Halyard Capital has sold its portfolio company, Engauge Marketing, to Publicis Groupe, one of the world’s leading communications companies.
Engauge is a full-service marketing agency for the digital and social age. The agency’s client roster includes Nationwide Insurance, Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, UPS and CiscoSystems. Engauge was founded by Halyard Capital in 2007 in partnership with marketing executive Stan Rapp. Since founding, Engauge has acquired Ten United, a Columbus, OH-based advertising agency with offices in Pittsburgh and Orlando; Spunlogic, a digital marketing services company in Atlanta; and Direct Impact, a database analytics and CRM company in Austin, TX. Today, the company provides full-service advertising and digital marketing services, including social media marketing, to more than 30 clients. The company has approximately 250 employees with offices in Atlanta (headquarters), Orlando, Columbus and Pittsburgh (www.engauge.com).
“We are deeply appreciative of the strategic guidance and support that Halyard Capital has provided Engauge over the last six years. They have been outstanding partners for our management team, as we have navigated the increasingly complex world of digital marketing,” said Nick Bandy, CEO of Engauge. “The acquisition by Publicis Groupe validates our strategy and will benefit both our clients and our employees, as we tap into the resources and expertise of one of the world’s leading communication groups.”
Halyard specializes in middle-market leveraged buyouts and growth equity investments in technology-enabled information, data analytics, communications and business services companies that cater to industries including healthcare, education, marketing services, human capital management and media. The firm has over $600 million of capital under management and is based in New York (www.halyard.com).
“The team at Halyard expresses its sincere thanks to the entire Engauge management team for its commitment, creativity and hard work over the last six years. Engauge’s outstanding capabilities have been recognized by many of the top brand marketers in the US and we are proud to have been the company’s founding owner. This sale to Publicis is an exciting next step in the growth of Engauge,” said Jonathan Barnes, Partner of Halyard Capital.
Engauge Marketing and Halyard Capital were represented by investment bank Petsky Prunier (www.petskyprunier.com), which served as the exclusive financial advisor on the transaction.
Publicis Groupe is a multinational advertising and public relations company and is one of the world’s leading communications companies. Publicis Groupe is headquartered in Paris and operates in 108 countries with a total employment of 60,000 professionals (www.publicisgroupe.com).
© 2013 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 8-15-13
