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SmartMail Services Signs Merger Agreement with Deutsche Post
Atlanta - May 11, 2004 – SmartMail Services(R), the leading
nationwide expeditor of flat-sized mail and lightweight parcels,
has reached an agreement to be acquired by Deutsche Post Global
Mail USA (DPGM), a leader in international mail services. The deal
extends the existing relationship between the two companies and
will offer U.S. direct mailers and merchants a single source for
domestic and international shipping needs. "The Deutsche Post
Global Mail acquisition is exciting for the company and our customers,”
said Jim Martell, CEO of SmartMail Services, “Our relationship
with Global Mail started as a partnership, so it is a very natural
step that we should join forces to better serve our customers."
Matthew Vettel, Chairman of SmartMail(R) and Partner at Great Hill
Partners, stated, “We are very pleased to enter into this
agreement with Deutsche Post Global Mail. Jim Martell and the SmartMail
team built a national delivery network to service Fortune 1000 companies
while achieving impressive financial results. The acquisition of
SmartMail by DPGM is a real tribute to our management team.”
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, SmartMail(R) delivers mail by
utilizing the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) workshare
program. The workshare program was created in 1976 and allows private
companies to work with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Workshare
partners do not deliver the mail, but take it from the customer
to local USPS distribution centers where it is then delivered to
the addressee by regular mail carriers. The U.S. General Accounting
Office estimates that the workshare program saves USPS more than
$16 billion each year, which in turn is passed on to the public
in the form of lower postage.
In 1999, Great Hill Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm
and majority owner of SmartMail, acquired the company and provided
the initial capital for expanding SmartMail’s service offering.
A subsequent equity financing in September 2000 was led by Monitor
Clipper Partners and included Bridge East Management, Landmark Partners
and Saugatuck Capital Partners.
SmartMail Services generates in excess of $200 million of revenue
with 1000 employees across 17 locations in the United States. The
straightforward customer value proposition of cost savings and sophisticated
tracking/tracing has enabled 20-25% revenue growth per year over
the past 5 years. “I am thankful to the SmartMail team of
employees for what they have accomplished and I look forward to
our continued success with our new partners,” stated Jim Martell
CEO of SmartMail Services.
About SmartMail Services
SmartMail Services offers high-volume mailers and shippers budget
ground and expedited delivery services for Flats, Catalogs Media
Mail, Bound Printed Matter, and Parcel packages. With an expansive
domestic footprint of 17 processing facilities nationwide, SmartMail
Services meets delivery commitments, while yielding reductions in
both operational costs and postage fees for its customers. Value-added
services include address verification, ZIP code correction, online
tracking and reporting, and selective routing. For more information,
visit www.smartmail.com.
About Deutsche Post Global Mail
Deutsche Post Global Mail is a leader in international mail services
offering a comprehensive one-stop shop service for fast and reliable
cross-border mail delivery. With direct connections in more than
200 countries, Deutsche Post Global Mail, a subsidiary of Deutsche
Post World Net, currently operates one of the biggest networks worldwide
for cross-border mail transport. Deutsche Post Global Mail USA employs
500 men and women. With its 20 sales offices and 4 production centers
it provides full service business mail solutions to 5,000 U.S. customers.
For more information, visit www.globalmail.com.
About Great Hill Partners
Great Hill Partners is a private equity firm that manages over $1
billion in capital and focuses on investing in companies in the
education, business services, media, information, IT and communications
sectors. Great Hill Partners is currently investing its $460 million
fund, Great Hill Equity Partners II, L.P., and is targeting equity
investments of $10 million to $50 million. For more information,
please visit www.greathillpartners.com.
Media Contacts:
SmartMail Services
Sandy Smith
404-675-7339
Xenophon Strategies
Holly Arthur
202-289-4001
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