Advantage Solutions

About Advantage Solutions

In 1987, Sonny King started a regional sales and marketing agency in Southern California with a vision to provide exceptional service and customized solutions for consumer goods companies. This was the beginning of Advantage Solutions, a company built to act as the crucial link between the brands people buy and the retailers where they shop. The core business was straightforward: provide an outsourced salesforce and marketing team to help manufacturers get their products on shelves and into the hands of consumers. The company's growth was fueled by an aggressive acquisition strategy, rolling up regional brokerage firms to build a national footprint. A major turning point came in 2014 when private equity firms, including Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners, made a significant investment, enabling even more expansion. This capital allowed Advantage to acquire dozens of companies, broadening its services from in-store merchandising and sales to digital marketing, data analytics, and e-commerce channel management. After initially filing for a traditional IPO in 2017, the company took a different path to the public markets. In 2020, Advantage Solutions went public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp. This event valued the company at approximately $5.2 billion and listed it on the Nasdaq, providing access to public capital while navigating a complex market. Today, Advantage Solutions operates as a key partner for thousands of brands and retailers, managing everything from shelf placement to online advertising.