Visual Merchandising Merges with Noa Visual Group

Visual Merchandising Inc., a portfolio company Blue Sage Capital, has merged with Noa Visual Group. Financial terms were not announced. Broomfield, Colo.-based Visual Merchandising designs, makes and distributes custom mannequins, forms, and other visual merchandising products to the global retail industry. Vectra Bank Colorado, a regional bank subsidiary of Zions Bancorp., provided additional financing. St. Charles Capital provided financial advice to Visual.

PRESS RELEASE

Denver, CO – July 24, 2013 – St. Charles Capital, LLC (www.stcharlescapital.com), an investment banking firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado, represents Visual Merchandising Inc., a portfolio company Blue Sage Capital, on its merger with  Noa Visual Group, S.l. with additional financing provided by Vectra Bank.

Visual Merchandising, Inc. (“VMI”), based in Broomfield, Colorado, is an innovative designer, manufacturer, and distributor of custom mannequins, forms, and other visual merchandising products to the global retail industry. With a number one market share position in the U.S., VMI markets its products under the brands of Fusion Specialties, Inc. and Goldsmith, Inc.

With over $250 million under management through two funds, Austin, Texas-based Blue Sage Capital (“Blue Sage”) invests in proven and growing companies that are located predominately in Texas and the Southwest.  Blue Sage favors situations in which they are able to partner with founders and management teams, usually as the first round of institutional capital, to provide intellectual and financial capital to enable companies to achieve their full potential. Through their first fund, Blue Sage has made thirteen investments since 2004.
Noa Visual Group, S.L. (“Noa”) is Europe’s largest visual merchandising company, based in Barcelona, Spain. Noa’s customer base includes leading European retailers. The company employs a multi-branded marketing strategy operating under three brands: Atrezzo, Marcelo Vilá, and Pop Mannequins.  Noa is a portfolio company of Miura Private Equity and a European family investor group.

Additional financing was provided by Vectra Bank Colorado, a regional bank subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ: ZION).

The combination of VMI and Noa will create the first truly global visual merchandising company in the history of the retail industry, with manufacturing centers in the US, Mexico, Spain, and China.

“Personally I am extremely happy  with the outcome of this process,” said Derek Johnson, CEO of VMI. “The original VMI investors are delighted. Strategically, the partnership with Noa positions us for continued success with our customers and meets our strategic needs as a company. I have worked with St. Charles a number of times and once again they exceeded our expectations and outperformed.”

Jim McBride, Blue Sage Founder and Managing Member, said “Derek Johnson and his team at VMI were successful at creating value for our investors even through a deep consumer-led recession.  St. Charles led a thorough, global search for a value-added partner to help VMI broaden its worldwide reach.  Blue Sage is very pleased with the outcome.”

For more information please contact: Michael Franson (303-339-9099 mfranson@stcharlescapital.com) or Tim Troha (303-339-9099 ttroha@stcharlescapital.com).