Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners Invest in iMemories
to Take Home Movie and Photo Digitizing to the Next Level
– Investment Group Eager to Lead Next Stage of Growth for Industry-Leading Company –
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., (February 10, 2022) – Greens Farms Capital LLC and Landon Capital Partners LLC have invested in the high-growth industry of home movie and photo digitizing and storage by partnering with iMemories, the best-in-class leader in the space. The experienced investment group recognized significant market opportunity in joining forces with iMemories, which dominates an industry positioned for impressive growth with more than 8 billion home movies and 1 trillion photos to digitize.
iMemories is an innovative, technology-driven company that converts analog home movie films and videotapes, photo prints, negatives, and slides to a modern digital format, allowing individuals to share their digitized memories with anyone on any type of device. While the company converts analog memories to USB and DVD, the primary service involves making memories available for streaming and storage in the iMemories Cloud. The company is proud to have earned the industry’s highest customer satisfaction rating due to its exceptional customer experience, seamless process, high-quality digitization, and impeccable record of safely receiving and returning cherished originals to more than 1 million customers.
“We’re proud to partner with Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners to elevate iMemories to the next level,” said iMemories Founder and CEO Mark Rukavina. “There is tremendous potential in our industry, and their involvement will help us capitalize on opportunities, support new growth, and further cement our reputation as the industry leader. Our new investment partners have a successful history of working closely with owner entrepreneurs, and we look forward to the future of iMemories with them on our team.”
“This is a significant step for the future of iMemories and an exciting time for our industry,” said iMemories President and COO Steve Krell. “This monumental partnership will provide us with the resources to continue innovating and growing for everyone who wants to bring family memories from past generations back to life and preserve new memories for future generations. We’re grateful for our new relationship with Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners, and eager to see where it takes us.”
iMemories is highly-differentiated from its competition, providing customers with the ability to easily view their digitized memories on any phone, tablet, computer or TV through the iMemories app. Its modern yet simple approach is unique to the industry and monetized through fees for the digitization service and subscriptions for cloud-based streaming and storage.
“We were immediately interested in iMemories after understanding the immense opportunity in the home movies and photo digitizing sector, and seeing their clear technological advantage over other industry players,” said Greens Farms Capital Founder Michael B. Kessler. “They’ve perfected the process for customers from start to finish and are committed to an extraordinary level of quality and service. We’re excited to support the iMemories team in their next stage of growth.”
“iMemories has been a consistently strong force in the marketplace, reinventing how consumers preserve and share their most prized possessions – their memories,” said Landon Capital Managing Partner Chris Sullivan. “They’re essentially the Netflix of family memories, streaming videos and photos on every device, with competitors only offering DVDs to customers. Their innovative, forward-thinking mentality combined with our business expertise should be a winning combination.”
Investors Bank provided debt financing for the transaction; Lowenstein Sandler, Latham & Watkins, and Mazars USA advised Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners, while JEGI CLARITY, Osborn Maledon PA, and EisnerAmper LLP advised iMemories.
About Greens Farms Capital LLC:
Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) is a Westport, CT-based private equity firm backed by Landon Capital Partners that makes control and non-control investments in lower middle market companies. Greens Farms Capital seeks to invest in and build value in established companies engaged in business services, software and technology, and media and marketing services. The firm takes a long-term, partnership-oriented approach to investing and offers structural flexibility to meet the needs of business owner entrepreneurs. The flexible capital solutions provided by Greens Farms Capital are used to finance growth initiatives, add-on acquisitions, and majority and minority recapitalizations. The firm relies on the management teams to make day-to-day operating decisions and supports them with strategic resources to accelerate growth and profitability by leveraging knowledge of best practices, experiences with former portfolio companies and industry contacts. For more information, please visit https://www.greensfarmscapital.com/.
About Landon Capital Partners:
Landon Capital Partners ("LCP") is the direct private equity investment group of the Landon family and its select family office co-investment partners. LCP invests in middle market private equity opportunities primarily in the United States. Their mission is to source, acquire, and manage lower middle market private equity buyouts, targeting opportunities for control equity positions in companies with $5 to $20 million of EBITDA. Preferred LCP investment targets display a high percentage of recurring revenue and strong free cash flow conversion and seek to leverage LCP's flexible approach to partnership and long-term growth orientation. LCP began operations in 2015 and has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit https://www.landoncapital.com.
About iMemories:
iMemories has been digitizing analog memories since 2005, and has since come to dominate an industry focused on preserving and sharing a lifetime of memories. They are able to take old home movies on 8mm, Super 8 and VHS, as well as photo prints, negatives and slides, and digitize them with pristine quality so they last for generations to come. Their innovative app allows customers to view and share memories on any device, organize them, and add to them over time. Their customer-centric team is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., where they have digitized more than 35 million memories to date. For more information, please visit https://www.imemories.com.
CONTACT:
Michael Kessler
Greens Farms Capital LLC
(917) 743-0527
iMemories is an innovative, technology-driven company that converts analog home movie films and videotapes, photo prints, negatives, and slides to a modern digital format, allowing individuals to share their digitized memories with anyone on any type of device. While the company converts analog memories to USB and DVD, the primary service involves making memories available for streaming and storage in the iMemories Cloud. The company is proud to have earned the industry’s highest customer satisfaction rating due to its exceptional customer experience, seamless process, high-quality digitization, and impeccable record of safely receiving and returning cherished originals to more than 1 million customers.
“We’re proud to partner with Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners to elevate iMemories to the next level,” said iMemories Founder and CEO Mark Rukavina. “There is tremendous potential in our industry, and their involvement will help us capitalize on opportunities, support new growth, and further cement our reputation as the industry leader. Our new investment partners have a successful history of working closely with owner entrepreneurs, and we look forward to the future of iMemories with them on our team.”
“This is a significant step for the future of iMemories and an exciting time for our industry,” said iMemories President and COO Steve Krell. “This monumental partnership will provide us with the resources to continue innovating and growing for everyone who wants to bring family memories from past generations back to life and preserve new memories for future generations. We’re grateful for our new relationship with Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners, and eager to see where it takes us.”
iMemories is highly-differentiated from its competition, providing customers with the ability to easily view their digitized memories on any phone, tablet, computer or TV through the iMemories app. Its modern yet simple approach is unique to the industry and monetized through fees for the digitization service and subscriptions for cloud-based streaming and storage.
“We were immediately interested in iMemories after understanding the immense opportunity in the home movies and photo digitizing sector, and seeing their clear technological advantage over other industry players,” said Greens Farms Capital Founder Michael B. Kessler. “They’ve perfected the process for customers from start to finish and are committed to an extraordinary level of quality and service. We’re excited to support the iMemories team in their next stage of growth.”
“iMemories has been a consistently strong force in the marketplace, reinventing how consumers preserve and share their most prized possessions – their memories,” said Landon Capital Managing Partner Chris Sullivan. “They’re essentially the Netflix of family memories, streaming videos and photos on every device, with competitors only offering DVDs to customers. Their innovative, forward-thinking mentality combined with our business expertise should be a winning combination.”
Investors Bank provided debt financing for the transaction; Lowenstein Sandler, Latham & Watkins, and Mazars USA advised Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners, while JEGI CLARITY, Osborn Maledon PA, and EisnerAmper LLP advised iMemories.
About Greens Farms Capital LLC:
Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) is a Westport, CT-based private equity firm backed by Landon Capital Partners that makes control and non-control investments in lower middle market companies. Greens Farms Capital seeks to invest in and build value in established companies engaged in business services, software and technology, and media and marketing services. The firm takes a long-term, partnership-oriented approach to investing and offers structural flexibility to meet the needs of business owner entrepreneurs. The flexible capital solutions provided by Greens Farms Capital are used to finance growth initiatives, add-on acquisitions, and majority and minority recapitalizations. The firm relies on the management teams to make day-to-day operating decisions and supports them with strategic resources to accelerate growth and profitability by leveraging knowledge of best practices, experiences with former portfolio companies and industry contacts. For more information, please visit https://www.greensfarmscapital.com/.
About Landon Capital Partners:
Landon Capital Partners ("LCP") is the direct private equity investment group of the Landon family and its select family office co-investment partners. LCP invests in middle market private equity opportunities primarily in the United States. Their mission is to source, acquire, and manage lower middle market private equity buyouts, targeting opportunities for control equity positions in companies with $5 to $20 million of EBITDA. Preferred LCP investment targets display a high percentage of recurring revenue and strong free cash flow conversion and seek to leverage LCP's flexible approach to partnership and long-term growth orientation. LCP began operations in 2015 and has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit https://www.landoncapital.com.
About iMemories:
iMemories has been digitizing analog memories since 2005, and has since come to dominate an industry focused on preserving and sharing a lifetime of memories. They are able to take old home movies on 8mm, Super 8 and VHS, as well as photo prints, negatives and slides, and digitize them with pristine quality so they last for generations to come. Their innovative app allows customers to view and share memories on any device, organize them, and add to them over time. Their customer-centric team is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., where they have digitized more than 35 million memories to date. For more information, please visit https://www.imemories.com.
CONTACT:
Michael Kessler
Greens Farms Capital LLC
(917) 743-0527
919 Marketing Acquires Groundbreaking Digital Marketing Firm To Become Franchising’s Content and Web Marketing Powerhouse
RALEIGH, N.C. – (December 15, 2021) – 919 Marketing, one of the nation’s fastest-growing content marketing agencies, announces the acquisition of NetSearch Digital Marketing, a pioneering internet marketing firm specializing in SEO, PPC, and web design services for local and national clients. With the acquisition, 919 Marketing expands its range of in-house capabilities to provide local marketing services to national franchise and multi-location brands.
This is the latest move by 919 Marketing to become a one-stop marketing shop for franchisors and nonprofit companies. In October 2021, 919 Marketing, based outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, acquired Tampa-based Ceralytics, creator of a content intelligence platform that uses predictive analytics and natural language processing to drive audiences to engage and convert. Ceralytics’ technology is the backbone of 919 Marketing’s proprietary 919 Insights platform, the data analytics tool that uncovers the customer data clients need to make smarter marketing decisions.
The addition of Richmond, Virginia-based NetSearch gives 919 Marketing a more comprehensive solution to drive local consumer marketing success while deepening its bench of digital and web development talent. With these two acquisitions, 919 Marketing is now the leading tech-enabled content and digital marketing firm in franchising that uses analytics to help local and national companies recruit new franchisees, and increase brand awareness, web traffic, leads, consumer engagement, and conversion.
919 Marketing is aggressively expanding since partnering with institutional investors to grow the brand and enhance its roster of marketing services for franchisors and non-profit companies. 919 Marketing is backed by private equity firms Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) and Landon Capital Partners (“Landon Capital”) to help fund acquisitions and accelerate growth.
Talent and Teamwork
“We are thrilled and fortunate to partner with the talented and forward-thinking team at NetSearch, and welcome them into our 919 family,” says David Chapman, CEO and founder of 919 Marketing. “This acquisition is another step in our bold mission to be a dominant player in the national franchise and cause marketing sectors by providing novel marketing solutions validated and measured by actual online user behavior.
“NetSearch’s robust local marketing platform and services roster will be even more powerful in tandem with 919’s data analytics and content capabilities,” says Mike Meyer, founder and CEO of NetSearch. “With the strength and resources of our companies combined, we now have all the tools to dominate both national and local franchise marketing, as brands evolve from soft marketing goals and vanity metrics to making smarter decisions based on the actual online behavior of customers.”
Future Forward
This latest acquisition is part of 919 Marketing’s plan to add more digital and technology-based partners to expand its roster of marketing services. The company has an impressive three-year growth rate of more than 130 percent, despite the impact of COVID-19. The company was ranked as the best franchise PR firm on Forbes’ prestigious 2021 inaugural list of America’s Best PR Agencies, is regularly ranked on Entrepreneur magazine’s list of top franchise PR firms, and is recognized as the highest-ranked and fastest-growing franchise PR firm on the coveted Inc. 5000 list.
NetSearch has a stellar reputation with a roster of franchise brands, as evidenced by its 98 percent retention rate and triple-digit growth over the past three years. The company has made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growth companies seven times.
“We are excited to support 919 Marketing in its acquisition of NetSearch to provide clients with a local marketing solution driven by a proprietary data-driven content strategy,” says Michael Kessler, founder of Greens Farms Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm. “We recognize the combination of 919 Marketing and its partners creates a unique data-enabled agency that solidifies the company’s leadership position in the franchising and cause marketing sectors.”
“We hope this is one of many acquisitions we will help facilitate as 919 Marketing continues its exciting growth march, says Chris Sullivan, Managing partner of Landon Capital. “We will continue to work closely with management to enhance growth and profitability while allowing all management teams to maintain their independence and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Synergy Success
With this latest addition, 919 Marketing will have offices in all three U.S. time zones and remain headquartered in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham area, led by 919 Marketing founder and CEO, David Chapman. Mike Meyer, founder and CEO of NetSearch, will join the board of the combined companies.
The three companies will remain in their respective headquarters — 919 Marketing, based outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, NetSearch, based in Richmond, Virginia. with offices in Austin, Texas, and Ceralytics, based in Tampa, Florida. The firms will keep all their employees working in states across the country, including New York, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio.
Together, the companies will continue to launch data-driven, award-winning marketing campaigns for an impressive roster of non-profits and emerging and mature franchise brands, including BELFOR Franchise Group, American Family Care, Scooters, and Wild Birds Unlimited, along with blue-chip companies including Stanley Black & Decker, Ally Bank, and Procter & Gamble’s Tide Cleaners. 919 Marketing’s roster of services will now include public relations, digital marketing, including search engine optimization, PPC advertising, directory building, and display and remarketing, web design, development, and maintenance, local multi-location marketing, propriety data analytics, full creative services, franchise development, and consumer marketing.
About 919 Marketing – Formed in 1996 and headquartered just outside of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park and the capital city of Raleigh, 919 is a national content marketing firm with a proven track record of helping companies increase revenue, create a competitive advantage, and improve marketing results. We provide high-powered strategic planning, public relations, social media, digital marketing, video and commercial production, business development support, and full creative capabilities — each utilizing proven processes refined over hundreds of client engagements. Our award-winning marketing strategists, TV and print reporters, and social media trailblazers are seasoned experts, providing content marketing firepower to excite, motivate, and engage your customers and prospects. For more information, please visit us at www.919 marketing.com.
About NetSearch – NetSearch Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency which focuses on lead generation for the franchise industry. Launched in 2006 with a handful of specialists, NetSearch Digital Marketing has grown to almost 50 fulltime employees in both Richmond VA and Austin TX. From the beginning, the company’s mission has been “To Deliver Leads and Simplify Digital Marketing”. NetSearch’s primary services include Search Engine Optimization, Directory Optimization, PPC Management, Web Design, as well as Customer Reviews and Reputation Management. In 2016 NetSearch Digital became a Google Premier Partner – a distinction achieved by only 3% of the agencies that work with Google.
About Ceralytics – Ceralytics is a pioneering content intelligence platform that uses predictive analytics and natural language processing to determine the topics that engage and drive audiences to take key actions. Founded in 2016 by Brandon Andersen and Tony Wilsman, Ceralytics' mission is to take content marketing from guessing to knowing. To do this, Ceralytics utilizes a data-driven approach to content, showing what topics are currently resonating with audiences and recommending the topics organizations should be writing about in the future to drive actual business goals.
About Greens Farms Capital LLC -Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) is a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm backed by Landon Capital Partners that makes control and noncontrol investments in lower middle-market companies. Greens Farms Capital seeks to invest in and build value in established companies engaged in business services, software and technology, and media and marketing services. We take a long-term, partnership-oriented approach to investing and offer structural flexibility to meet the needs of business owner entrepreneurs. Our flexible capital solutions are used to finance growth initiatives, and add-on acquisitions, and majority and minority recapitalizations. We rely on the management teams to make day-to-day operating decisions and support them with strategic resources to accelerate growth and profitability by leveraging knowledge of best practices, experiences with former portfolio companies, and industry contacts. For more information, please visit www.greensfarmscapital.com.
About Landon Capital Partners - Landon Capital Partners ("LCP") is the direct private equity investment group of the Landon family and its select family office co-investment partners. LCP invests in middlemarket private equity opportunities primarily in the United States. Our mission is to source, acquire, and manage lower middle market private equity buyouts, targeting opportunities for control equity positions in companies with $5 to $20 million of EBITDA. Preferred LCP investment targets display a high percentage of recurring revenue and strong free cash flow conversion and seek to leverage LCP's flexible approach to partnership and long-term growth orientation. LCP began operations in 2015 and has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit https://www.landoncapital.com.
CONTACT:
Michael Kessler
Greens Farms Capital LLC
(917) 743-0527
This is the latest move by 919 Marketing to become a one-stop marketing shop for franchisors and nonprofit companies. In October 2021, 919 Marketing, based outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, acquired Tampa-based Ceralytics, creator of a content intelligence platform that uses predictive analytics and natural language processing to drive audiences to engage and convert. Ceralytics’ technology is the backbone of 919 Marketing’s proprietary 919 Insights platform, the data analytics tool that uncovers the customer data clients need to make smarter marketing decisions.
The addition of Richmond, Virginia-based NetSearch gives 919 Marketing a more comprehensive solution to drive local consumer marketing success while deepening its bench of digital and web development talent. With these two acquisitions, 919 Marketing is now the leading tech-enabled content and digital marketing firm in franchising that uses analytics to help local and national companies recruit new franchisees, and increase brand awareness, web traffic, leads, consumer engagement, and conversion.
919 Marketing is aggressively expanding since partnering with institutional investors to grow the brand and enhance its roster of marketing services for franchisors and non-profit companies. 919 Marketing is backed by private equity firms Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) and Landon Capital Partners (“Landon Capital”) to help fund acquisitions and accelerate growth.
Talent and Teamwork
“We are thrilled and fortunate to partner with the talented and forward-thinking team at NetSearch, and welcome them into our 919 family,” says David Chapman, CEO and founder of 919 Marketing. “This acquisition is another step in our bold mission to be a dominant player in the national franchise and cause marketing sectors by providing novel marketing solutions validated and measured by actual online user behavior.
“NetSearch’s robust local marketing platform and services roster will be even more powerful in tandem with 919’s data analytics and content capabilities,” says Mike Meyer, founder and CEO of NetSearch. “With the strength and resources of our companies combined, we now have all the tools to dominate both national and local franchise marketing, as brands evolve from soft marketing goals and vanity metrics to making smarter decisions based on the actual online behavior of customers.”
Future Forward
This latest acquisition is part of 919 Marketing’s plan to add more digital and technology-based partners to expand its roster of marketing services. The company has an impressive three-year growth rate of more than 130 percent, despite the impact of COVID-19. The company was ranked as the best franchise PR firm on Forbes’ prestigious 2021 inaugural list of America’s Best PR Agencies, is regularly ranked on Entrepreneur magazine’s list of top franchise PR firms, and is recognized as the highest-ranked and fastest-growing franchise PR firm on the coveted Inc. 5000 list.
NetSearch has a stellar reputation with a roster of franchise brands, as evidenced by its 98 percent retention rate and triple-digit growth over the past three years. The company has made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growth companies seven times.
“We are excited to support 919 Marketing in its acquisition of NetSearch to provide clients with a local marketing solution driven by a proprietary data-driven content strategy,” says Michael Kessler, founder of Greens Farms Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm. “We recognize the combination of 919 Marketing and its partners creates a unique data-enabled agency that solidifies the company’s leadership position in the franchising and cause marketing sectors.”
“We hope this is one of many acquisitions we will help facilitate as 919 Marketing continues its exciting growth march, says Chris Sullivan, Managing partner of Landon Capital. “We will continue to work closely with management to enhance growth and profitability while allowing all management teams to maintain their independence and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Synergy Success
With this latest addition, 919 Marketing will have offices in all three U.S. time zones and remain headquartered in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham area, led by 919 Marketing founder and CEO, David Chapman. Mike Meyer, founder and CEO of NetSearch, will join the board of the combined companies.
The three companies will remain in their respective headquarters — 919 Marketing, based outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, NetSearch, based in Richmond, Virginia. with offices in Austin, Texas, and Ceralytics, based in Tampa, Florida. The firms will keep all their employees working in states across the country, including New York, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio.
Together, the companies will continue to launch data-driven, award-winning marketing campaigns for an impressive roster of non-profits and emerging and mature franchise brands, including BELFOR Franchise Group, American Family Care, Scooters, and Wild Birds Unlimited, along with blue-chip companies including Stanley Black & Decker, Ally Bank, and Procter & Gamble’s Tide Cleaners. 919 Marketing’s roster of services will now include public relations, digital marketing, including search engine optimization, PPC advertising, directory building, and display and remarketing, web design, development, and maintenance, local multi-location marketing, propriety data analytics, full creative services, franchise development, and consumer marketing.
About 919 Marketing – Formed in 1996 and headquartered just outside of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park and the capital city of Raleigh, 919 is a national content marketing firm with a proven track record of helping companies increase revenue, create a competitive advantage, and improve marketing results. We provide high-powered strategic planning, public relations, social media, digital marketing, video and commercial production, business development support, and full creative capabilities — each utilizing proven processes refined over hundreds of client engagements. Our award-winning marketing strategists, TV and print reporters, and social media trailblazers are seasoned experts, providing content marketing firepower to excite, motivate, and engage your customers and prospects. For more information, please visit us at www.919 marketing.com.
About NetSearch – NetSearch Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency which focuses on lead generation for the franchise industry. Launched in 2006 with a handful of specialists, NetSearch Digital Marketing has grown to almost 50 fulltime employees in both Richmond VA and Austin TX. From the beginning, the company’s mission has been “To Deliver Leads and Simplify Digital Marketing”. NetSearch’s primary services include Search Engine Optimization, Directory Optimization, PPC Management, Web Design, as well as Customer Reviews and Reputation Management. In 2016 NetSearch Digital became a Google Premier Partner – a distinction achieved by only 3% of the agencies that work with Google.
About Ceralytics – Ceralytics is a pioneering content intelligence platform that uses predictive analytics and natural language processing to determine the topics that engage and drive audiences to take key actions. Founded in 2016 by Brandon Andersen and Tony Wilsman, Ceralytics' mission is to take content marketing from guessing to knowing. To do this, Ceralytics utilizes a data-driven approach to content, showing what topics are currently resonating with audiences and recommending the topics organizations should be writing about in the future to drive actual business goals.
About Greens Farms Capital LLC -Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) is a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm backed by Landon Capital Partners that makes control and noncontrol investments in lower middle-market companies. Greens Farms Capital seeks to invest in and build value in established companies engaged in business services, software and technology, and media and marketing services. We take a long-term, partnership-oriented approach to investing and offer structural flexibility to meet the needs of business owner entrepreneurs. Our flexible capital solutions are used to finance growth initiatives, and add-on acquisitions, and majority and minority recapitalizations. We rely on the management teams to make day-to-day operating decisions and support them with strategic resources to accelerate growth and profitability by leveraging knowledge of best practices, experiences with former portfolio companies, and industry contacts. For more information, please visit www.greensfarmscapital.com.
About Landon Capital Partners - Landon Capital Partners ("LCP") is the direct private equity investment group of the Landon family and its select family office co-investment partners. LCP invests in middlemarket private equity opportunities primarily in the United States. Our mission is to source, acquire, and manage lower middle market private equity buyouts, targeting opportunities for control equity positions in companies with $5 to $20 million of EBITDA. Preferred LCP investment targets display a high percentage of recurring revenue and strong free cash flow conversion and seek to leverage LCP's flexible approach to partnership and long-term growth orientation. LCP began operations in 2015 and has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit https://www.landoncapital.com.
CONTACT:
Michael Kessler
Greens Farms Capital LLC
(917) 743-0527
Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners Acquire Majority Stake in 919 Marketing Company
Investment Group to Support Growth of Content Marketing Leader
Represents Inaugural Investment by Greens Farms Capital
WESTPORT, Conn. and BOSTON, Mass.– (January 5, 2021) - Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) and Landon Capital Partners, LLC (“Landon Capital”), have acquired 919 Marketing Inc. (“919 Marketing”), one of the nation’s fastest growing content marketing agencies, in partnership with 919’s CEO and founder David Chapman.
919 Marketing is a data-driven national content marketing firm with a proven track record of helping companies increase revenue, create a competitive advantage, and improve marketing results. The company’s services include franchise and cause marketing, social media and digital marketing, strategic planning, brand strategy, public relations, crisis communications, and video and podcast production. 919 Marketing’s explosive three-year growth rate of more than 130 percent earned the firm a spot on the prestigious 2020 Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.
“We are thrilled to partner with Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital and see tremendous opportunities for growth ahead,” says David Chapman, CEO, and founder of 919 Marketing. “To execute our expansion plan rapidly and successfully we needed experienced partners with investment firepower who understand our mission, culture, and strategy, while respecting our passionate commitment to deliver game-changing results for our clients. Our new investment partners have excellent reputations for supporting firms to enhance growth and profitability while allowing the management team to maintain independence.”
919 Marketing marks the first portfolio company investment for Greens Farms Capital, a Westport, Connecticut private equity firm founded in June 2020 by veteran middle market investor Michael B. Kessler and backed by Landon Capital Partners, a Boston-based family office.
“We were attracted by 919’s expertise in the franchising and cause-marketing sectors, and ability to provide clients with a proven ROI from a proprietary data-driven content strategy, “says Kessler. We recognize the creative talent of the 919 crew and their strong relationships with clients and are excited to provide guidance and capital to support David and his team in the next stage of the company’s growth.”
“919 Marketing is a remarkably strong and resilient firm with a consistent record of growth, says Chris Sullivan, Managing Partner of Landon Capital. “We expect the combination of Landon Capital, Greens Farms Capital, and 919 Marketing to serve as an ideal platform for add-on acquisitions in the fragmented tech-enabled marketing services industry."
919 Marketing’s growth has been fueled by award-winning work for an impressive roster of cause-marketing and franchise clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The Company’s results-driven marketing is underpinned by its proprietary data analytics tool called 919 Insights.
“We have big plans for the future and this partnership will allow us to acquire complementary businesses and establish all the tools we need to deliver more comprehensive strategies to help our customers grow and dominate their industries,” says Chapman.
Investors Bank provided debt financing for the transaction; Lowenstein Sandler, Latham & Watkins, and Mazars USA advised Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital, while Berkery Noyes, Maynard Cooper Gale, and BDO USA, LLP advised 919 Marketing.
About Greens Farms Capital LLC:
Greens Farms Capital LLC (“Greens Farms Capital”) is a Westport, CT-based private equity firm backed by Landon Capital Partners that makes control and non-control investments in lower middle market companies. Greens Farms Capital seeks to invest in and build value in established companies engaged in business services, software and technology, media and marketing services, and value-added manufacturing. We take a long-term, partnership-oriented approach to investing and offer structural flexibility to meet the needs of business owner entrepreneurs. Our flexible capital solutions are used to finance growth initiatives, and add-on acquisitions, and majority and minority recapitalizations. We rely on the management teams to make day-to-day operating decisions and support them with strategic resources to accelerate growth and profitability by leveraging knowledge of best practices, experiences with former portfolio companies and industry contacts. For more information, please visit www.greensfarmscapital.com
About Landon Capital Partners:
Landon Capital Partners ("LCP") is the direct private equity investment group of the Landon family and its select family office co-investment partners. LCP invests in middle market private equity opportunities primarily in the United States. Our mission is to source, acquire, and manage lower middle market private equity buyouts, targeting opportunities for control equity positions in companies with $5 to $20 million of EBITDA. Preferred LCP investment targets display a high percentage of recurring revenue and strong free cash flow conversion and seek to leverage LCP's flexible approach to partnership and long-term growth orientation. LCP began operations in 2015 and has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit https://www.landoncapital.com.
About 919 Marketing:
Formed in 1996 and headquartered just outside of North Carolina’s, Research Triangle Park and the capital city of Raleigh, 919 is a national content marketing firm with a proven track record of helping companies increase revenue, create a competitive advantage and improve marketing results. We provide high-powered strategic planning, public relations, social media, digital marketing, video and commercial production, business development support and full creative capabilities – each utilizing proven processes and backed by our proprietary data analytics tool called 919 Insights.
Our award-winning staff of marketing strategists, TV and print reporters and social media trailblazers are seasoned experts, providing compelling content marketing to excite, motivate and engage your customers. Visit us at www.919marketing.com .
CONTACT:
Michael Kessler
Greens Farms Capital LLC
(917) 743-0527