ENK International announced Thursday that it has acquired WSA Global Holdings LLC, a move that will expand ENK's fashion product category.
"Bringing these two leading companies together and leveraging market knowledge, strategy and customer relationships provides us with the opportunity to create one of the most powerful fashion and footwear tradeshow and marketing services companies in the world," said Skip Farber, CEO of WSA, in a written statement.
Speculation of a deal first surfaced after the August installment of the WSA shoe show in Las Vegas. Neither organization would confirm the deal at the time.
ENK Chairman Elyse Kroll and ENK President Luis Padilla will remain in management roles at the organization, while Farber and Diane Stone, COO, will stay on the executive team at WSA.
"We consider the combination of these two great companies to be the perfect storm of 'best in class' leadership and marketing in the fashion trade show industry," said Theodore Forstmann, senior founding partner of Forstmann Little & Co., which acquired a majority stake in ENK in May 2006.
Forstmann Little also owns IMG Worldwide, which owns and produces international fashion events including Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York.
ENK International operates Sole Commerce, Fashion Coterie and a number of other trade shows.
Private investors and current management, including Farber and Stone, own WSA Global Holdings, which was launched last October after the show’s former board of directors sold its business operations and dispersed million to various charity groups. The actual purchase price was not disclosed. |
