WESTMONT, IL M&A advisor The Open Approach has finalized the sale of MetroGroup to Direct Mail Holdings. The move builds on Direct Mail Holdings’ national, one-stop solution, adding unique 28-station polywrapping capabilities and other value-added services. It also expands the company’s visibility in prime service sectors. The Open Approach served as sole advisor to Sterling Partners, a private equity firm that had held MetroGroup since 2005.

“The deal The Open Approach has forged will unleash numerous pathways for growth. With the strength of Direct Mail Holdings, we will be better positioned, better equipped, and better able to respond to current and future dynamics of the marketplace.”

—Dave Beal,
 President of MetroGroup

The ownership transition marks a successful investment exit for Sterling Partners, while securing MetroGroup a key role with one of the nation’s leading, one-stop direct marketing solutions providers.

“We are excited about our next steps—and our next possibilities,” said Dave Beal, President of MetroGroup. “The deal The Open Approach has forged will unleash numerous pathways for growth. With the strength of Direct Mail Holdings, we will be better positioned, better equipped, and better able to respond to current and future dynamics of the marketplace.”

With more than 400 staffers, MetroGroup will continue to operate out of its up-to-date, 300,000-square-foot Midwestern plant, leveraging the manufacturing and distribution advantages of the enterprise’s Los Angeles; Tulsa; San Antonio; and Forest, VA locations. Each location is equipped to provide mailing and offset printing (both narrow web and sheetfed), along with digital capabilities for personalization. Metro adds strategic mailpiece processing advantages and operational synergies, effectively rounding off its comprehensive offerings.

About The Open Approach

The Open Approach is an accomplished investment banking/M&A firm with numerous successful transactions in the document management, ECM, label, packaging, and graphic arts-related industries. The firm provides full-cycle business model development and deployment, including acquisition targeting, due diligence, transaction execution, integration support, and other advisory services to maximize value generation for its clients. For more information about The Open Approach and the ECM opportunity, call 630-323-9700, email: rseavey@theopenapproach.net, or visit www.theopenapproach.net.