Boathouse Capital has completed an investment in Out of Home America Wilkins, a specialist media company.
Out of Home America Wilkins (OOHA Wilkins) is led by its Chief Executive Officer Jon Selame. The company is one of the oldest and largest independent out-of-home media specialists in the country. Out-of-home advertising, which includes billboards, ads on transit vehicles, and placed-based ads in malls, airports, and elevators, is a complex advertising channel. With thousands of operators in countless locations around the country, out-of-home advertising is highly fragmented, local in nature, and labor-intensive to execute. OOHA Wilkins facilitates the process of planning and executing out-of-home advertising campaigns by bringing specialization, experience, breadth of services, and purchasing power to its clients. The customers of OOHA Wilkins include advertising and media agencies as well as a number of Fortune 100 brands. The company was founded in 1965 and is based in New York (www.outofhomeamerica.com).
“Spending on out-of home advertising in the US will exceed $7 billion in 2014 and it continues to account for a growing share of total advertising expenditures. Yet, the breadth and fragmentation of the market makes it very complex and expensive to execute,” said Andrew Olsen, a Senior Associate at Boathouse Capital. “Specialists like OOHA Wilkins provide a clear benefit to their clients by leveraging their experience, knowledge, and scale to plan and deliver a successful out-of-home campaign. The value that Jon Selame and his team bring to their customers is evident in the fact that OOHA Wilkins boasts many customer relationships that span more than a decade.”
Boathouse Capital invests mezzanine debt and equity in lower middle market companies in partnership with management teams and private equity funds. Boathouse will consider investments from $5 million to $25 million in either mezzanine debt or equity capital in companies with EBITDAs of $1.5 million or greater. The firm manages over $350 million in two separate funds and is based near Philadelphia in Wayne, PA (www.boathousecapital.com).
“OOHA Wilkins is a prime example of Boathouse Capital’s strategy to partner with rapidly-growing, differentiated companies with strong owner-operators. Jon Selame has done a tremendous job of growing OOHA Wilkins based on dedication to customer service, market knowledge, creativity, and innovation,” said Steve Gord, a Partner at Boathouse Capital.
© 2015 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 2-26-15