EFI to Acquire VUTEk, Inc.
First Quarter 2005 Results Expected to be In Line with Company
Guidance
Foster City, Calif. – April 14, 2005
– EFI (Nasdaq: EFII), the world leader in digital imaging and
print management solutions for commercial and enterprise printing,
today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire privately held
VUTEk®, Inc., the market share leading provider of superwide format
digital inkjet printers, for approximately $281 million in cash. EFI
expects the transaction to close early in the third quarter of 2005,
subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition is expected to be
immediately accretive upon closing, adding approximately $72 million
in revenue and $0.11 in pro forma diluted earnings per share in the
second half of 2005. The company expects second half GAAP results to
include acquisition related charges in an amount to be determined
upon completion of the customary valuation exercise.
"VUTEk will be an excellent addition to EFI’s range of best of breed
innovative solutions for the commercial print market. VUTEk is the
sales leader in the growing segment of superwide format digital
inkjet printing,” said Guy Gecht, EFI CEO. “There are many natural
synergies between EFI’s core expertise in digital printing
innovation and VUTEk’s digital inkjet technology and we are both
leaders in the ongoing industry transition from analog to digital
printing. With VUTEk’s profitable business model, we expect this
acquisition to not only be accretive immediately, but to provide EFI
with new revenue streams in the future.”
"We are excited to become part of the EFI team as
their worldwide reputation, deep industry relationships and
financial stability will allow us to gain greater market reach and
provide our valued customers with an even higher quality of service,
” said Art Cleary, VUTEk Co-Founder. “Our customers and employees
will also benefit from EFI's culture of innovation, allowing us to
remain on the leading edge."
VUTEk is headquartered in Meredith, New Hampshire
with approximately 330 employees globally. In 2004, VUTEk reported
revenues of approximately $130 million.
VUTEk is the leader in the superwide format digital
inkjet segment of the commercial print market. Their printers and
inks are used to produce point of purchase displays, advertising,
posters, billboards and other “out of home” graphics up to five
meters in width. VUTEk’s customers include commercial printers,
screen printers, photo labs, sign shops and reprographic houses that
print on a variety of surfaces including paper, vinyl, corrugated,
textile, glass, plastic and nearly any other substrate up to two
inches thick.
Separately, the company announced that
results for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 are expected to be in
line with the guidance provided on January 26, 2005. First quarter
results will be discussed as previously announced on Wednesday,
April 20, 2005.
About EFI
EFI (www.efi.com) is the world leader in digital imaging and print
management solutions for commercialand enterprise printing. EFI's
award-winning technologies offer document management tools from
creation to print, including high fidelity color and black and white
Fiery(R) print servers that can output up to 2000 pages per minute;
powerful production workflow and print management information
software solutions for increased performance and cost efficiency;
and an array of business-critical enterprise and mobile printing
solutions. EFI maintains 21 offices worldwide.
About VUTEk Inc.
Founded in 1988, American manufacturer VUTEk Inc. is the leading
worldwide supplier of superwide format digital inkjet printers to
the graphic arts market. VUTEk® pioneered superwide format printers,
and sets the standard for superwide/grand format and specialty
printing, using digital inkjet technology for out-of-home
advertising applications, including billboards, fleet graphics,
banners, bus shelters, point-of-purchase displays and posters.
VUTEk's current product portfolio includes the UltraVu® product
range, for high quality, high speed printing in 2-, 3-, and 5-meter
formats, and its PressVu® family of digital inkjet flatbed printers,
capable of printing on both rigid and flexible substrates using
UV-curable or solvent-based inks.
All trademarks noted herein are either the property
of EFI or VUTEk Inc.