Berwyn, PA - Printing industry executives Paul Reilly, Peter Schaefer, Jim Russell and Tom Williams are pleased to announce that they have formed New Direction Partners to provide investment banking and financial advisory services to the printing, packaging and related graphic arts industries. Services to be provided include merger advisory services through representing selling shareholders, acquisition searches, valuation services, financing and refinancing efforts, turnaround and restructuring services, and temporary/interim management consulting.

Paul Reilly said, "The printing industry is heading in a new direction and the way investment banking and financial advisory services are being delivered are also changing.  New Direction Partners was formed to embrace these changes and we will use today's technology to deliver the most effective service to our clients".

Peter Schaefer noted that "New Direction Partners has the skill set and experience necessary to best serve our clients in today's challenging environment. My partners and I have been involved in either the sale or purchase of more than 200 printing companies, the securing of financing of over $2 billion for printing firms and the execution of scores of turnarounds and restructurings in our industry. We have also completed hundreds of valuations for ESOPs, gift and estate tax planning, and strategic planning purposes."

"Our team collectively has more than 100 years of experience in the printing industry," observed Jim Russell. He added, "In addition to providing financial advisory services to the industry, we have managed and owned printing firms as well as a printing equipment financing firm".

Tom Williams added that, "Today the printing Merger and Acquisition market is very active and different than it was even six months ago. The challenging economy and tight credit markets have not stopped the pace of M&A activity, and we see more deals occurring in 2009 than 2008. With that said, the transactions will not be the same as what we have become accustomed to in the past."

Harris DeWese, Chairman and CEO of Compass Capital Partners, where Reilly,
Schaefer, Russell and Williams were most recently partners, stated "These men are excellent at what they do, and I wish them every success in this new business venture." Peter Schaefer added, "I have learned a lot from working with Harris and have tremendous admiration and respect for what he has accomplished over the years. The partners at Compass Capital and New Direction look forward to continuing to work closely together on current and future projects."

Recent transactions that were handled by the team at New Direction Partners have
included:

- Acquisition search in the label industry in which a regional label manufacturer was acquired.
- Merger of two $75 million international printing firms in South Africa.
- Refinancing of a revolving line of credit for a $25 million direct mail printer.
- Sale of a $22 million book printer located on the West Coast.
- Sale of a $15 million graphic arts supplier.
- Sale of a $9 million general commercial and fulfillment business.

If you would like to learn more about New Direction Partners, please visit our web site at www.newdirectionpartners.com.