Assembled Brands Funds Baseball Lifestyle 101 to Expand Reach and Meet Surging Demand

Assembled Brands announces a new credit facility for Baseball Lifestyle 101 (BL101), an apparel company that has rapidly grown from a passionate Instagram account into a leading brand in the baseball industry. This credit line will support BL101’s impressive growth, supply chain optimization, and retail expansion.

Founded in 2013 by Josh Shapiro, BL101 began as a social media account connecting baseball fans that quickly evolved into a flourishing apparel company with Co-Founder, Bill Rom. Today, BL101 employs over 100 people and its products are carried in several major sporting goods retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Scheels, and Academy. This robust growth is further underscored by the brand’s financial performance, with sales increasing by 6x from the prior year.

Assembled Brands provided a tailored and flexible asset-based lending solution that beat out several other lenders and banks. With BL101's strong accounts receivable and future retail commitments, Assembled was able to provide a unique and flexible structure that offered necessary liquidity now and into the future without any restrictive covenants or rigid controls.

"We are thrilled to partner with Baseball Lifestyle 101, a brand driven by passion, community, and incredible entrepreneurial spirit.  Their exponential growth and strategic retail expansion highlight strong market position and potential," said Jeffrey Mangiafico, Senior Vice President of Originations at Assembled Brands.

Kunal Kohli, MD & Head of Revenue of Assembled Brands, added, "BL101's ability to cultivate such a loyal following into significant commercial success is truly impressive. Our versatile credit facility enables them to scale efficiently and expand their reach to a broader fan base.”

“This partnership with Assembled Brands is a game-changer for BL101.  They empowered us with the strategic flexibility to focus on execution, free from rigid performance metrics or shifting expectations,” said Josh Shapiro, CEO of Baseball Lifestyle 101.

This partnership reinforces Assembled Brands’ commitment to providing effective, founder-friendly financing solutions that enable innovative consumer brands, like BL101, to achieve their growth ambitions and solidify market leadership.

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