News Release

DALLAS, TX – The M&A Advisor recently ranked Safeguard Business Systems, Inc., an affiliate of the Deluxe Corporation and the provider of products, services and expertise designed to help businesses support customers, as a 16th annual M&A Advisor Finalist for the divestiture of Brand Advantage Group by Safeguard. Safeguard is recognized among other industry giants such as Cahill Gordon & Reindel, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, Generational Equity, Golub Capital, L Catterton, Raymond James, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and many more professionals whose activities set the standard for M&A transactions from August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017.

Safeguard Business Systems, Inc. celebrated the sale of Minneapolis, Minn. based Brand Advantage Group, a Safeguard Company earlier this year. Brand Advantage Group was created by Safeguard following its 2014 acquisitions of Team MHC and QBF. Both companies were recognized leaders in integrated marketing, supply chain management and brand execution across the United States. Since the creation of the Brand Advantage Group, Safeguard had been operating the business through its company-operated division, under the guidance and management of former QBF executives David Daoust and Tom Lyngdal. Safeguard sold the business to a new company entity created by Daoust and Lyngdal, who now lead the Brand Advantage Group by Safeguard enterprise as an independently-operated distributorship within the Safeguard network. The complexity of this deal earned Safeguard this prestigious recognition and is a milestone as they look towards future transactions.

“This is a huge accomplishment, especially given the scale and scope of U.S. deal activity,” said Vice President of Safeguard Acquisitions, Inc. and Vice President of Franchise Development Scott Sutton. “This recognition underscores the amount of work completed by our teams of people inside of Safeguard as we acquired QBF and Team MHC, operated and integrated them to form BAG, and sold the enterprise to two new, passionate Safeguard distributors.”

Safeguard Business Systems, Inc. has been selected from the nominees in the first stage of evaluation and the organization’s independent panel of judges will now focus their attention on the challenging task of selecting the award winners.

The winners for M&A Deal of the Year, Restructuring Deal of the Year, Cross-Border Deal of the Year, Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year, Deal Financing of the Year, Sector Deals of the Year, Firms of the Year, M&A Product/Service of the Year and M&A Professionals categories will be announced at the 16th Annual M&A Advisor Awards Gala on Monday, November 13th at the Metropolitan Club in New York.

“Since the inception of the M&A Advisor Awards in 2002, we have been recognizing the leading dealmakers, firms and transactions. And each year we celebrate the creativity, perseverance and ingenuity of our industry’s professionals”, says David Fergusson, President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of The M&A Advisor. “While our industry has undergone significant transformation since our first awards were presented 15 years ago, we are convinced, more than ever before, that M&A is a driving force of the economy. It is truly an honor for our firm to be able to recognize the contribution that the 2017 award finalists have made.”

Detailed list of all of the Award Finalists for the 16th Annual M&A Advisor Awards.

ABOUT SAFEGUARD
For more than 60 years, Safeguard, through its network of distributors, has been providing the products, services and expertise needed by business owners to help their businesses grow. Through innovation, dedication and a commitment to quality and integrity, Safeguard has transformed itself from a small check printing business to a fully diversified business solutions enterprise. To learn more about Safeguard, please visit www.gosafeguard.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/safeguardgrowth.

ABOUT SAFEGUARD BAM
Since 2008, Safeguard’s award-winning Business Acquisitions and Mergers (BAM) Team has been providing growth-focused merger, acquisition and divestiture services to Safeguard, its affiliates, distributors and franchisees across multiple business channels. With more than 100 years of collective experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business strategy and financial performance assessment, the BAM Team possesses the “know how” needed to complete complex transactions in ways that are efficient, effective and rewarding for sellers and buyers alike. The BAM team has completed more than 150 total transactions since its inception, earning accolades at the highest levels, including a bronze Stevie® American Business Award as Support Team of the Year and a coveted Dealmaker of the Year award, presented by Franchise Times® Magazine. To learn more about the BAM Team, please visit safeguardbam.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/safeguardgrowth.

ABOUT THE M&A ADVISOR
The M&A Advisor was founded in 1998 to offer insights and intelligence on mergers and acquisitions through the industry’s leading publication. Today, the firm is recognized as the world’s premier “think tank” and leadership organization for m&a, restructuring and financing professionals, providing a range of integrated services including: M&A Advisor Forums and Summits; M&A Advisor Market Intelligence; M&A.TV.; M&A Advisor Live; M&A Advisor Awards; and M&A Advisor Connects. For additional information about The M&A Advisor’s leadership services visit www.maadvisor.com