Three finalists have been named for an award recognizing the most significant mergers and acquisitions transactions in Arizona.
The “Deal of the Year” is an award given by the Arizona Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) to recognize a company or private equity firm for their accomplishments regarding a merger, acquisition or capital market transaction. The award will recognize a deal/transaction in the Arizona marketplace involving established businesses with between $10 million and $750 million of revenue that closed in calendar year 2014.
The three finalists for the award are:
• Vonage’s purchase of Scottsdale-based Telesphere Networks in a $114 million transaction.
• Merz Pharma’s purchase of Mesa-based Ulthera, Inc. in a $600 million transaction.
• Evergreen Pacific Partners’ purchase of Phoenix-based Vantage Mobility in a transaction valued between $50 million and $100 million (exact amount not disclosed for confidentiality reasons).
The Deal of the Year Award will be given out on March 10 at a dinner at the Arizona Biltmore. The ACG signature event begins with a networking session at 5 p.m. and culminates with the award presentation starting at 6:45 p.m.
“The three transactions nominated for Deal of the Year are ones that helped drive Arizona’s economy in 2014,” said Sanat Patel, Board President for ACG-Arizona. “These transactions have a profound effect on our economy, and this award is a recognition of the individuals and companies that were involved in helping move our state and our region forward.”
The award criteria are:
· Deal-making that either created or demonstrates a real potential for substantial return on investment
· Deal-making that evidences the unlocking of value and/or contribution to the strategic development of the business
· Deal-making that produces a wider business impact, such as the development of new markets, products, services and/or technologies and the creation or retention of quality employment opportunities in Arizona
· Deal-making that reflects a high level of professional expertise in the design of the transaction and tested creativity and deal-making skills in completing the transaction
· At least one company involved in the transaction must be headquartered or have a majority of its operations in Arizona
Tickets for the March 10 event are available for $135 for ACG members and $155 for ACG non-members if purchased by midnight on March 3, and $155 for members and $175 for non-members after the 3rd. They may be purchased by visiting www.acg.org/arizona or calling 602-448-3981 or e-mailing acgarizona@acg.org.
Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is a global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. Today ACG stands at more than 14,000 members from corporations, private equity, finance, and professional service firms representing Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, FTSE 100, and mid-market companies in 56 chapters in North America, Europe, and Asia. The Arizona chapter of ACG includes representatives from corporate investment and private equity groups, financiers, venture capitalists and supporting consultant services. For more information, visit www.acg.org/arizona.
