The new DW8 blueprints. Turnaround, position for sale & offload.

Say 4B SOI & $50M sale = 1.25c SP. The $1B GMV dream is finished as will be sold.

Steve Voorma

CEO

Active Display Group / WPP AUNZ

Nov 2018- Present4 years

Brought in by the WPP AUNZ Board to spearhead a turnaround strategy and ultimately position the division for a sale. International footprint with diverse client base and complex supply chains across multiple operating business units. Returned to profitability and successfully completed sale to ASX listed company.

Active Display Group along with another company was sold for $6.5M by WPP to IVE late last year.

IVE Group to buy Active Display Group & AFI Branding for $6.5m

18 October, 2021

IVE Group is further expanding into retail display and third-party logistics with the purchase of Active Display Group and AFI Branding Solutions – two companies owned by global communications marketing agency, WPP – for $6.5 million.

Active Display Group is a retail point of sale and visual merchandising company which was founded by Jeff Gittus in 1985. In 2014 it was sold by the Gittus family to marketing agency STW and in 2015 it came under the ownership of global giant WPP following a takeover and now the wheels are in motion for the business to transition to IVE Group.

AFI Branding was half owned by Active Display Group with the other half owned by managing director Glenn Watson. The business was established 30 years ago and has built a solid reputation in the event, exhibition, fabric printing and signage markets. Its acquisition will allow IVE Group to expand into this space.

Both businesses are listed on the WPP AUNZ online company listing. All staff, including senior executives, will be transitioning across to IVE Group as part of the arrangement.

An official statement to theAustralian Securities Exchangesays IVE Group has signed a binding agreement to purchase the two companies. The total purchase consideration for both Active Display Group and AFI is $6.5 million, the statement says.

This includes $5.2 million payable on completion with $1.3 million of the total payable as deferred consideration based on the achievement of agreed revenue targets over a 24 month period.

The acquisitions are expected to contribute annual revenues of around $45 million, additional EBITDA of $6.5 million and NPAT of $4 million post the full integration of both ADG and AFI into IVE’s existing operations.

In a statement toSprinter, IVE Group CEO Matt Aitken says the acquisitions will strengthen IVE’s offer as an industry leader in the retail display space.

The timely announcement has also coincided with retail stores opening their doors again and businesses preparing to schedule events.