SGS Canada Adds On

SGS International Inc., a portfolio company of Court Square Capital Partners, said that its Canadian subsidiary has acquired both Backwell Design Inc. and its affiliate Gemini Graphics Imaging Inc. The two companies are based in London, Ontario, and provide package design, production artwork and packaging pre-press services. No financial terms were disclosed.

PRESS RELEASE

Southern Graphic Systems-Canada, Co. (“SGS Canada”), a wholly owned subsidiary of SGS International, Inc. (“SGS”), a global leader in the digital imaging and communications industry, has announced that it has acquired Backwell Design Inc. and its affiliate Gemini Graphics Imaging Inc., established suppliers of package design, production artwork and packaging pre-press services located in London, Ontario, Canada.

For over 20 years, Backwell Design Inc. (“Backwell”) has been supplying Labatt Inbev North America and other local customers with strategic creative design and production artwork services. Backwell supplies the majority of Labatt Inbev North America's packaging design and artwork services for many of their major brands including Labatt Blue, Kokanee, Keiths and Budweiser for the Canadian market. Backwell also services Labatt Inbev North America's international and US business for such well known global brands as Stella Artois. Backwell and Gemini Imaging Inc. (“Gemini”) operate from the same London, Ontario location. Gemini provides packaging prepress services, which support Backwell's design and artwork business to provide a complete “strategy to plate” solution for Labatt Inbev North America.

“Backwell has a longstanding relationship with Labatt Inbev North America and has worked with SGS for many years. Our partnership and the integration of our two businesses will deliver a more powerful integrated model to Labatt Inbev North America,” said Paul Naccarato, Senior Vice President of SGS Canada. He went on to say, “Labatt Inbev North America endorses and supports this acquisition and they are excited about these two companies coming together to increase the depth of services that Labatt Inbev will require today and in the future.”

Backwell and Gemini will continue to operate out of the London, Ontario location. This will complement SGS's Brampton, Ontario facility, which receives finished artwork from London to produce printing plates and printing cylinders for many of Labatt Inbev's packaging and label suppliers. “SGS's acquisition of Backwell and Gemini will be positive for our employees and our valued customer,” said Duke Backwell, owner of Backwell and Gemini. “The benefit I see for our clients is the ability to deliver an integrated graphics solution from design to print,” offered Mr. Backwell. He went on to say “this marriage will offer our employees opportunities with a large global company like SGS.”

SGS offers a full spectrum of innovative digital solutions that streamline the capture, management, execution and distribution of graphics information. SGS's clients include many of the world's preeminent consumer products companies, retail merchants, and the printers that support them. SGS's value proposition includes a broad creative service offering built on the foundation of executing from design to print.

SGS focuses on the domestic and international supply chain, helping clients build extraordinary new brands while growing existing brands. SGS's industry leading technology facilitates the quest for reduced time to market and improved cost.

The suite of global services includes: color management, project management, digital asset management and remote approval/collaboration.

SGS is a portfolio company of Court Square Capital Partners (formerly Citigroup Venture Capital), located in New York, NY.

Should you have any questions regarding this release, please contact Luca Naccarato, Executive Vice President of Southern Graphic Systems, Inc. at 502-637-5443.