NEWS & UPDATES
CHICAGO, IL/ DeLand, FL (May 2007) Houlihan Smith & Company, Inc. acted as exclusive buy-side advisor for DIY Shade Inc. dba Southern Shade Solutions. ("SSS") in its acquisition of the operational assets of BP International Inc. (BPI)., as announced by Charles Botchway, Vice Chairman of Houlihan. The transaction was led by Houlihan Managing Director Sylvester Gbewonyo. Terms of the deal were not released.
SSS designs and builds cable-tensioned outdoor shade canopies for protection from the sun, heat, hail, snow and rain. The Company's canopy shade structures protect aircraft, automobiles, RVs, buses, boats, materials, and animals throughout the Sun Belt, the Hail Belt, the Deep South and Southern California.
BP International, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of tennis court equipment, industrial fabrics, athletic field and gymnasium equipment, privacy and construction fence screening, fabric architecture shade structures and cabanas, sports lighting, and custom netting. The company's tennis and tennis court equipment products include windscreens and accessories, nets, net posts, benches, court cabanas, court accessories, divider netting, backdrop curtains, protective padding, customized logos, volleyball equipment, basketball equipment and tennis court lighting. Its athletics equipment consists of turf protectors, field covers, windscreens artificial turf mats, safety rails, and batting cages and frames. The company also sells fencing fabrics, such as privacy screens, decorative screens, kennel covers, horticultural fabrics, silt fencing, safety fencing, and temporary fencing. In addition, it offers netting, which includes knotted and knotless nylon; knotted and knotless polyethylene for sports activities, such as baseball, soccer, golf, volleyball, tennis, hockey, lacrosse and football; and bird and scaffold netting. Further, the company offers shade structures, canopies and cabanas. BP International sells its products through dealers and contractors to sports facilities, support facilities, municipalities, parks, playgrounds, schools and recreation centers. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in DeLand, Florida.
Houlihan Smith & Company, Inc. ("Houlihan") is an investment banking firm that provides advisory, financing and valuation services to public and private businesses. Houlihan is a registered broker-dealer and NASD/SIPC Member. Houlihan is affiliated and works closely with Houlihan Valuation Advisors, a leading valuation firm with offices throughout the United States, providing Houlihan with a team of industry experts to efficiently handle complex client engagements.
Houlihan understands the time sensitivity of corporate finance and is able to respond quickly and tenaciously to opportunities. The Houlihan approach creates corporate finance transactions in which both business owners and investors mutually benefit. Houlihan has the knowledge, experience and relationships to match buyers and sellers, as well as to match the appropriate financing and capitalization structure to each unique client situation. The Houlihan name is synonymous with professional financial expertise. The company provides cost-effective fairness and solvency opinions, in addition to valuations for tax and financial reporting, to some of the largest NYSE/NASDAQ companies, as well as small, privately held businesses.