Chanhassen, MN and New York (July 10, 2007) – IWCO Direct (the “Company”), the nation’s leading provider of integrated direct mail production services and solutions, today announced that Avista Capital Partners will acquire a controlling interest in the Company from Court Square Capital Partners.  IWCO Direct’s executive management team will remain meaningful shareholders in and continue to operate the Company.
Headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota, IWCO Direct provides its clients an integrated package of direct mail production services, including print, envelope, plastic, mailing, and data services (the “Total Package Solution”).  In addition, the Company is the largest commingler of standard mail in North America and is a leader in the execution of postal optimization strategies.  The current management team, led by President and CEO Jim Andersen, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tom Wicka, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Morrison, developed IWCO Direct’s unique business model, which has been the catalyst for the Company’s consistent double digit growth over the past five years.
David Durkin, a Partner at Avista, said, “We are very excited to be investing in IWCO Direct, an industry-leading marketing services platform serving a stable and growing market.  We believe IWCO Direct’s strategic advantage is rooted in its talented, proven, and aligned management team.  With Jim Andersen at the helm, this team has led the Company in establishing an impressive record of outstanding growth, which we fully expect to continue for the foreseeable future.  We are thrilled to be partnering with this team and participating in IWCO Direct’s next phase of growth, which we expect will include both strategic acquisitions and expansion of their integrated services platform into the western part of the U.S.”
Mr. Andersen stated, “Choosing the right financial partner has been very important to us.  We have very much enjoyed our relationship with Court Square, and benefited from their strategic guidance and network of relationships.  As we continue to grow our business and take advantage of new opportunities, we look forward to benefiting from the deep experience in the business services space of our new partner, Avista Capital Partners.  We are confident that our business model uniquely addresses our customers’ evolving direct marketing needs and, with the support of the Avista team, we anticipate investing to extend our market presence and to build on the momentum of our historical growth.”
John Civantos, a Partner of Court Square Capital Partners, said, “We are extremely pleased with our investment in IWCO Direct and the partnership we enjoyed with the Company's management team.   During the period of our ownership, IWCO Direct has achieved significant growth in revenue and EBITDA, positioning itself as the direct mail solutions industry leader.  We are confident this management team will continue to generate exceptional growth in the future.”
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel to Avista and financing will be provided by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.  Deutsche Bank served as exclusive financial advisor and Dechert LLP served as legal counsel to IWCO Direct in connection with this transaction.