BIA Digital Partners Investment in Hoffman Media Honored as Top Mezzanine Exit in 2012

CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BIA Digital Partners II LP (“BIA DP”), a private investment firm focusing on growth companies within the business services, media, telecom, and information segments, announced that its investment and subsequent exit in Hoffman Media, LLC (“Hoffman Media” or the “Company”) has been recognized as the mezzanine "Deal of the Year" at the 2012 Southern Capital Conference.

“On behalf of the team here at Hoffman Media, we are delighted that BIA Digital Partners received this prestigious award”

The Southern Capital Conference is an annual meeting where institutional investors and their advisors from across the country come to build and extend relationships with private equity firms headquartered in the Southeastern United States. The criteria included how the company used the investment dollars, the resultant growth of the company during the investment, and the cash-on-cash and IRR returns to the investors. This annual conference is attended by over 50 Southeastern-based private equity firms with more than $20 billion under management, as well as more than 40 leading institutional investors from across the United States. The conference is hosted by the Southern Capital Forum (formerly known as the Atlanta Venture Forum), the largest trade association for private equity investors in the Southeast.

"We are honored to receive this recognition from the Southern Capital Conference," said Scott Chappell of BIA Digital Partners. "We invested in Hoffman Media in 2004 based on our belief that Hoffman Media really connected with its constituents and could further its growth both through acquisitions and organically. We appreciate the efforts and partnership of Hoffman Media founder Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, her son Chief Operating Officer Eric Hoffman, and the rest of the Hoffman Media team. Hoffman Media generated a return for our firm of 2.5 times our invested capital and a 27% internal rate of return. They made this outstanding outcome possible. It is gratifying that we were able to achieve our exit through a recap whereby management shareholders re-acquired virtually all of the ownership of the company."

Hoffman Media was founded in 1983 by Phyllis Hoffman DePiano. Based in Birmingham, AL, Hoffman Media is a leading special-interest publisher targeting the women’s market and the large base of advertisers who seek a print, online and interactive medium to reach this attractive demographic. Current brands include Cooking with Paula Deen, Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate, Southern Lady, Taste of the South, TeaTime, The Cottage Journal Seasons, and Victoria. In addition to publications, Hoffman Media has a consumer event business and an established ancillary products division.

"On behalf of the team here at Hoffman Media, we are delighted that BIA Digital Partners received this prestigious award," said Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, Founder and President of Hoffman Media. "They are a pleasure to work with and were supportive of our dynamic business. When we met Scott Chappell and the BIA team, we were sub-$10 million in revenue and had some great ideas we wanted to execute. Through their capital fueling our growth, we grew revenue 500%, became more profitable, and were able to more than triple the size of our talented workforce. Plus, this exit for BIA was created not through a sale of our company, but rather through cash on its balance sheet, senior debt borrowings, and non-core asset sales. So now the management team owns the company once again.”

About BIA Digital Partners

BIA Digital Partners is a private investment firm and has invested over $300 million. Financing is available for acquisitions, organic growth, recapitalizations and leveraged/management buyouts among other purposes. BIA Digital Partners maintains a focus on growth companies operating in the business services, media, telecommunications, and information segments. Investments range from $5 to $20 million and are typically in the form of subordinated debt with warrants or preferred equity. For more information, visit www.biadp.com.

About Hoffman Media, LLC

Hoffman Media, LLC (HM) is a privately held, leading special-interest publisher based in Birmingham, AL. The company specializes in publications targeted to the women’s market and the large base of advertisers who seek a print, online and interactive medium to reach this attractive demographic. In addition to publications, HM has a growing consumer event business and an established ancillary products division. For more information, please visit www.hoffmanmedia.com or contact Eric Hoffman at 205-262-2127 or [e-mail].