Mesirow Financial Advises Special Data Processing Corporation in Sale to Blackstreet Capital Advisors, LLC

CHICAGO, September 8, 2008 — Mesirow Financial Corporate Investment Banking department announced today that it acted as exclusive financial advisor to Special Data Processing Corporation ("SDP" or the "Company") in its sale to Blackstreet Capital Advisors, LLC ("Blackstreet"), a Bethesda, MD-based private equity firm.

Based in Clearwater, FL, SDP is a leading independent direct marketer of consumer products and services. SDP provides its partners with unique customer acquisition programs from which the company receives approximately 6 million inbound calls per year. SDP has longstanding partner relations with all of the major magazine publishers and is one of the largest magazine clearinghouses in the nation. For more information, visit www.specialdata.com.

Scott Brady, chief executive officer at SDP, stated, "Mesirow Financial's discipline and commitment was instrumental in executing a sale process and securing a transaction that provided a strategically beneficial business partner for our future growth."

Rocky Pontikes, director in Investment Banking, commented, "We are pleased to have served as financial advisor to SDP in this successful transaction. Blackstreet's acquisition of SDP will enable the company to build upon its recent growth and continue to provide its partners with industry leading customer acquisition programs."

Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1937, it is an independent, employee-owned firm with $32.2 billion in assets under management and more than 1,100 employees in 30 locations across the country and in London. With expertise in Investment Management, Investment Services, Insurance Services, Investment Banking, Consulting and Real Estate, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals and was named one of Chicago's Best Places to Work by Crain's Chicago Business in 2008. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, the firm posted $490 million in revenue (unaudited), with more than $245 million in capital. For more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its Web site at www.mesirowfinancial.com.

For more information, contact: Lauren Berkowitz, Mesirow Financial, 312.595.6261.

 

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