Empresas y finanzas

Citicorp Venture Capital Announces Investment in WNA



    Citicorp Venture Capital (CVC) today announced that it has made a
    controlling investment in leading foodservice disposables manufacturer
    Waddington North America, Inc. (WNA). Norwest Equity Partners (NEP), a
    leading middle market private equity firm, and WNA management also
    participated in the investment.

    WNA designs and manufactures a variety of premium single-serve
    products for the foodservice industry including dinnerware, drink
    ware, serving ware, take-out containers and cutlery. Headquartered in
    Covington, KY, WNA operates six manufacturing facilities throughout
    the United States and Canada, providing foodservice disposables for
    use by restaurants, caterers and consumers.

    Industry trends have also been favorable for WNA as it continues
    to be a market leader targeting the rapidly growing niche and high
    value-added segments of the $4 billion rigid plastic sector of the
    disposable tableware market. Mike Evans, WNA CEO, stated, "We are
    thrilled to join the CVC portfolio and are looking forward to
    realizing our growth plans with our new investment partners. CVC and
    NEP have significant plastic and packaging experience combined with
    capital to help us grow both internally and through acquisitions."

    WNA's focus on technical innovation, a broad product line
    offering, and a high level of customer service, have all helped it to
    establish long-term customer relationships and achieve the number one
    market position in North America in multiple premium product
    categories. With more than 620 distinct products with diversity of
    package size, color and presentation, WNA generates industry leading
    margins and dominates the premium end of the plastic foodservice
    disposables market with its Masterpiece(TM), Reflections(TM) and
    Classicware(TM) product lines.

    Joseph S Levy, CVC Managing Partner, stated, "We are looking
    forward to our partnership with the WNA management team and are
    excited about WNA's history of product innovation and the continued
    growth opportunity going forward. WNA differentiates itself as a
    one-stop shop for its customers with its broad product offering, and
    with new technologies and proprietary value-added products under
    development, the Company is well-positioned for continued growth."

    Prior to this transaction, WNA was a portfolio company of Code
    Hennessy & Simmons LLC. Ropes & Gray LLP provided legal services and
    SG Americas Securities, LLC a subsidiary of Societe Generale Corporate
    and Investment Banking served as financial advisor in connection with
    this transaction.

    For more information, please visit www.wna.biz.

    About Citicorp Venture Capital

    CVC, founded in 1968, is Citi Alternative Investments (CAI)
    leveraged buyout platform focused on making control equity investments
    in U.S.-based middle-market companies. Transactions are generally
    between $100 million and $500 million. CVC supports experienced
    management teams in companies best-positioned to benefit from changing
    industries. Its strategy is to identify market leaders operating in
    dynamic sectors leading to superior growth and value creation.

    CAI is an alternative investment platform that manages a wide
    range of products across five asset classes, including private equity,
    hedge funds, real estate, structured products and infrastructure. CAI
    manages capital on behalf of Citi, as well as third-party
    institutional and high net worth investors. As of June 30, 2007, CAI
    had approximately $59.2 billion of un-levered assets under management,
    ranking CAI among the world's largest alternative asset managers.
    CAI's goal is to enable its 16 investment centers to retain the
    entrepreneurial qualities required to capitalize on evolving
    opportunities, while benefiting from the intellectual, operational and
    financial resources of Citi.

    About Norwest Equity Partners

    Since its founding in 1961, Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) has
    earned a reputation as one of the premier private equity investment
    firms in the United States providing middle market companies with the
    capital they need to reach their goals. The firm focuses on providing
    equity investments of $20-$100 million in growing and profitable
    companies through management buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth
    financings. NEP has in excess of $3 billion in capital under
    management and is currently investing NEP VIII, an $800 million fund.
    Visit www.nep.com for more information on NEP's portfolio and
    investment team.