Grass Valley Sells System Integration Business

posted:

05/08/2012

Dr. Rüdiger G. Terhorst, Managing Director at PARTER Capital Group

Grass Valley™ announced that PARTER Capital Group, an equity investment firm based in Frankfurt, Germany, has purchased the assets and resources of Grass Valley’s systems integration team based in Weiterstadt, Germany. The group consists of system engineers and specialists that design and build outside broadcast (OB) vehicles as well as production and broadcast facilities across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

PARTER Capital Group has acquired the division through one of its portfolio companies, BTS broadcast technology solutions GmbH which was founded on 25 July 2012. BTS will provide field-tested, highly experienced personnel to design, test, and validate television and content systems.

This agreement reinforces Grass Valley’s strategy to focus on IT-centric software and hardware systems, while building a strong partners ecosystem. Grass Valley will work with BTS and its other partner companies and leading systems integrators around the world to meet the expectations of broadcasters and media companies, delivering solutions in which all of the parties complement each other for the benefit of the customer.

“Grass Valley will continue providing key solutions for systems integrators—including products such as our market leading cameras, switchers, editors, replay systems and servers—to meet increasing demand. PARTER Capital Group shares Grass Valley’s vision for the business and we will continue to work with them as an independent, third-party partner,” said Alan Wright, Senior Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Grass Valley. This divestiture is part of Grass Valley’s focus to strengthen its reputation as the Premier Video Technology Solutions Company to the broadcast and production industries, working with partners and end users as a solutions and service provider.”

“As an investment company, we saw the potential for growth as Grass Valley concentrates on its core businesses, and we are confident we can continue to make BTS broadcast technology solutions GmbH a global provider of high-quality leading solutions for fixed and remote production and broadcast facilities,” said Dr. Rüdiger G. Terhorst, Managing Director at PARTER Capital Group. “As we move forward, BTS broadcast technology solutions GmbH will be a Premium Partner within the Grass Valley distributors’ network.”

The portfolio of Parter includes also Thomson Broadcast, which was acquired in December 2010 from Technicolor, and Digital Film Technology, which was acquired in December 2008 from Thomson's Film Division.

As part of its growing commitment to service its customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Grass Valley will continue to strengthen its partner network and focus on its core portfolio for news, playout, and live production solutions across the region.