DALLAS, Texas - 02/27/08 - Only five years after its start-up, RAZOR Business Strategy Consultants ("RAZOR") – a rapidly growing, award-winning direct and interactive marketing agency headquartered in Dallas – announced today its pending partnership with Archway Marketing Services, Inc. ("Archway") through the acquisition by Union Street Acquisition Corp. (AMEX: USQ, USQ.U, USQ.WT) ("Union Street"), a publicly-held company.
Located in Minneapolis, Archway is a leading provider of marketing operations management solutions. Archway offers best-in-class services, including marketing materials distribution and logistics management; print management; technology support; business intelligence reporting and customer care. Alexandria, Va.-based Union Street is a blank check company organized to acquire one or more operating businesses in the business services industry.
Both RAZOR and Archway will continue to operate under their brand names after the transaction closes. Dave Kirwan and Tom Cole will continue in their roles as co-presidents of RAZOR.
The alliance with Archway will complement RAZOR's existing business by allowing RAZOR to:
•offer a more comprehensive integrated marketing solution – from advanced analytics to communications planning and execution;
•serve a broader portfolio of clients; and
•enable RAZOR to continue its rapid growth.
"Many marketing agencies claim they offer full service," said Tom Cole, co-president of RAZOR. "However few marketing firms can realistically live up to being a true end-to-end marketing solution, such as the one that will be created through the combination of RAZOR and Archway. We're excited about the opportunities this partnership brings to both our clients and employees."
Dave Kirwan, co-president of RAZOR, added: "We started RAZOR five years ago with the fundamental belief that retail clients needed a true business-building partner. By leveraging customer data at the center of a strategic hub-and-spoke service model, we have found a better way to grow business for our clients."
Mike Moroz, president of Archway, noted: "We're excited about the opportunity to expand Archway's offerings to our clients, and give them access to RAZOR's high-level strategy thinking and analytics. We look forward to collaborating with these industry innovators."
Mr. A. Clayton Perfall, Chief Executive Officer of Union Street, stated: "We believe that the combination of RAZOR and Archway will create a uniquely positioned provider of integrated marketing operations management services. The creation of this new platform creates significant value through increased scale, a greater breadth of complementary services, an expanded roster of clients, and a deeper pool of talent. Both RAZOR and Archway have strong track records of growth and we expect solid industry fundamentals to continue to support demand for outsourced marketing solutions in the years ahead."
RAZOR's client list includes a variety of leading brands such as Domino's Pizza, Rent-A-Center, GameStop, Baskin-Robbins, Wendy's and Wireless Toyz. Archway's accounts range from Target and General Motors, to General Mills, Lowe's and Microsoft.
The transaction requires approval by Union Street's stockholders, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2008.
RAZOR's success has led to numerous marketing and entrepreneurial honors:
•According to Ad Age, RAZOR was the No. 1 growth Marketing Services Agency in 2006 and was among its Top 40 Marketing Services Agencies in 2007.
•The agency was ranked ninth on Entrepreneur magazine's Hot 100 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States in 2006.
•RAZOR was honored in 2006 as the No. 1 fastest-growing, privately held company in the Dallas / Fort Worth area at the Dallas 100™ Awards, presented by the SMU Cox Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship.
•Co-presidents Cole and Kirwan were recognized as finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2006 and 2007.
About RAZOR
Headquartered in Dallas, RAZOR is a rapidly growing direct and interactive retail marketing agency that uncovers smarter ways for clients to build their businesses. Founded in 2003, RAZOR has approximately 165 employees and serves leading national marketers that include Domino's Pizza, Rent-A-Center, GameStop, Baskin-Robbins, Wendy's, Wireless Toyz and Habitat for Humanity. RAZOR is focused on heavy data analytics and program design capabilities, including customer and transaction analytics, such as media mix modeling, segmentation, and ROI analysis, and transaction-level communications, such as database marketing/CRM, direct mail, promotion, web development and digital communications. For more information, visit www.razordriven.com.
Additional Information
Union Street intends to file with the SEC a proxy statement on Schedule 14A in connection with the proposed transaction. STOCKHOLDERS OF UNION STREET AND OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS ARE ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, UNION STREET'S DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING BECAUSE SUCH PROXY STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transaction. Stockholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the definitive proxy statement, without charge, once available, at the SEC's website http://www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Union Street Acquisition Corp. 102 South Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. As a result of the review by the SEC of the proxy statement, Union Street may be required to make changes to its description of the acquired business or other financial or statistical information contained in the proxy statement.
Such persons can also read Union Street's final prospectus, dated February 5, 2007, for a description of the security holdings of the Union Street officers and directors and of Banc of America Securities LLC and Morgan Joseph, the underwriters of Union Street's initial public offering consummated on February 9, 2007, and their respective interests in the successful consummation of this business combination.
Union Street and its officers and directors may be deemed to have participated in the solicitation of proxies from Union Street's stockholders in favor of the approval of the acquisitions. Information concerning Union Street's directors and executive officers is set forth in the publicly filed documents of Union Street. Stockholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of Union Street and its directors and executive officers in the acquisitions by reading the preliminary and definitive proxy statements regarding the acquisitions, which will be filed with the SEC.
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