A leading provider of bundled telecommunications services, Staples Communications has an employee base in excess of 850 and an active customer base of 45,000 located in 38 major metropolitan markets. Additionally, the Company has revenues of more than $175 million for the year 2000. Terms of the acquisition are not disclosed.
Platinum Equity’s acquisition of Staples Communications includes the Company’s three primary businesses: Claricom, Inc. providing hardware sales and services, Claricom Networks, Inc. and Clarity Telecom Local Network Services, Inc., providing long distance and local network services. The acquisition of the two network divisions is subject to regulatory approvals being obtained. The Company’s headquarters will continue to be based in Shelton, Connecticut. It will operate under a new name to be announced at a later date.
Tom T. Gores, president and chief executive officer of Platinum Equity commented, The acquisition of Staples Communications builds upon our strategy to increase our presence in the telecom space. As usual, we will apply fundamental business principals along with our understanding of the space to create new energy and enhanced value for the company.
Staples Communications is a nationwide advanced integrator of communications solutions, offering a full portfolio of business communications systems and software, voice, data and network solutions. The Company has built a strong national franchise by providing packaged telecommunications solutions to small and medium-sized business customers. Staples Communications offers a full spectrum of network services, such as local and long distance, internet access, paging, data and other related network services, as well as a full protfolio of business of communications solutions including voice, data, and video hardware and software from some of the world’s leading manufacturers: Nortel Networks, Iwatsu, Executone, Active Voice and Sony.
Platinum recently announced its acquisition of Williams Communications Solutions, renamed Nextira, from Willams Communications Group. Nextira is a leading communications network solutions operation with combined revenues of $1.5 billion and more than 6,500 employees. Nextira includes the integrated operations of Platinum-owned, Milgo Solutions.
