Combined company will provide customers with expansive access to next-generation IT infrastructure solutions across 20 domestic and international markets
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CHARLOTTE, NC, and DENVER, CO, June 13, 2017 – Peak 10 Inc. (“Peak 10”), a portfolio company of GI Partners, and ViaWest, Inc. (“ViaWest”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX:SJR.B; NYSE:SJR), today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which ViaWest will be acquired by Peak 10 for all-cash consideration of US$1.675 billion and the companies will combine. The transaction creates a leading provider of colocation, connectivity, cloud, and managed solutions. GI Partners, a former investor in ViaWest, acquired Peak 10 in 2014 and will remain the majority shareholder of the combined company.
This strategic move accelerates both companies’ commitment to growth and reinforces their customer-first approach. The combined company’s operations will span 20 domestic and international markets including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Minneapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Amsterdam, and Calgary. The increased scale and broad geographic coverage will enable the combined company to serve its customers across an enhanced platform of products and capabilities. Chris Downie, the Chief Executive Officer of Peak 10, will be the Chief Executive Officer of the combined company and Nancy Phillips, the Chief Executive Officer of ViaWest, will become the executive Chair of the Board of the combined company.
Peak 10 and ViaWest’s 4,400 customers will benefit from the expanded value proposition of the combined entity, including enhanced cloud and interconnection capabilities, highly redundant data centers, and back office and operational support systems automation. The combined company will serve its customers’ IT infrastructure needs across multiple dimensions:
- Product portfolio: The combination diversifies and enhances the company’s capability set, providing customers with broad choices across colocation, connectivity, private and public cloud utilities, as well as advanced managed solutions
- Innovation: Leveraging each company’s investments in advanced hybrid IT solutions, the combination will scale resources to continue its commitment to extending product reach and functionality
- Operational footprint: The new company will feature expansive capacity across 20 major domestic and international markets
- Management: The company’s combined best-in-class management team will drive continued strong execution across existing and new markets
“By joining forces, Peak 10 and ViaWest will create a leading hybrid IT infrastructure and solutions provider well-positioned to deliver significant benefits to our customers,” said Chris Downie, Chief Executive Officer of Peak 10. “This transformative transaction will expand our scale and geographic reach and we are excited to bring together two companies with cohesive operating philosophies and complementary strengths. Our goal is to deploy best practices across the combined company to provide exceptional solutions to our customer base, while driving best-in-class performance by taking advantage of new opportunities for growth.”
Nancy Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of ViaWest, said, “As we contemplated strategic partnerships, we quickly concluded that Peak 10 offered a complementary footprint, shared focus on the customer, and talented team. I’m excited for our customers and employees because this combination will deliver an unparalleled customer experience and create dynamic growth opportunities.”
“As an active investor in the IT infrastructure space for over 15 years, we are excited to bring these two growing companies together,” said David Mace, a Managing Director at GI Partners. “Peak 10 and ViaWest will be a powerful combination to support customers’ expanding data needs in domestic and international markets. We support the combined company’s commitment to service excellence and look forward to partnering with the leadership team to help drive the next phase of growth.”
The transaction is anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. DH Capital acted as financial advisor and Paul Hastings LLP acted as legal counsel to Peak 10 and GI Partners.
About Peak 10 and ViaWest
Peak 10 and ViaWest empower today’s enterprises to meet current and future business challenges through advanced hybrid IT infrastructure. The combined company’s operations will span 20 domestic and international markets. Some of the world’s largest businesses trust Peak 10 and ViaWest to deliver secure, compliant and flexible IT infrastructure through colocation, connectivity, cloud, and managed solutions that give enterprises the freedom to use just one provider to perform faster, manage risk, and stay competitive as their industries evolve. Both companies have nearly two decades of history and their committed technical support staff and 100% SLA underscore the steadfast reliability of their solutions. For more information on Peak 10, please visit www.peak10.com. For more information on ViaWest, please visit www.viawest.com.
About GI Partners
GI Partners is a leading private investment firm based in San Francisco. The firm has raised over $14 billion in capital through private equity and real estate strategies from recognized institutional investors across the globe. GI Partners’ private equity team is active in a number of key sectors, including IT Infrastructure, Healthcare, Software, and Services. For more information on GI Partners and its entire portfolio, please visit www.gipartners.com.
For media inquiries, contact:
Peak 10
Lydia Fakhouri
(971) 246-7896
GI Partners
Chris Tofalli
(914) 834-4334
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