Alma Media acquired a group-buying online service for professionals

Alma Media Corporation   Press release  June 4, 2012 at 10.45 (EEST)

ALMA MEDIA ACQUIRED A GROUP-BUYING ONLINE SERVICE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Alma Media Corporation has acquired the entire stock of Suomen Hankintakeskus Oy, a company behind a group-buying online service www.suomenhankintakeskus.fi. The service enables companies seeking to buy goods or services to procure collectively, and hence rationalise the purchasing process and achieve cost savings. Suomen Hankintakeskus will join Alma Media’s Mascus, an international marketplace for used heavy machinery and transportation vehicles.

The deal is in line with Alma Media’s strategy to increase the share of revenue generated by digital services.

-The group-buying concept developed by Suomen Hankintakeskus Oy fits very well into Mascus product portfolio. The deal further strengthens Mascus’ position as an international marketplace helping its customers in making business effectively, says Mr Fredrik Larsson, Director of Mascus.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the transaction. The revenue of Suomen Hankintakeskus Oy was 380,000 euros in 2011 and the company will be reported as part of Alma Media’s Digital Consumer Services segment as of June 1, 2012.

Suomen Hankintakeskus Oy was founded in 2009 by Mr Jukka Mansikka. Through the service developed by the firm, companies aiming to purchase goods or services can make their procurement process more effective, while the suppliers are able to find new customers. The service currently has 1,300 registered suppliers. The service is operational in Finland and via licensee partners in Sweden and Germany. Mr Mansikka will continue as the Head of the company also after the transaction.

Mascus is a worldwide marketplace for heavy machinery and transportation vehicles, which operates in the business areas of Construction, Agriculture, Transportation, Material Handling, Groundscare and Forestry. Mascus has local operations in 42 countries and the platform is available on 54 domains in 39 languages.

For further information, please contact

Fredrik Larsson, Director, Mascus, tel. +358 50 314 2511
Raimo Mäkilä, SVP, Alma Media Marketplaces, tel. +358 10 665 5802

Alma Media in brief

Alma Media is a dynamic media company whose best-known products are the Aamulehti, Iltalehti, Kauppalehti and Etuovi.com. Alma Media employs approximately 3,000 professionals. The company’s revenue in 2011 totalled MEUR 316.2 with an operating margin of 13.3 per cent. Alma Media’s share (ALN1V) is listed in the Mid Cap segment of the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Read more: www.almamedia.com.

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