Jacobson Companies and Wilpak, Inc. Merger

BG Strategic Advisors Announces the Merger of the Jacobson Companies with Wilpak, Inc.


PALM BEACH, FL, May 3, 2006 – BG Strategic Advisors announced today that the Jacobson Companies of Des Moines, Iowa, leaders in providing third-party logistics services, have merged with Wilpak, Inc., an Atlanta, GA-based supply chain management (package design, contract packaging, contract manufacturing, and logistics) company. The merger enhances the capabilities of both parties in providing national supply chain management services. BG Strategic Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Wilpak in this transaction.

The addition of Wilpak adds 750,000 square feet of space in Atlanta devoted to contract manufacturing, contract packaging and postponement operations. The company employs an average daily workforce of 500 in the Atlanta area.

“Bringing Wilpak, Inc. into the Jacobson family of companies strengthens our position as a complete, end-to-end supply chain solutions provider,” said Craig Petermeier, Jacobson Companies CEO. “We now can truly ‘do it all’ for our customers. Wilpak has the ability to provide leadership in very specialized areas such as plant relocation/outsourced manufacturing and contract packaging. They are a strategic fit with Jacobson’s total supply chain solution.”

“It has always been my vision to take the systems and processes that made us stand out in contract packaging to a national footprint,” echoed Eric J. Wilhelm, Wilpak CEO. “By combining the operations of the two companies, we are instantly there. This opens up exciting, new opportunities for us to offer stronger, more complete services up and down the supply chain to existing customers, and makes us more competitive in presentations to prospective customers as well.”

“Wilpak is known for its ‘turn-on-a-dime’ flexibility and sophisticated systems in contract packaging,” noted Kirk Fischer, President of Jacobson Packaging Company. “Now, as Wilpak joins forces with Jacobson, we can expand on our ability to deliver state-of-the-art outsourced packaging services to manufacturers in a variety of industries, in markets throughout the U.S.”

About Jacobson Companies

A nationally ranked third-party logistics and warehousing provider, Jacobson is dedicated to providing solutions to customers’ supply chain management challenges. With the recent addition of Southwest Storage & Distribution, the Jacobson organization now includes eight integrated operating companies: Jacobson Distribution Company, Jacobson Warehouse Company, Jacobson Transportation Company, Jacobson Logistics Company, Jacobson Packaging Company, Jacobson Staffing Company, and Jacobson Investment Company. The Jacobson Companies operate a 14 million-square-foot national network. Jacobson’s integrated trucking, warehousing and packaging operations are designed to help customers reduce their supply chain management costs. For more information, visit www.jacobsonco.com

About Wilpak, Inc.

Privately held by Eric J. Wilhelm, Wilpak, Inc., has a client roster that includes major consumer products companies in the beverage, confectionary, hardware and soft goods industries. The company has realized annual double-digit sales increases since its start 13 years ago. Last year was a significant milestone as Wilpak successfully added contract manufacturing and logistics operations, effectively doubling projected sales for 2006. For more information, visit www.wilpak.com.