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Press Releases

Largest Market Research Firm Of Its Kind Acquired by Management and Buyout Firm

Boom in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) drives the acquisition

January 5, 2005: BETHESDA, MD - Bethesda, MD: Western Wats Center, Inc. (WWC), the largest independent quantitative market research firm in the US, has been acquired by the management, along with American Capital Strategies, Ltd. (Nasdaq: ACAS), a debt and equity partner. Bethesda-based M&A advisory firm Kaulkin Ginsberg served as advisor to WWC on the transaction. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

WWC is recognized as one of the most innovative and forward thinking companies in the industry, specializing in outsourced survey research and customer care services to consulting firms, Fortune 1000 companies and political organizations.

As companies continue to outsource their non-core functions, business service providers like WWC are poised for tremendous growth. Headquartered in a state-of-the-art facility in Orem, Utah, WWC also has 8 call centers located throughout Idaho and Utah, with additional facilities in Canada and the Philippines that enable WWC to provide a 'best-shore' solution for labor-intensive data collection activities.

"We're seeing the effects of globalization and outsourcing in the middle market for M&A. This is one of several transactions we've completed recently that includes an offshore component," said Brian Greenberg, Managing Director of Kaulkin Ginsberg. The firm, which specializes in mid-market M&A within the outsourced business services sector, recently advised leading U.K. business process outsourcer Vertex, part of United Utilities PLC (NYSE: UU), in the acquisition of US-based debt collection agency First Revenue Assurance. Also in 2004, the firm advised the shareholders of Account Solutions Group LLC in its sale to Indian-based BPO ICICI OneSource, a unit of ICICI Bank Ltd. (NYSE: IBN). "WWC's talented and committed management team, combined with world class technology, financial performance and a leading market position, made it a rare and attractive opportunity for potential investment partners," added Greenberg.

About Kaulkin Ginsberg Company
Since 1989, Kaulkin Ginsberg has provided industry-leading information, expertise and advice to the outsourced business services sector, with a particular emphasis on accounts receivable/customer relationship management, market research and other such business service industries. Kaulkin Ginsberg has advised on more than 100 transactions valued in excess of $2.5 billion for a variety of family, private equity and publicly-owned firms. Kaulkin Ginsberg advisory services include merger, acquisition and valuation advice; research; growth and operational consulting; as well as training and executive search. The Kaulkin Ginsberg family of companies also includes Kaulkin Media, publisher of CollectionIndustry.com and Kaulkin Information Systems, providing technology solutions to debt collection firms.

Read more about Kaulkin Ginsberg at www.kaulkin.com.