ECi Software Solutions Acquired by The Carlyle Group

Global Alternative Asset Manager to Support ECi’s Growth, Commitment to Small and Medium Size Businesses

 

ECi Software Solutions (www.ECiSolutions.com), a leader in industry‐specific business management and e‐commerce software solutions, announced it has been acquired by global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

 

ECi Software Solutions is a leading provider of industry‐specific business management and e‐commerce software for growing and midsize companies in a broad variety of industries, including office products,office furniture, office equipment, lumber/building materials, hardware, manufacturing, retail distribution and many more. ECi combines technological innovation with a dedicated customer focus to deliver fully integrated solutions that fuel the expansion and efficiency of every aspect of customers’ operations.

 

ʺWe are very happy to partner with The Carlyle Group to continue building our leading industry‐specific business and e‐commerce solutions across a variety of important industries,” said Ron Books, President and CEO of ECi Software Solutions. “Carlyle is committed to investing in ECi as we support the entrepreneurial spirit and profitable growth of small and medium size enterprises. I am confident that with Carlyle, we have made the right choice for the future of our employees, our customers, and our business partners.”

 

Charles Rossotti, Carlyle Operating Executive, said, “ECi has developed a proven and effective capacity to provide small and medium size enterprises with technology solutions that make them competitive with much larger businesses. We believe this capacity is a very special asset for the global economy, in which small businesses generate so much innovation and job growth.”

 

Steve Bailey, Carlyle Managing Director, added, “Carlyle’s investment will enable ECi to continue investing in its great people, delivering exceptional customer service, enhancing the functionality and features of its leading solutions, and expanding its global footprint.”

 

Equity for the investment came from Carlyle U.S. Equity Opportunity Fund, which is a Carlyle fund
focused on middle market investments. Carlyle has a long history of successful investments in leading middle market, industry‐specific application software solutions companies, including Compusearch, serving the government sector; Gemcom, serving the mining sector; Primatics, serving the financial services sector; Quorum, serving the energy sector; RMI, serving the rail sector; and SchoolNet, serving the education sector. Other select middle market investments include Dynamic Precision Group, an aerospace component manufacturer; Philadelphia Energy Solutions (formerly Sunoco Refinery); Service King, the third largest collision repair multi‐shop operator in the United States; and Worldstrides, a provider of educational student travel programs.

 

ECi was advised by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Harris Williams & Co., and Carlyle was advised by Latham & Watkins LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

 

About ECi
The ECi Software Solutions family of companies provides business and e‐commerce solutions, offering onpremise and cloud‐based technologies. For 30+ years, ECi’s companies have served the manufacturing, office equipment, office supplies, contract office furniture, lumber and building materials, hardware and janitorial/sanitation sectors. Privately held, ECi is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, with offices and companies throughout the U.S., Australia, England and the Netherlands. For information, email info@ecisolutions.com, visit www.ECiSolutions.com, or call (800) 959‐3367.
 

ECI

Traci Johnson, SVP Global Corporate Marketing

800‐959‐3367 x23276

tjohnson@ecisolutions.com

 

About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global alternative asset manager with approximately $189 billion of assets under management across 118 funds and 100 fund of funds vehicles as of December 31, 2013.  Carlyleʹs purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Market Strategies and Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,500 people in 34 offices across six continents.

The Carlyle Group
Elizabeth Gill
+1-202-729-5385
Elizabeth.gill@carlyle.com

Accellos Announces Integration Between Prophecy Dispatch & MacroPoint

Accellos announced new integration between their Prophesy Dispatch TMS product and MacroPoint, a service which provides location tracking for brokered loads. The integrated solution provides Transportation Brokers with a way to automatically track loads including arrival, departure from stops, and GPS position updates. The interface with Prophesy Dispatch automatically passes load info to the MacroPoint site to eliminate the need for re-entry. The system then automatically brings load data back into Prophesy Dispatch including arrival, departure and GPS position data. Check calls are automatically created in dispatch and load ETA's are automatically updated.The actual route the driver is taking can also be mapped in the Prophesy Dispatch software.

 

For more information, please visit www.accellos.com.

 

DDI System Appoints Aung Latt VP of Corporate Strategy

ERP veteran has worked with Infor and Prophet 21.

DDI System, a leading provider of Enterprise Resource Planning software for the distribution industry, announces the appointment of Aung Latt as the Vice President of Corporate Strategy working directly with Adam Waller, President and Founder.

“We are very pleased to have Aung Latt join our team. His proven track record in the ERP software industry and has earned the respect and following of many distribution powerhouses. Aung’s knowledge, dedication and customer focus will be a tremendous asset to the DDI System management team,” states Adam Waller.

Aung Latt has been in the distribution industry for over 20 years, most recently as a Strategic Account Executive for Infor. Prior to that, Aung held multiple roles within the Prophet 21 / Activant / now Epicor organizations, including Director of Sales Operations for the Wholesale Distribution Group where he oversaw both the pre-sales and sales operations teams. Throughout these years, Aung has also had success with national account management and has built strong relationships with many industry buying groups.

“I am very excited to join DDI System," Latt said. "This is an opportunity to work for a national yet nimble software company whose sole focus is on distribution software and helping independent wholesale distributors compete in today’s market. I hope to contribute to the increased momentum of the company as it continues on its growth path. I am honored that Adam and the team felt that I was up to the task.”

In his new role with DDI System, Aung will be the primary contact for Johnstone Supply members converting from the DDI-DSPro Software over to DDI’s Inform Software solution. He will also have a focus on increasing DDI System’s already solid footprint within the HVAC and industrial markets. Finally, he will be responsible for working with current customers to build on DDI’s Professional Services division.

Distributors can see the many benefits of the inform software at www.ddisys.com or by calling DDI for a demonstration at 877-599-4334.

Registration Now Open For UnleashWD 2014

The 2014 Innovation Summit will be in Chicago on Oct. 29-30. UnleashWD is the only innovation summit for the wholesale distribution industry.

The innovation journey continues on a familiar date and with a keynote speaker that will inspire.

The third annual UnleashWD innovation summit will continue its effort to promote innovation and fresh ideas in the wholesale distribution industry on Oct. 29-30 in Chicago. Andrew Berlin, the CEO of Berlin Packaging and the owner of the minor league baseball team the South Bend (Ind.) Silver Hawks, will serve as one of the keynote speakers.

“The UnleashWD community is privileged to have a business leader of Andrew’s stature join us,” Dirk Beveridge, Founder of UnleashWD said. “Andrew is a titan within wholesale distribution, but his talk is going to focus on the lessons he has learned as a baseball team owner. He is a game changer and his speech will be one as well.”

Beveridge founded the UnleashWD innovation summit based on reinventing the values of innovation, thought leadership, company culture and business model design for the wholesale distribution industry. The conference sought to take the best ideas from all of business and to lift and shift them into the wholesale distribution industry. Lift and shift is the UnleashWD concept of applying ideas from outside of wholesale distribution and applying them to the industry.

UnleashWD features a line-up of innovative business leaders from outside of wholesale distribution. They speak during 18-minute presentations, which are followed by lift and shift workshops that place the speakers’ lessons into the context of wholesale distribution.

“We have grown by leaps and bounds over the past two years,” Dirk Beveridge, Founder of UnleashWD said. “We have created a forum to promote change within an industry that desperately needs it. We started something here a couple of years ago, and we are starting to see the results.”

Registration is now open at UnleashWD.com.

Ken Hutton named ISA Interim Executive Vice President

Hutton steps in from managing director of ISA.

ISA President Michael Carr announced today that Kenneth R. Hutton, former Managing Director of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA), has agreed to serve as interim Executive Vice President while ISA initiates a search for candidates to replace long-time ISA executive John Buckley, who passed away in February. Hutton assumed the interim role effective March 3, 2014.

“We have a great history with Ken and we’re very excited that he is available to help us through our transition to a new executive,” Carr said. “Ken is a very experienced professional and he is a perfect fit because of his work with ISA in the past. Together with our volunteer leaders, current staff and our management company partners at Fernley & Fernley, the officers and board members are confident the organization is in good hands. We look forward to a successful 2014 convention and to finding the right candidate to succeed our friend and colleague, John Buckley.”

In the interim capacity, Hutton will lead, direct, manage or support all functions of the association. He will serve as primary executive support and liaison to ISA Officers, and Board of Directors; represent ISA in external relations, including key industry coalitions and media; and assist in the search for ISA’s new Executive Vice President, among other duties.

Hutton brings 43 years of diverse industry experience to the interim position, having managed associations for over 25 years. He served 19 years as Executive Vice President for the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) in addition to his prior role with ISA. Hutton was also a past Executive Director for the Association Management Company Institute (AMCI).

A graduate of Syracuse University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Hutton also holds an M.B.A. from The Darden School at the University of Virginia. Hutton and his wife, Jeanne, have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. The couple resides in Kennett Square, Pa., where Hutton sits on a variety of boards for various community and church groups.

Learn more at www.isapartners.org

All at BSW Consulting offer their condolences to ISA and John Buckley's family.

It is with great sadness that the Industrial Supply Association announces the sudden death of John Buckley at the age of 66 on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 of an apparent heart attack. John served as Executive Vice President of ISA since July 2004. Known for his energy, passion, knowledge of the industry and team building skill, John will be sorely missed.

John began his long and illustrious career in the wholesale distribution industry 30 years ago. Starting out in the member services side of the association management business, he held a variety of positions working on retention and recruitment through research and economic reporting. He spent 25 years with the National Paper Trade Association and was one of the founders of the Paper and Plastics Education Research Foundation. He also published the award winning association magazine, Sales & Marketing News.

John served on the Board of Directors of NAW, the Distribution Research and Education Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100. For 20 years, John represented the U.S. at EUROPA and the Common Market Congress of the Paper Industry. He was an advisor to four startup companies in the real estate development, technology and digital advertising areas.

John was ISA's chief staff executive and he also served on the ISA Education Foundation Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board for the Industrial Careers Pathways.

John is survived by his wife of 42 years, Barbara Curley Buckley, and his most beloved daughter Alana. He will be missed by his brothers, Michael and Richard, and their wives Ellen and Elaine. He was devoted to his nieces, Sharon and Mariah Hughes, Lauren Solomon, Sarabeth, Emily and Julia Buckley and his nephew, Christopher Hughes.

To leave a message for the family please go to http://johnbuckleycommemoration.wordpress.com.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer, P.O. Box 1007, Manhasset, NY 11030. Please specify that your gift should be used for the Coalition's Outreach Program in John’s name.

Despite the grief over this sudden loss, ISA headquarters will provide continuity of operations with the support of the ISA Officers, Board and its team members, Joe Casey, Gary Cheeseman, Melissa Jidenma, and Mary Ritchie.

SPA Pricing Strategy Seminar: Mastering Strategic Pricing in a New Economy

Join SPA on Friday February 07, 2014 at Ritz Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

 

Like never before, pricing strategy, analytics and cultural changes can set the stage for significant gains in shareholder wealth. Companies that excel in pricing will enjoy faster growth, stronger customer relationships, market-leading profitability and superior capital markets opportunities.

In this seminar you will hear from distribution and manufacturing industry experts and from a panel of SPA clients. They will discuss how to increase your margins (typically by 2 – 4 points!) and how to improve pricing discipline in your company.

Anyone responsible for making pricing decisions in their company will benefit from this seminar.  There is no cost to attend, but enrollment is limited, so please register now.

To receive an agenda or to ask questions about this seminar or hotel reservations, please contact us at: info@strategicpricing.com or call 216-455-1544.