heo Group has acquired PBM Express B.V., a toy and games distributor located in the Netherlands, the company announced.

PBM Express B.V. began as a play-by-mail service in 1989, and moved on to become a distributor of TCGs and other games in the mid-90s. The company, now a major player in the European licensed collectibles, toys, and games scene, has over 5,000 business-to-business customers. PBM Express B.V. will soon be integrated with heo Group to help position them for the future of the EMEA markets.

"It is our responsibility to develop the next level of services for our customers and partners, and we want them to benefit from our innovations.  This is key to joint future success, but requires appropriately designed capacity and infrastructure," says Ulrich Dudenhoeffer, CEO of heo Group. "Therefore, the timing of PBM Express joining heo could not be better."

The strategic acquisition provides heo Group with new distribution solutions for their products in EMEA.  It also sets them apart in the European market as an even larger conglomerate with a distribution arm that handles games and toys beyond their own product lines.  This deal also considerably expands their service portfolio.

heo Group also recently announced that they have hired Stefan Hansson as their new Creative Director of their Ultimate Guard studio (see "People on the Move").