| Background |
| Ross Young founded DisplaySearch after writing a book on US – Japan high-tech competition entitled: Silicon Sumo. A well-respected expert and consultant, Ross soon after invited his father, Barry, to join him to help manage the business. Within a few years Display had become the leading provider of quantitative and qualitative market research and analysis for a rapidly growing niche within the high technology electronics industry – firms that produce market or sell products that are used to produce – or that contain - flat-panel display devices - notebook PCs, handheld games, PDAs, mobile phones, medical devices, and more. Together, they built a rapidly growing company with offices in Austin Texas (Headquarters); Chicago; Houston; Richmond; and Tempe Arizona, as well as an international presence operating from offices in Tokyo Japan; Seoul Korea; and Taipei Taiwan. The Company was growing fast, and was highly profitable. Management had big dreams for expansion. At the same time, they faced a requirement to spend increasing amounts of time on administrative duties, a need to add infrastructure, and growing competition. Ross and Barry concluded that they should see if there were a suitable strategic partner that could help them take the company to the next level. They engaged M&A to provide strategic and financial advice. |
| Overiew of Transaction |
- On October 3, 2005, DisplaySearch, Inc. was acquired by NPD Group, a leader in the market research, analytics and information industry. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- The NPD Group, founded in 1967, is headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The Company also has offices in Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; Nuremberg, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; Toronto, Canada; Madrid, Spain; and Milan, Italy.
- The acquisition by NPD provided the DisplaySearch team with broadened opportunities to grow their business, while, at the same time, providing significant liquidity to the founders. The transaction also expanded NPD’s coverage of high-tech markets, and enhancing their analytical capabilities. The DisplaySearch Team continues to operate its business within NPD
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| M&A Role |
- M&A was the exclusive strategic and financial advisor to DisplaySearch.
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Press Release |
