Praesidian Capital Investors Partners with Entrepreneurial ...

Tag : Lighting
Mezzanine Financing Supports Epic Production Technologies'Acquisitions Of Q1 Production Technologies And Ed And Ted'sExcellent Lighting



NEW YORK, Sept. 26 Praesidian Capital Investors, a leading providerof mezzanine capital for small and mid-sized companies, hasinvested $12 million of senior subordinated debt in Epic ProductionTechnologies, a company formed through the merger of Q1 ProductionTechnologies Inc. and Ed and Ted's Excellent Lighting, Inc., withthe support of H.I.G. Capital, LLC.



Epic is the product of the combination of Q1 ProductionTechnologies, Inc. and Ed and Ted's Excellent Lighting, Inc., twoleading providers of lighting systems for concert tours, theatricalproductions and corporate and special events throughout NorthAmerica. Q1 Production Technologies, Inc. provides a comprehensiverange of lighting and rigging for rentals and production, as wellas a wide selection of lighting, rigging, audio, staging and softgoods for sales and integration. Q1 has played a role in some ofthe most prestigious, complex and innovative productions includingDisney's The Lion King, Tony Award winning musicals Showboat andRagtime and the XV Winter Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies. Ed& Ted's Excellent Lighting, also a provider of lighting andrigging rental and production services, has particular expertise inthe concert lighting industry, with clients including Bon Jovi,Dancing with the Stars, KROQ, Blue Man Group and Green Day.



"Epic brings together two talented management teams, two highlycomplementary businesses and a strong equity partner in H.I.G.Capital," said Neil Marks, Managing Partner at Praesidian. "Thecombined company is positioned to realize significant economies ofscale through rental volume with largely fixed operating costs, aswell as take on larger engagements that few competitors canservice. We look forward to building an even more successfulbusiness."



"Marc Raymond and Ted Fowler are talented executives who have builttwo very successful businesses," said Elliot Maluth, ManagingDirector at H.I.G. Capital. "Now, as a combined company with oursupport and that of the creative and reliable team at Praesidian,Epic is poised for continued growth."



About Praesidian Capital Investors

Praesidian Capital partners with small and mid-sized businesses,providing private debt capital. With a focus on its core competencyin mezzanine financing, Praesidian invests in established,historically profitable companies often in connection with amanagement/leveraged buyout, recapitalization or refinancing. Basedin New York City, Praesidian manages over $400 million in committedcapital. For more information, visit www.praesidian.com.



About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. Capital is a leading global private equity investment firmwith more than $7.5 billion of equity capital under management.Based in Miami, and with offices in Atlanta, Boston, and SanFrancisco in the U.S., as well as affiliate offices in London,Hamburg and Paris in Europe, H.I.G. specializes in providingcapital to small and medium-sized companies with attractive growthpotential. H.I.G. invests in management-led buyouts andrecapitalizations of profitable and well managed manufacturing orservice businesses. H.I.G. also has extensive experience withfinancial restructurings and operational turnarounds. Since itsfounding, H.I.G. invested in and managed more than 200 companiesworldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes companies withcombined revenues in excess of $7 billion. For more information,visit www.higcapital.com.



About Ed and Ted's Excellent Lighting, Inc.

Ed & Ted's was founded in 1994 in Salt Lake City, Utah by eventproducer Ted Fowler, concert promoter Jim McNeill and audio companyowner Ed Pratt. Now based in Oxnard, California, the Companyprovides lighting and rigging rental and production services, withexpertise in the concert lighting industry, and is known throughoutthe lighting industry for providing modern, reliable rentalequipment and excellent service and support. The Company is alsoroutinely nominated for industry trade awards, and was recognizedas "Lighting Company of the Year" in 2005 by Pro Lights &Staging News, a major industry trade magazine. For moreinformation, visit www.edandted.com.



About Q1 Production Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 2001 by Marc Raymond and Phil Bernard and based inWinnipeg, Canada, Q1 Production Technologies provides rental andsale of lighting systems and superior technical support for theentertainment and event industries. The Company is one of NorthAmerica's leading technical suppliers, with operations in sevencities throughout Canada and the US. The Company has played a rolein the most prestigious, complex and innovative productionsincluding Disney's The Lion King, Tony Award winning musicalsShowboat and Ragtime and the XV Winter Olympic Games ClosingCeremonies. For more information, visit www.q1pt.com.





SOURCE Praesidian Capital Investors




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