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Swets Julie Blake 21 Aug 2007 17:20 UTC

FYI - forwarded from LibLicense.

>>> Liblicense-L Listowner <liblicen@pantheon.yale.edu> 8/21/2007 9:57 AM >>>

------------------- Message requiring your approval------------------
From: Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: Swets Sold to New Owners
MIME-Version: 1.0

Of wide interest? Ann Okerson

*****

August 21st, 2007

Gilde acquires Royal Swets & Zeitlinger

Royal Swets & Zeitlinger is pleased to announce that its current
group of shareholders have agreed to sell 100% of the shares in
the company for an undisclosed amount to the Dutch-based
investment firm Gilde with participation from Swets's executive
management.

After several consecutive years of very strong performance, and
seeing the company well positioned for long term growth, the
current shareholders of Royal Swets & Zeitlinger decided earlier
this year to sell their equity holdings. "We are immensely
impressed with how Arie Jongejan, Swets's CEO, and his team
turned the company around to its current state of robust
financial health," said Roelof Prins of NPM Capital, one of
Swets' major institutional shareholders.

"The management of Swets is grateful for the support that it has
received from its financial and family shareholders over the
period of their involvement and is very satisfied with the
progress we have achieved in recent years,: commented CEO Arie
Jongejan. "Swets has entered a new phase in which it is driving
an aggressive growth strategy which involves geographic
expansion, large scale sales force increases coupled with
continuously improving customer and publisher service levels. It
is in this strategic context that the management is looking
forward to working with Gilde to further accelerate its
aggressive growth strategy," he continued.

"The Swets management team has a proven track record in
delivering material improvements in the performance of the
business over time. The fact that the senior management has
partnered with us in acquiring this business reflects their
commitment and belief in the future growt opportunities of the
company. In addition to continuing Swets's highly effective
strategy, we aim to further expand the business in both new and
existing markets and with new services," said Boudewijn Molenaar,
Managing Director of Gilde Buy Out Partners. "We look forward to
working with Swets as it continues to grow and prosper."

About Swets

Swets is the world's leading subscription services company. We
build on more than 100 years of experience to maximize the return
on investments in time and money for clients and publishers in
today's complex information marketplace. With clients in over 160
countries and more than twenty offices around the world, Swets is
a true 'long tail' powerhouse that provides the most
comprehensive and sophisticated e-commerce platform currently
available in its field.

Swets has been included in E-Content Magazine's "100 companies
that matter most in the Digital Content Industry" for the past
two years, and appeared at number 95 in FEM Business'"3Top 500
Companies in The Netherlands" in 2006. We are the only
subscription services company that is ISO 9001:2000 certified on
a global basis - a testament to our stringent operation and
client service procedures.

About Gilde Buy Out Partners

With funds under management in excess of EUR 1.0 billion, Gilde
Buy-Out Partners is a mid-market buy-out investor with a
geographical focus on the Benelux, Germany, France and
Switzerland. We have offices in Utrecht, Paris and Zurich. To
learn more about Gilde Buy Out Partners please visit:
www.gildepartners.com

Contact for Royal Swets & Zeitlinger:
Arie Jongejan (CEO)
Tel: +31 (0)252 435 252

Contact for Gilde Buy Out Partners:
Boudewijn Molenaar
Tel: +31 (0)30 219 2522

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