The Gerson Companies
The Gerson Companies is a family-owned Olathe, Kansas-based import and wholesale distributor that supplies home décor, gifts, LED lighting, and seasonal merchandise to independent and regional retailers across North America via year-round stocking and a Book-and-Buy seasonal program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1942
- HeadquartersOlathe, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Gerson Companies does
The Gerson Companies is a privately held, family-owned import and wholesale distribution company headquartered in Olathe, Kansas, that supplies home décor, gifts, and seasonal merchandise to retail stores across North America. Operations are organized into two divisions: Gerson Everyday™, which stocks year-round replenishment products across sub-brands such as Everlasting Glow® (LED lighting and illumaflame™ flameless candles), Lone Elm Studios®, The GG Collection®, Garden Meadow® (solar lighting), Sterling® Trees, Teters®/Universal SunRay™ (memorial), Christmas by Krebs, and Lone Elm Candle Company; and Gerson International™ (GIL), which runs a Book-and-Buy seasonal program for Fall/Holiday and Spring/Summer merchandise pre-booked with retailers approximately six months in advance, with over 70% new SKUs each season.
The company manufactures primarily via overseas factories and supports product development through sourcing offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with final distribution from a 500,000+ sq. ft. centralized facility in Olathe. Commercial reach is built around a sales-led B2B wholesale motion: dedicated sales representatives, permanent showrooms in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Atlanta, scheduled trade-show participation, a verified-retailer B2B e-commerce portal (Shop Gerson), a drop-ship program (G-Commerce), and a proprietary data-driven buying tool called Oscar AI. Revenue is generated through wholesale unit pricing with order minimums of $250 (Everyday) and $500 (seasonal), a proprietary flat-rate shipping program (10–18% of order total), and international orders requiring a 50% deposit. The customer base spans independent gift shops, hardware stores, grocery chains, and specialty retailers, served across the US and Canada.
The Gerson Companies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Gerson Companies
- Legal name
- The Gerson Companies, Inc.
- Website
- https://gersoncompany.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1942
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Gerson Companies is a family-owned Olathe, Kansas-based import and wholesale distributor that supplies home décor, gifts, LED lighting, and seasonal merchandise to independent and regional retailers across North America via year-round stocking and a Book-and-Buy seasonal program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Gerson Companies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Home Décor & Seasonal Merchandise Distribution
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Crafts & DIY Hobby Supplies Distribution (CRAOAMAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Seasonal & Holiday Craft Supplies Retail (CRALACAI), Seasonal & Occasion Specialty Department Stores (Holiday/Party) (CRAGAGAJ), Greeting Cards, Wrap & Party Supplies Retail (CRALAJAE), Personalized, Custom & Monogrammed Gifts Retail (CRALAJAC)
Keywords
Where The Gerson Companies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Olathe
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
The Gerson Companies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale B2B Product Sales: The Gerson Companies generates revenue through wholesale B2B sales of home décor, seasonal, and gift products to retail stores across North America. Products are sold through two divisions: Gerson Everyday (year-round stocked products) and Gerson International (seasonal Book-and-Buy pre-booked products). The company imports products manufactured overseas and distributes from its Kansas distribution center.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Gerson International Seasonal Orders - $500 minimum |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gerson Everyday Orders - $250 minimum per ship date |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Flat Rate Shipping (10-18% of order total) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Gerson Companies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Gerson Companies is a privately held import and wholesale distribution company that supplies home décor, gift, LED lighting, candle, outdoor solar lighting, Christmas tree, ornament, and seasonal merchandise to retail stores across North America. The business operates through two divisions—Gerson Everyday™ for year-round stocked replenishment and Gerson International™ (GIL) for pre-booked seasonal programs—and supports buyers with the Oscar AI market intelligence tool.
Product overview
The Gerson Companies is a product development, import, and distribution company for seasonal, everyday, and home décor products organized into two main divisions. The Gerson Everyday™ division offers year-round products including Everlasting Glow® (LED lighting and flameless candles), Lone Elm Studios® (trendy home décor collections), The GG Collection® (handcrafted home goods), and Lone Elm Candle Company (scented candles). The Gerson International™ (GIL) division operates a Book-and-Buy seasonal program featuring Garden Meadow® (outdoor solar lighting), Teters®/Universal SunRay™ (memorial products), Sterling® Trees (Christmas trees and decorations), Christmas by Krebs (handcrafted ornaments), and seasonal decor. The company also offers Oscar AI, a proprietary smart buying tool providing data-driven retail insights. All products are distributed through a centrally-located Kansas warehouse with global sourcing offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gerson International™: Seasonal home decor program with Fall/Holiday and Spring/Summer merchandise pre-booked with retailers six months in advance.
- Christmas by Krebs
- Sterling® Trees
- Gerson Home
- Garden Meadow®
- Everlasting Glow®
- Lone Elm Candle Company
- Teters®/Universal SunRay™
- The GG Collection®
- Lone Elm Studios®
- Gerson Everyday™
- Oscar AI
Products and services
- Everlasting Glow® LED Lighting LED lighting collection of candles, lanterns, and lighting products for indoor and outdoor use, including the illumaflame™ realistic flameless candle line, sold wholesale to retail stores.
- Lone Elm Studios® Home Décor Trend-right home décor collections including table-top, textile, wall art, and decorative items distributed to retail stores as part of the year-round Gerson Everyday™ assortment.
- The GG Collection® Home Goods Handcrafted home goods with nature-inspired designs and hand-hewn details in marble, mango wood, copper metal, and ceramic stoneware, offered wholesale for casual elegant entertaining and home use.
- Garden Meadow® Outdoor Solar Lighting Outdoor solar lighting including metal lanterns, lamps, hanging outdoor chandeliers, and whimsical bird/animal/butterfly sculptures for porches, patios, and gardens, with customization options for retail partners.
- Sterling® Christmas Trees and Holiday Décor Holiday trees, wreaths, garlands, and tree accessories including flocked, natural, potted, tinsel, fiber optic, LED, alpine, and color-changing trees, sold wholesale to retail stores.
- Teters® / Universal SunRay™ Memorial Products American-designed and assembled memorial products including gravesite floral arrangements, sentiment stones, wind chimes, and LED lighted tributes for cemetery and home remembrance use.
- Christmas by Krebs Ornaments and Decorations Handcrafted Christmas ornaments, tree toppers, wreaths, and garlands made from glass and shatterproof materials with various shapes, colors, and personalized options, sold through the seasonal Gerson International™ Book-and-Buy program.
- Gerson International™ Seasonal Home Décor Program Seasonal home décor program providing Fall/Holiday and Spring/Summer merchandise pre-booked with retailers approximately six months in advance, with over 70% new products each season and a $500 minimum combined seasonal order.
- Lone Elm Candle Company Scented Candles Hand-poured scented candles using a proprietary wax blend for a longer, cleaner burn, presented in reusable vessels of glass, ceramic, cement, and wood, distributed through the Gerson Everyday™ line.
- G-Commerce Drop Ship Fulfillment Program Drop ship fulfillment service for qualified retailers that ships items from multiple Gerson product lines directly to retailers' end customers without the retailer holding inventory.
- Shop Gerson B2B E-commerce Portal Verified-retailer e-commerce portal at shop.gersoncompany.com that enables existing retail customers to place orders, download catalogs and sell sheets, view order status and invoices, and access product information.
Companies that use The Gerson Companies
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Gerson Companies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
The Gerson Companies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Gerson Companies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Roman Inc. Wholesaler of home décor, garden accents, and seasonal merchandise to independent retailers across North America. Closest like-for-like peer to Gerson given the overlapping seasonal/home décor focus, B2B wholesale model, and broad retail customer base.
- Midwest-CBK / Sullivans: Gift and home décor wholesaler serving independent retailers and mass merchants in the US. Highly comparable to Gerson in product mix (candles, home accents, seasonal), customer profile, and import-driven supply chain.
- Transpac Imports: Import-driven wholesaler of seasonal décor, artificial florals, and giftware to US independent retailers. Directly comparable to Gerson International's Book-and-Buy seasonal program and Chinese sourcing model.
- Kurt S. Adler Inc. Leading wholesaler of Christmas and seasonal holiday decorations, ornaments, and trees. Directly comparable to Gerson's Sterling Trees and Christmas by Krebs divisions, with similar retail gift-shop distribution.
- Raz Imports: Importer and wholesaler of seasonal and everyday home décor, candles, and giftware to independent US retailers. Closely mirrors Gerson's import-to-wholesale model and seasonal book-and-buy merchandising approach.
- Creative Co-Op: Wholesale distributor of home accents, seasonal décor, and gifts to independent retailers globally. Comparable to Gerson in B2B motion, multi-brand portfolio, and gift/home décor category breadth.
- Park Designs: Designer and wholesaler of home textiles, kitchen, and seasonal décor products serving independent retailers. Comparable product mix and customer base to Gerson's Lone Elm Studios and home décor lines.
- Glitterex Corporation: Manufacturer and wholesaler of holiday ornaments, garlands, and decorative accessories. Comparable to Gerson's Christmas by Krebs and Sterling Trees divisions, particularly in ornament and tree-decor categories.
Emerging players
- Stonebriar Collection: Wholesaler of candles, home fragrance, and decorative accessories distributed through independent and specialty retailers. Comparable to Gerson's Lone Elm Candle Company and Everlasting Glow categories.
Broad incumbents
- Wayfair: Large online home goods retailer carrying seasonal décor, candles, and home accents. A broad incumbent rather than direct peer, but represents the e-commerce channel reshaping Gerson's traditional independent-retail distribution model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Gerson Companies social profiles
Digital presenceThe Gerson Companies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Gerson Companies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Gerson Companies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Gerson Companies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Gerson Companies
What does The Gerson Companies do?
The Gerson Companies is a privately held import and wholesale distribution company that supplies home décor, gift, LED lighting, candle, outdoor solar lighting, Christmas tree, ornament, and seasonal merchandise to retail stores across North America. The business operates through two divisions—Gerson Everyday™ for year-round stocked replenishment and Gerson International™ (GIL) for pre-booked seasonal programs—and supports buyers with the Oscar AI market intelligence tool.
Is The Gerson Companies a public or private company?
The Gerson Companies is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Gerson Companies founded?
The Gerson Companies was founded in 1942. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Gerson Companies based?
The Gerson Companies is headquartered in Olathe, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Gerson Companies make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale B2B Product Sales.
Who are The Gerson Companies's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Roman Inc., Midwest-CBK / Sullivans, Transpac Imports, Kurt S. Adler Inc., Raz Imports, Creative Co-Op, Park Designs and Glitterex Corporation. Stonebriar Collection is listed as an emerging player. Wayfair is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Gerson Companies have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Gerson Companies.
What industry is The Gerson Companies in?
The Gerson Companies's product category is Wholesale Home Décor & Seasonal Merchandise Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAMAE, Arts, Crafts & DIY Hobby Supplies Distribution, with a secondary code of CRALACAI, Seasonal & Holiday Craft Supplies Retail. Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5945.