Buyer Representation

Whitestone Communications has the best resources in the publishing, information and training industries for aiding clients in targeting and completing acquisitions. The key resources are:

• Whitestone maintains an internal database of more than 5,000 companies, many of whom are potentially available for acquisition. The database can be sorted by business focus, size, geographical region and other measures. Whitestone is researching new companies every day to add to this database.
• Whitestone tracks every acquisition and divestiture — some 1,500 transactions per year — in the three industries it serves in creation of its annual reference, Who's Buying Whom. This tracking keeps Whitestone up-to-date on where deals are taking place and where the greatest opportunities are for acquisitions.
• Whitestone management has worked at major companies in the industries it serves — such as Thomson Corporation, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster and Dun & Bradstreet — and has established a broad personal network of quality contacts.

Whitestone clients seeking acquisitions are typically involved in "roll-ups" or "fold-ins."

• Successful executives have proven that companies can be built through complimentary acquisitions where the value of the entire enterprise exceeds the sum of the parts. This concept of the "roll-up" has been applied across a number of industries, leading to significant financial reward.
• Beyond the concept of the roll-up, a common strategy for the growth of established companies is "add-on" or "fold-in" acquisitions. Businesses routinely seek acquisitions complimentary to their existing operations that can be folded into existing operations. These deals often generate high margins due to synergies with the buyer that allow the buyer to add on the revenues of the acquisitions without adding the same level of costs that the seller had.

Whitestone follows its proven methodology for helping clients complete acquisitions. In a typical assignment:

• The client designates a market or markets of interest and ideal size range for transactions.
• Whitestone researches the market area and develops an extensive list of attractive acquisition candidates.
• The client reviews the list and ranks the candidates according to its interest.
• Whitestone systematically contacts the candidates on a confidential basis on behalf of the client.
• Meetings between the client and the candidates that have agreed to discussions are set, information is exchanged.
• The client and Whitestone evaluate the information and propose transaction terms to the candidates.
• Whitestone, under the direction of its client, negotiates the terms and brings the deal to completion.

With this systematic approach, Whitestone guarantees that in a short period the client can complete acquisitions that match its strategic goals and enhance its value.