Overview
Designers of brand campaigns since 1988, MicroArts Corporation focuses on e-commerce and old economy brand campaigns. Their clients include some of the best known brand names in North America.
Bigelow Assignment
The three principal partners of MicroArts developed a highly successful and replicable proprietary methodology for delivering effective on-line brands. They wished to fully exploit their process on a global basis. The partners had boot-strapped their rapid growth, and required additional financial resources to fulfill their potential.
Challenges
MicroArts continued to execute well on its growth business plan, but the industry (comprised of e-infrastructure service providers) had clearly gone out-of-favor with the demise of the dot-com’s. Could MicroArts maximize its value and optimize its partnership opportunities in this challenging environment?
“The Bigelow principals made all the difference. They truly engaged in all facets of our company in a quest to really improve our business. They got us behaving like a public company in the way we measured / reported / packaged ourselves.” Peter L. Getman, President and Co-Founder MicroArts Corporation
“Bigelow lived up to their promise of ‘Performance Beyond the Expected.’ Our valuation is the high water mark within our industry.” Michael A. DesRochers, CEO and Co-Founder MicroArts Corporation
Outcome
After a comprehensive search of prospective acquirers, Bigelow invited several pre- qualified, interested parties to submit acquisition proposals. MicroArts chose to complete a 100% sale to London-based Cordiant Communications Group PLC (LSE: CRI). The purchase price exceeded $80 million, representing seven times current-year revenues.
MicroArts joined Cordiant’s CCG.XM affiliate, with offices worldwide, and is deploying its brand- development skills and best practices to Cordiant’s multi- national customer base. All of MicroArts’ management and employees were retained after this transaction.