Oldsmar, Florida, May 2, 2007
Audio Messaging Solutions, LLC (AMS), an SJ Partners portfolio company, has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Focuspoint, Inc., a leading telephone messaging on hold provider. Focuspoint is AMS seventh add-on acquisition. AMS has also closed upon a $6,000,000 senior credit facility from global merchant capital provider and alternative investment firm DB Zwirn & Co. Proceeds from the Zwirn financing have been used to finance the acquisition and refinance certain debts.
Focuspoint is a pioneer in the telephone messaging on hold industry with over 2,500 installed client locations. Focuspoint was founded by its President Creston Owen over ten years ago. Owen has been an industry leader, having served twice as Chairman of the International On Hold Messaging Association.
“We are pleased to be selling our business to AMS. They have created a reliable acquisition model with multiple companies having already been successfully integrated. We are confident that our clients will continue to receive the outstanding service they are accustomed to, with access to more on-hold and related products. The combined studios, writers and voice talent of Focuspoint and AMS will give our customers unparalleled service and a wide array of choices. I look forward to working with AMS,” stated Owen has become a consultant to AMS.
“AMS is among the top ten telephone messaging on hold providers in the nation, serving almost 20,000 client locations throughout North America and the Caribbean. We felt the Focuspoint client base and infrastructure would fit well with the AMS group of Companies. Creston really impressed us with how he built Focuspoint from the ground up into one of the largest providers of custom written telephone messaging in the country,” said Aaron Kleinhandler, CEO of AMS. “We also are excited to have D.B. Zwirn as our financing partner,” added Kleinhandler. “We are proud to have become the most acquisitive messaging on hold company over the past five years and look forward to closing future acquisitions,” stated Kleinhandler.
About AMS
Initially founded twenty years ago, AMS is a premier provider of messaging on hold services. The Company writes, records, and delivers telephone on hold messaging. AMS has a diversified base of nearly 20,000 account locations with many major national clients such as Merrill Lynch, The United States Post Office, Coldwell Banker, and Goodyear Tire. AMS also distributes messaging on hold equipment. AMS is the exclusive on-hold messaging provider for Avaya, the nation’s largest manufacturer of phone systems. AMS has been the most acquisitive company in the messaging on hold industry over the past five years, having completed seven add on acquisitions. More information about AMS is available on their website: www.amsonhold.com.
About SJ Partners, LLC
SJ Partners (SJP) acquires and advises middle market businesses. SJ Partners invests in consumer and services companies with $1-10 million in cash flow. Industries of particular interest include business services and consumer products. SJP also provides select investment banking services.
SJP’s resources provide a deep base of operating and research knowledge. SJP’s founder and CEO Scott Johnson was trained as an equity analyst and was a member of a #2 rated Institutional Investor rated equity research team at Merrill Lynch. The firm also benefits from its affiliated relationship with the NPD Group, one of the nation’s largest private consumer market research companies. Lastly, SJP works with a set of operating partners who each have over 20 years of experience in the distribution, consumer and services industries.
About Focuspoint
Headquartered in Manassas, VA, Focuspoint was established in 1998 as a subsidiary of Falcon Communications Solutions, Inc. and offers state-of-the-art digital equipment, installation and completely customized productions, professionally written and recorded all done remotely for clients across the United States. With the latest technology and in-house talent, Focuspoint is able to offer superior service to both local and national companies. Focuspoint is recommended by 19 associations in the automobile and banking industries, as well as many Chambers of Commerce.
For more information, please contact:
Aaron Kleinhandler, CEO, Audio Messaging Solutions,
(800) 584-4653
Scott Johnson, CEO, SJ Partners, LLC,
scott@sjpartners.com
212-362-1530