As of September 1, 2021, we are pleased to be part of D.A. Davidson & Co. We will continue serving our clients as part of their full-service Investment Banking Group. Click here to learn more about our combined strengths.
×

Transactions

June 2007
Atlanta, Georgia
a portfolio company of
San Francisco, California
has acquired
Boulder, Colorado


Background

Global Energy Decisions, LLC (“GED”) provides software solutions, trading platforms, analytical tools, market data, advisory and strategic consulting services and more to the energy industry. Formed by CEO Ron McMahon in 2001, with the financial backing of private equity firm, Quadrangle Group, GED made six acquisitions to form a leading provider of energy-related services. Global Energy is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with additional offices in Columbus, Ohio; Vancouver, Washington; Kansas City, Missouri; Houston, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Initially, Management of GED together with Quadrangle, approached M&A to advise them on strategic alternatives. At the time, M&A was advising another energy information technology company and was not able to accept the assignment. As a result GED hired another advisor. Six months later, when the principals finally went to market, M&A was free to discuss the situation with potential buyers.

From previous conversations, M&A knew that Vista Equity Partners was actively seeking to acquire control of strong technology companies and was particularly interested in companies that would be a strategic fit for its portfolio company, Ventyx, Inc., a leading Service Delivery Management solution provider for the utilities, telecommunications and cable/broadband industries. We believed that the strategic and financial profile of GED would fit Vista’s criteria.

In February 2007, Vista engaged M&A to help them conduct a strategic and financial review of Global Energy’s business, and, if possible to acquire GED.



Overview

On June 14th 2007, Vista Equity Partners announced that they had acquired Global Energy Decisions, LLC, through Vista’s affiliate, Ventyx, Inc.,

M&A Role

Marlin & Associates New York LLC (“M&A”) identified Global Energy as a potential opportunity, helped Vista conduct a thorough review of Global Energy's business and financial results and worked with Vista to assess Global Energy's strategic fit within Vista's portfolio. Ultimately, M&A helped Vista acquire 100% of Global Energy through Vista’s portfolio company, Ventyx, Inc.

Press

Ventyx Acquires Global Energy Decisions

June 14, 2007

Ventyx Acquires Global Energy Decisions

Creates World’s Largest Privately Held Software Provider to Utility Industry

Boulder, CO & Atlanta, GA, (June 14, 2007) Ventyx™, the leading Service Delivery Management (SDM) solution provider, today announced that it has acquired Global Energy Decisions LLC (Global Energy), a provider of integrated software, data and advisory services to the worldwide electric utility industry and its supply chain.

Global Energy delivers utility industry solutions for generation asset and portfolio optimization, energy trading and risk management, schedule management, price and load forecasting, maintenance optimization, resource planning, fuel budgeting, plant betterment and environmental compliance analysis. The solutions are based on a common framework of software applications, energy markets data and advisory services. Global Energy has worldwide relationships with 400 energy market participants and more than 175 installed software clients and 150 installed database clients -- making the company a leader in providing integrated analytics, planning, energy trading and operations management solutions.

“The addition of Global Energy Decisions gives our combined business the most complete product offering for the electric utility industry, and the combination creates the largest privately held software company serving this industry,” said Ventyx President and CEO Greg Dukat. “For the first time ever utilities will have a single provider whose comprehensive solution suite bridges utility forecasting, trading and operations and service delivery to customers. As a result, the acquisition greatly expands our ability to help utility clients deliver cleaner power, meet increasing load demand by better operating existing assets, make big investment bets on new capacity, secure fuel supplies in uncertain markets and achieve core business objectives.”

“Global Energy and Ventyx have been serving this industry for decades, we have a deep understanding of how utilities work, and our combined product lines help them to solve their most difficult and complex business problems,” said Ron McMahan, Chairman and CEO, Global Energy. “This acquisition dramatically changes the landscape in this market. It strengthens our mutual commitment to the utility industry, and it will give utilities much better control over their businesses with improved efficiencies and customer satisfaction.”

“Utilities are looking to make strategic decisions about their portfolio of assets, including how to operate generation as a fleet, how and when to invest in new assets and how and when to invest in existing assets within the context of real market conditions,” explained Jill Feblowitz, Director of Business Technology at IDC’s Energy Insights. “With the acquisition of Global Energy, Ventyx now has the ability to deploy applications covering wholesale, delivery and customer requirements and therefore even greater potential for providing real advantages to utilities."

Ventyx will continue to support all the industries on which it currently focuses, including utilities, communications and its traditional commercial markets. “This acquisition solidifies our proactive strategy for growing our business, and we will continue to actively assess opportunities to expand and deepen our product offerings in all of our targeted industries,” added Dukat.

Global Energy will operate as a Ventyx company, and its employees and management team will continue to support the development and deployment of its current software, data and advisory services solutions for the wholesale electric utility industry and its supply chain.

Ventyx is backed by Vista Equity Partners, a $1 billion private investment firm based in San Francisco, CA. Ventyx was formed earlier this year when Vista brought together industry leaders Indus International Inc. and MDSI Mobile Data Solutions to form the leading Service Delivery Management provider.

Marlin & Associates New York LLC ("M&A") was the exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Vista Equity Partners.

About Ventyx
Ventyx is the leading provider of proven Service Delivery Management solutions which enable utility, communications and other commercial field service organizations to optimize the management of their customers, workforce, spare parts inventory, equipment, tools and documentation -- empowering organizations to maximize efficiencies in their customer relationships, facilities, workforce and field service operations. With offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, the company has more than 400 clients in select asset-intensive service-based industries. For more information: www.ventyx.com.

About Marlin & Associates
Founded in 2002, Marlin & Associates New York LLC is a boutique investment banking and strategic consulting firm focused on providing highly strategic and specialized, transaction-related services to U.S. and international middle-market firms engaged in technology, information, on-line media and business-services. The firm is based in New York City with a Washington, DC office and has been the recipient of numerous awards.
Marlin & Associates' professionals have advised on over 200 successfully completed transactions in the technology and information services sector.  In addition to Global Energy, recent Marlin & Associates transactions include:

  • Applied Financial Technology of San Francisco, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE: FIS).  M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as strategic and financial advisor to AFT.
  • Xcitek LLC market data of New York, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Interactive Data Corporation (NYSE: IDC).  M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Xcitek.
  • Hugin ASA of Oslo, Norway, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Euronext NV of Amsterdam, Netherlands (ENXTPA: NXT). M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Hugin.
  • Triple Point Technology of Westport, Connecticut, which Marlin & Associates advised on the sale of a majority interest to ABRY Partners, one of the most experienced and successful private equity firms in North America.  M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Triple Point Technology.
  • Brainpower N.V. of Lugano, Switzerland, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Bloomberg L.P.  M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Brainpower.
  • Cameron Systems (Vic) of Sydney, Australia, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Orc Software of Stockholm, Sweden (STKM: ORC). M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Cameron.
  • Derivative Solutions, of Chicago, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to FactSet Research Systems (NYSE: FDS). M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Derivative Solutions.
  • Beauchamp Financial Technology Ltd. of London, England, which Marlin and Associates advised on its sale to Linedata Services of Paris, France (PARIS: LIN). M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to BFT.
  • Global Securities Information, Inc. of Washington, D.C. which Marlin and Associates advised on its sale to the Thomson Corporation (NYSE:TOC). M&A initiated the transaction, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to GSI.

For more information Contact:
Michael Maxworthy at +1 646 495-5141
Or Contact@MarlinLLC.com
www.MarlinLLC.com

Back to previous page
Back to Top