Woodbridge Group Closes Sale of Foresight International

Woodbridge Group, Inc. has completed the sale of Foresight International, Inc., a global provider of innovative employee satisfaction solutions to Lightspeed Research, an interactive data solutions provider to the marketing research industry based in Lake Zurich, Illinois. Lightspeed is part of London-based WPP Group PLC (LSE: WPP), one of the world's largest communications services companies. Woodbridge Group acted as mergers and acquisitions advisor to Foresight International in the transaction.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (BusinessWire EON) April 10, 2007 -- Woodbridge Group, Inc. has completed the sale of Foresight International, Inc., a global provider of innovative employee satisfaction solutions to Lightspeed Research, an interactive data solutions provider to the marketing research industry based in Lake Zurich, Illinois. Lightspeed is part of London-based WPP Group PLC (LSE: WPP), one of the world’s largest communications services companies. Woodbridge Group acted as mergers and acquisitions advisor to Foresight International in the transaction.

investment continues WPP's strategy of developing its networks in fast growing markets and sectors.

Woodbridge Group marketed Foresight International to thousands of prospective buyers across the U.S. and overseas. “We received strong interest from both strategic and financial buyers for Foresight International,” said Robert F. Murphy, managing director of Woodbridge Group. “Our European office found WPP/Lightspeed who turned out to be the ideal buyer for our client.”

Commenting on the deal Foresight President Michael Schroeder said, “I am very proud that Foresight has created a unique combination of survey research, technology and consulting in the employee and customer satisfaction areas, and our reputation in employee engagement will be an excellent complement to Lightspeed Research’s existing market research capabilities.”

In a statement posted to its website announcing the acquisition, WPP said the “investment continues WPP’s strategy of developing its networks in fast growing markets and sectors.”

Woodbridge Group, Inc., an innovative, marketing-driven M&A firm, was founded in 1993 to provide divestiture and acquisition services to middle market companies.