Svoboda Capital Partners invests in One North

Svoboda Capital Partners has invested in One North. Financial terms weren’t announced. Chicago-based One North is a digital agency. AdMedia Partners provided financial advice to One North.

PRESS RELEASE
August 08, 2016 03:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–M&A advisory firm AdMedia Partners, Inc. is pleased to announce that it acted as exclusive financial advisor to One North, a leading digital agency, in its strategic investment partnership with Svoboda Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm.
With 90+ team members and more than 100 digital marketing programs launched in the last four years, One North’s growth has been propelled by its unique Relationship Cycle approach, which helps services businesses design and implement brand-building experiences with their clients and key audiences. In the past three months, One North’s unique approach has enabled it to launch major digital initiatives for four of the top 25 US law firms, as well as some of the largest accounting, investment banking, architecture, engineering, construction and consulting organizations.
“When we started on this journey four years ago, we saw a clear need for a well-rounded agency that understood the unique challenges today’s leading services businesses face,” said One North CEO John Simpson. “Our focus on providing integrated brand, strategic, creative and technical solutions that help our clients create deeper relationships with their audiences has created real value for top firms in a variety of professional services organizations.”
One North added exceptional talent across a diverse set of disciplines including User Experience Design, Brand Strategy, Digital Design and Creative, Technology and Account Management.
“We continue to hire and develop tremendously talented individuals. The collaboration across our teams and with our clients has enabled us to truly set the pace for how Professional Services use digital as a means of telling their brand story and interacting with key audiences,” said Simpson.
In addition to its expanding talent base, One North has emerged as a leading integrator of Sitecore software for Professional Services. Leveraging it’s 50+ in-house technology team, One North is able to provide end-to-end thinking and implementation, including the hosting and management of client digital applications in the Microsoft Azure environment.
“The pace with which both our clients and employees are embracing new digital strategies and technologies is unprecedented. Using Sitecore and other platforms, the prospect of smarter, data-driven marketing and digital transformation is now achievable,” said Simpson.
To continue driving momentum, One North has partnered with Svoboda Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm that invests in leading middle market growth companies.
“Our core values are in sync. We have a partner that shares our belief that a steadfast focus on clients and our people is what ultimately builds long-term growth. We appreciate their confidence in our team, our model and the opportunity in the markets we serve,” remarked Simpson.
“We’ve been impressed by how smart One North has been with their growth until this point,” said John Svoboda, Managing Director, Svoboda Capital Partners. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with John, Jeff and the management team and are focused on ensuring One North continues to evolve and serve its clients well.”
Adam Birnbaum, Managing Director of AdMedia Partners, said, “As a leading-edge digital agency, One North provides a very strategic and highly valued consultative approach to its clients, and we believe that this partnership with Svoboda Capital will well position the company for its next stage of successful growth.”
“We’ve known Adam and the team at AdMedia for more than four years, and their knowledge and connections within the digital space are second to none,” noted Simpson.
Simpson added that there will be no changes to the One North management team. The partnership, which was finalized on June 1, is enhanced by Svoboda’s strong foundation working within the business services segment.
About One North
One North is a digital agency dedicated to delivering compelling customer experiences for professional services organizations. One North has partnered with hundreds of businesses to produce digital solutions aimed at strengthening their most valuable asset: their relationships. From brand planning, digital strategy and creative services, to front- and back-end development and technology support, One North’s team of 90+ innovative minds work collaboratively to create digital experiences that intelligently connect business strategy and marketing activities. For more information, visit www.onenorth.com.
About Svoboda
Svoboda Capital Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm that invests in leading middle market growth companies. They focus on companies in the value-added distribution, business services, and consumer products and services sectors typically valued between $20 million to $100 million. We seek to partner with and empower outstanding management teams with a track record of success and a desire to execute on well-defined growth initiatives. For more information, visit www.svoco.com.
About AdMedia Partners
Founded in 1990, AdMedia is a leading M&A advisory firm serving the marketing services, advertising, marketing technology, media and information sectors. AdMedia has completed over 230 transactions for clients valued in excess of $11 billion. For more information, visit www.admediapartners.com.