Clarant Files IPO, Plans Purchase of Online Shops
Clarant Worldwide Corp., New York, filed an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week, and also made public its intention to simultaneously buy eight online-oriented marketing communications firms. Terms of the purchases were not disclosed.According to the published reports, the moves are an effort by the company to position itself as a leading Internet communications and electronic commerce services firm serving Fortune 1000 companies.
The marketing firms are Align Solutions Corp., a technology company; Brand Dialogue New York, a Young & Rubicam-owned interactive services consulting firm; Free Range Media Inc., a developer of online business solutions; Consulting Inc. (known as I.Con Interactive), an interactive marketing and online solutions provider; InterActive8 Inc., an interactive consulting agency; Multimedia Resources LLC, an interactive consulting and marketing agency; Potomac Partners Management Consulting LLC, an interactive strategy firm; and RSI Group Inc., an information technology and communications consulting firm.
Michael H. Jordan, former chairman/CEO of CBS Corp., is expected to be appointed company chairman.
The managing underwriters for the offering are Deutsche Banc Alex.Brown, Baltimore; Hambrecht & Quist, San Francisco; and SoundView Technology Group, Stamford, CT.
