Acquisition Helps Tensator Improve Customer Journey

Riverside and Tensator Bolster Queuing-Management Offer

21 December 2011 - The Riverside Company and Tensator have completed the acquisition of Portuguese customer journey management specialist Newvision. Newvision offers a range of products including dispersed queue management systems, self-service and multimedia information kiosks, and digital displays.

Newvision develops integrated products through five product lines that provide virtual queue management, people counting, self-service, multimedia kiosks and corporate television. Since 2008, Newvision has achieved 20% growth per annum in revenues and has more than 3,000 installed solutions serving  more than 400 customers, mainly in Europe, but also in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Customer sectors include postal, retail and public administration, healthcare, telecoms, banking and utilities, among others.

“Having access to Newvision’s excellent dispersed queuing technology is critical to our continued success in becoming the definitive global leader in the management of the customer journey,” said Tensator CEO Alan McPherson. “Now, with Newvision and Tensator under the same Riverside umbrella, we can provide an even more diverse range of revenue and margin enhancement, labour savings and customer experience solutions.”

Tensator has pioneered custom space management solutions that accelerate queues, reduce wait times, generate marketing value and improve sales. Its product line includes in-queue impulse purchase merchandising systems, signage and advertising accessories; and electronic queuing – an electronic call forwarding system that provides queue management statistical reporting and digital media. While Tensator has deep experience in linear queuing systems, including the ubiquitous Tensabarrier which is sold in over 150 countries around the world, Riverside’s acquisition of Newvision provides an excellent platform for entering the faster growing non-linear or dispersed queuing market with a proven suite of products.

“The combined offering of Tensator and Newvision will have a major positive impact on both businesses,” said Riverside Partner Karsten Langer. “There is an excellent fit between both strategies, which opens the door to significant synergies and cross‐selling opportunities. Newvision’s renowned technology in dispersed queuing, combined with a strong management team that will remain in place, are a great complement to Tensator’s world-famous brand and global presence.”

The transaction should greatly benefit both companies, said Miguel Ferreira, Newvision Chairman of the Board.  “Combining the complementary geographic footprint of both companies makes a potent suite of products available to a very wide variety of customers across the world. It’s a great platform for mutual growth,” he said.

The markets in which Newvision and Tensator operate – queue management and interaction management, have an estimated annual value of $2.3 billion globally (2010).

Working with Langer on the acquisition from Riverside were Principal Adam Pietruszkiewicz and Senior Associates Marcin Goszyk and Damien Gaudin. The opportunity was originated by Director of Origination for Riverside, Juan Barnechea.

Ernst & Young, Macedo Vitorino & Associates and Simon-Kucher & Partners provided due diligence on the transaction. KMPG advised Riverside on the transaction and Jones Day provided legal counsel.

Media Contact:
Sarah M. Flaherty
The Riverside Company
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
+44 7825 33 46 57
smf@riversideeurope.com

The Tensator Group - www.tensator.com

Based in the United Kingdom, The Tensator Group is the world’s leading queue management provider with the largest range of crowd control, in-queue merchandising, electronic call forward and display and signage products. Tensator is famous for inventing the Tensabarrier® retractable post, which is now a common feature in many queuing environments. Its customer base spans international blue chip retailers, airport terminals and banking outlets globally.

Newvision – www.newvision.eu/site/  

Portuguese-based Newvision offers a range of solutions focused in self-service systems for public attendance, operating in the field of electronic customer engagement via a line of products such as interactive kiosks, queue management and digital displays. NV’s product portfolio is based on the concept of Integrated Service System (ISS) that is constituted by five product lines: InLine (Virtual Queuing Management Systems – VQMS), Step-In (people counting system), Self-Service (Multi-Services Machines – MSM), KIO (Multimedia Kiosk) and InLine Corporate TV.

The Riverside Company - www.riversidecompany.com; www.riversideeurope.com

The Riverside Company is a global private equity firm focused on acquiring growing enterprises valued at up to $200 million (€200 million in Europe). The firm partners with strong management teams and enhances its investments through acquisitions and organic growth. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has invested in more than 260 transactions with a total enterprise value of more than €4.7 billion. The firm’s portfolio in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region includes more than 75 companies with roughly 14,000 employees. Riverside completes acquisitions smoothly thanks to €2.4 billion in assets under management, more than 200 professionals in 20 offices, and longstanding relationships with partner lenders.