RALEIGH, N.C., June 12, 2018 — Bulk TV & Internet ("Bulk TV") a leading integrator of enterprise video, data and voice solutions is pleased to announce its acquisition by Marlin Equity Partners ("Marlin") and its merger with DCI Design Communications ("DCI"), a leader in data, voice and unified communications. The agreement will consolidate assets and operations of Bulk TV and DCI, as well as those of EthoStream, which was acquired by DCI in March 2017. This combined entity of network technology systems will deliver a true triple-play offering for converged video, data and voice solutions for the hospitality and healthcare industries. The newly combined company has a portfolio that provides services to more than 1,000,000 rooms in thousands of properties nationwide.
"With Marlin as our partner, we have the financial support to execute on key strategic initiatives and the ability to leverage their expertise and resources to reach our next level of growth. Uniting Bulk TV and DCI positions us to become the leading triple-play provider for the hospitality and healthcare sectors," said Dave O'Connell, CEO of Bulk TV, who will serve as CEO of the combined company.
Bulk TV custom designs, engineers, installs and supports turnkey TV solutions including DIRECTV free-to-guest satellite TV systems, IPTV platforms, over-the-top content delivery and Samsung commercial-grade TVs to hotels, healthcare, senior living and student housing properties nationally. Bulk TV has been named as the #1 DIRECTV Provider in the Lodging & Institutions (L&I) vertical for eleven years and has consistently been recognized as a top performer in new customer acquisition and retention.
DCI has been serving the telecommunications and data needs of top brands since 1989, and is one of the largest and most reliable independent distributors of MITEL®, NEC, Ruckus™ Wireless, HP® Networking, Nomadix® & CISCO solutions in the country. DCI has established a solid reputation among hoteliers, and its successful acquisition of EthoStream in 2017 established the company as one of the main players in network solutions for the hospitality industry.
Charbel Zreik, CEO of DCI remarked, "DCI and Bulk TV are incredibly complementary in their capabilities and this merger, a major win for both the hospitality technology industry and its customers, raises the bar for what should be expected from a network service provider. Combining our product portfolios and resources allows us to maximize our capabilities and invest further in innovations that ensure our customers have access to the best connectivity solutions and 24×7 services available."
Together, Bulk TV and DCI have preferred partner status with most major hotel flags in North America and a sizeable footprint in the hospital and senior living sector. The combination of the two companies creates a unique opportunity for customers looking to partner with a provider to collaborate on creating, testing and deploying leading edge technology solutions to better serve the L&I community.
"Bulk TV and DCI are strong companies with stellar reputations, great leadership teams and robust workforces dedicated to providing their customers with superior service," said Ryan Wald, a managing director at Marlin. "We are excited about the combination of two market leaders and the potential to transform the L&I industry by providing a true triple-play offering of internet, television and voice."
Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC acted as financial advisor, and Manning, Fulton & Skinner P.A. served as legal advisor to Bulk TV. PEAK Technology Partners LLC acted as financial advisor, and McDonald Hopkins LLC served as legal advisor to DCI.
