LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2008 – Marlin Equity Partners, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Around the Block, LLC, a leading designer and marketer of scrapbooking tools, including the award-winning Paper Tagger and the recent Paper Gator. Around the Block will be integrated with Ultra*Pro, a Marlin portfolio company, enabling Around the Block to expand its distribution reach within the mass market channel and internationally. The acquisition further enhances the Ultra*Pro product offering with a complimentary line of branded, innovative, premier products while expanding its footprint into new distribution channels and retail departments.
Ilene Albert-Nelson, VP, General Manager of Scrapbooking at Ultra*Pro said, “We are very excited to add another premier scrapbooking brand to our portfolio. The addition of Around the Block to our Chatterbox and 7gypsies brands allows us to offer our customers a complete paper crafting solution.”
Around the Block products can be found in leading independent and mass market scrapbooking retailers across the U.S., Europe, South Africa, Asia, and Australia and have been profiled in leading publications including Scrapbook Etc., Making Memories and Creating Keepsakes Magazine.
About Marlin Equity Partners, LLC
Marlin Equity Partners is a Los Angeles, California-based private investment firm focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs in special situations. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries that are in the process of undergoing varying degrees of operational, financial or market-driven change where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources will significantly strengthen a company’s outlook and enhance value. Since 2005, Marlin Equity Partners has successfully completed 17 acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.
About Ultra*Pro
Ultra*Pro is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer packaged goods, including investment protection products for sports and gaming collectibles, photo albums and scrapbooking supplies marketed under the labels 7gypsies, Chatterbox and Around the Block. Additionally, Ultra*Pro, through its Hanover Accessories subsidiary, manufactures and distributes a broad line of jewelry, hair care, and fashion pet accessories. Ultra*Pro is also the parent of the Kooky Klickers line of collectible pens. For more information, please visit our websites: www.ultrapro.com, www.sevengypsies.com, www.chatterboxinc.com and www.kookys.com.
For additional information, please contact Peter Spasov at (310) 364-0100 or via e-mail at pspasov@marlinequity.com.