11/13/2001
Business Wire
(Copyright (c) 2001, Business Wire)
GREENVILLE, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2001--Reedy River Press, Inc., a leading content developer and publisher of creative and educational media, today announced it has retained New York-based CLB Partners, LLC to help the company secure additional capital.
CLB Partners, a prominent financial advisory services firm for middle market companies, will also work with Reedy River Press to manage the rapid growth that resulted from the success of its new educational print and online publication, PC Teach It(TM).
Linda Dennis, editor-in-chief of Reedy River Press, indicated that the company has received an overwhelming response to PC Teach It, launched at the beginning of the 2001-2002 school year. Dennis said her staff is working around the clock to meet both the onslaught of new subscriptions as well as requests from organizations and companies hoping to join forces with the unrivaled magazine and website. "We were more than thrilled with the response we received after the premiere issue of PC Teach It hit the newsstands," stated Dennis, "but it became immediately clear that we would need some assistance to meet the demands of greater than expected growth."
Dennis, founder of the two-year old publishing company, stated that Reedy River looked at numerous financial firms and brokers for assistance. "We selected CLB Partners because of their reputation and experience, especially with middle market companies. We knew they were the best choice for us long term -- CLB will not only help devise the most appropriate structure necessary for our sustained growth, but will also help source the capital needed to leverage the astounding response we've received to PC Teach It to date."
Designed to help teachers bring computer technology into the classroom, PC Teach It and www.pcteachit.com are the first print magazine and website of their kind that work hand-in-hand, following the academic calendar and offering standards-driven projects that encourage hands-on involvement by teachers and children in a simple, how-to driven format. PC Teach It, which targets educators of kindergarten to sixth grade, was created after nearly two years of research and development involving teachers, national and local government agencies, software companies and numerous educational associations, including the International Society of Technology Education (ISTE). The concept of using a magazine in conjunction with a website to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom is new, but research results showed that textbooks would become obsolete too quickly due to constant changes in technology. "With each new issue of PC Teach It," explained Dennis, "teachers can easily integrate computers into curricula with technology-based lesson plans that provide projects designed as creative, 3-D assessment tools, without fear that information or instructions are out of date."
Dennis went on to explain that PC Teach It also partners with several influential educational associations across the country including Blue Ribbon Schools, a national initiative begun by the Department of Education in 1982 that promotes and supports the improvement of education in America. Bart Teal of Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and a recognized leader of the Blue Ribbon Schools Initiative, is one of many strong proponents of PC Teach It. "I found the content in PC Teach It magazine and website to be exactly what K-6 teachers and schools need to assist them in integrating technology into their subject areas and curricula," stated Teal. "Best practices at schools across the U.S. today include technology, and the project-based lesson plans and step-by-step instructions found in PC Teach It make it user-friendly for all teachers."
CLB Partners also expressed excitement about both the educational value of the new magazine/website as well as the unique positioning of Reedy River's latest development. "Reedy River Press has significant experience as a publisher of various creative and educational media," said Peter J. Hughes, co-founder and managing director of CLB Partners, "and PC Teach It represents a unique concept that far surpasses anything else available for teachers today. Given the great success of the magazine and website in only a few short months, Reedy River is well positioned to be a market leader of educational content development and publishing. And given the company's -- and the market's -- high growth potential, we are confident that we'll be able to secure the right capital for Reedy River to address that growth, and look forward to the insight and strategic contributions key investors will bring to the table."
Reedy River Press intends to use new capital to meet the growing demand for PC Teach It, and to help fund the on-going development of its next educational magazine/website aimed at grades seven to twelve. The company, which also currently publishes PC Create It and Zuga for Photography, has plans to develop similar publications for the senior, recreational and special interests markets.
About PC Teach It
PC Teach It(TM) magazine and www.pcteachit.com were designed to help teachers bring computer technology into the classroom. Targeted at educators of kindergarten to sixth grade, PC Teach It and www.pcteachit.com are the first print magazine and website of their kind that work hand-in-hand, following the academic calendar and offering standards-driven projects that encourage hands-on involvement by teachers and children in a simple, how-to driven format. PC Teach It not only follows the academic calendar, it also correlates to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) developed by ISTE, and other performance indicators. A numbering system has been applied to the NETS on www.pcteachit.com, and the instructions in each lesson plan indicate which key standards pertain to that particular project. In addition, the website includes links to actual templates and other downloads needed to complete the projects in the print magazine. Other features, like a virtual tour guide that takes children on a safe and content-driven tour of the Internet, help to enhance computer skills. No additional software is required, and all projects incorporate basic office or word processing application program menus and commands so that both PC and Macintosh users can easily follow project directions. PC Teach It is available on newsstands nationwide. Each $39 subscription includes individual password-protected access to templates and downloads on www.pcteachit.com, and can be ordered online at www.pcteachit.com or by calling 864/286-0540.
About Reedy River Press, Inc.
Reedy River Press, Inc. is the leading content developer and publisher of creative and technology-based media designed for the recreational, educational, senior and special interests markets. Content from PC Create It, the consumer photo and computer crafting magazine that is distributed to the newsstand in a partnership with Primedia, is also syndicated through Gannett News Service. Founded in 1999, the company is based in Greenville, South Carolina and is privately held. For more information, please call 888/259-3887 or visit Reedy River Press media websites: www.pcteachit.com or www.pccreateit.com.
About CLB Partners, LLC
CLB Partners, LLC specializes in providing financial advisory and investment banking services to the middle market, an area traditionally under served by Wall Street investment banks. Specifically, CLB has partnered with several leading commercial banks and global financial institutions to bring its experience and expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital fundraising, enterprise valuation and strategic advisory to benefit middle market companies. Founded in 1999, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in Boston, Charlottesville and Ft. Lauderdale. For more information please call 631/425-0710 or visit the CLB Partners web site at www.clb-partners.com.
CONTACT: Reedy River Press, Inc. Linda Dennis, 864/286-0540, ext. 1011 lindad@reedyriverpress.com or CLB Partners, LLC, Peter J. Hughes, 631/425-0710 or F@tGold Marketing Betsy Mularoni, 480/363-7483 bmularoni@qwest.net
09:32 EST NOVEMBER 13, 2001
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