Stonebridge Technology Associates Advises MARKEM Corporation On Sale to Dover Corporation

December 6, 2006 - Stonebridge Technology Associates (“Stonebridge”) announced today that it acted as sell-side advisor to MARKEM Corporation, a provider of advanced technology product identification solutions, in its sale to Dover Technologies International, Inc., a subsidiary of Dover Corporation  (NYSE: DOV).

Client Background

MARKEM, headquartered in Keene, NH, is a global provider of innovative product identification solutions with close to $300 million in sales and more than 5,000 clients in 60 different countries.  MARKEM’s solutions include digital marking and coding equipment, related software and consumables used by food and beverage, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and electronic manufacturers to mark, code, and identify products and product packaging.  The Company has a longstanding history of product innovation that includes recently-released hardware and software products that support the emerging Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) market with traceability solutions.

Stonebridge Role

Stonebridge has maintained an advisory relationship with MARKEM for more than a decade during which time the firm has executed a variety of buy-side, capital-raising and strategic financial advisory assignments for the Company.  After being approached by a prospective strategic partner, MARKEM engaged Stonebridge as co-advisor with Goldman Sachs & Co. to manage a preemptive sale process that involved a select number of potential acquirers.   As the Company’s long-time financial advisor, Stonebridge was uniquely qualified to assist MARKEM’s shareholders and management in evaluating its partnership options, preparing the Company for sale, and positioning the Company in a way that highlighted MARKEM’s unique strengths and core competitive advantages. 

Transaction Rationale

Dover Corporation is a $6 billion diversified global manufacturer of value-added products and components that serves a variety of end-use markets.  Dover’s Product Identification & Printing Group includes Datamax Corporation, IMAJE, and O’Neil Product Development.  The addition of MARKEM to this group will create one of the industry’s leading participants in this sector with more than $800 million in sales and will expand Dover’s product offering, technology portfolio, customer base, and global distribution capabilities. 

About Stonebridge Technology Associates

Stonebridge Technology Associates, a division of Stonebridge Associates, LLC, specializes in providing merger and acquisition advisory and capital raising services to software, hardware, Internet, healthcare, and other technology product and service companies. Stonebridge Associates, LLC is a FINRA-registered investment banking firm that provides creative solutions to middle market and emerging growth companies in mergers and acquisitions, private placements of debt and equity securities, fairness opinions, and other strategic and financial advisory assignments. To learn more about Stonebridge, please visit our website at www.stonebrtech.com.