipate the combined businesses will remain active acquirers in the pressure-sensitive labels space.’