Court Square Capital Leads Major Equity Investment in Conterra Broadband

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Conterra Ultra Broadband Holdings, Inc., a national provider of infrastructure-based broadband services, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement through which Court Square Capital Partners—along with substantial participation by the company's senior management team—will lead an equity investment that will result in the purchase of a majority interest in Conterra.  The transaction includes the acquisition of stakes owned by the company's current institutional shareholders, including affiliates of Goldman Sachs, Duke Energy and GE Capital.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

This investment will bolster Conterra's expansion of its broadband network operations on a national basis in order to capitalize on the growing demand for high-capacity, carrier-class bandwidth services by the company's customers in the wireless carrier, education, municipal government and enterprise sectors.  Under the leadership of Conterra's Chairman & CEO, Steve Leeolou, the company's existing management team will remain in place and partner with Court Square to drive the next phase of the company's growth.

"We look forward to working alongside our new partners at Court Square to continue to provide the industry leading technical expertise and service quality that our customers have come to expect," commented Mr. Leeolou.  "Court Square has significant experience financing and investing alongside management teams in high-growth companies within the communications infrastructure arena, which we expect will be brought to bear to help expand our market opportunities and enhance our current business momentum," he added.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2014, following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including required regulatory approvals. The agreements have been approved by Conterra's Board of Directors and by Court Square.

The Bank Street Group LLC served as Conterra's exclusive financial advisor in connection with this transaction.  Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP serves as legal counsel to Conterra in connection with this transaction.  Dechert LLP serves as legal counsel to Court Square in connection with this transaction.

About Conterra

Conterra is a nationwide provider of bandwidth infrastructure services, specializing in the design, deployment and operation of customized broadband networks, largely in underserved areas. During the last decade the company has connected thousands of customer sites in 25 states, bringing high-capacity middle and last-mile broadband services services primarily to the wireless, education and healthcare industries. As a result, today Conterra is among the largest and most experienced suburban and rural broadband services providers in the US. For more information about Conterra please visit www.conterra.com.

About Court Square Capital Partners

Court Square is one of the most experienced teams in the private equity industry. Since 1979, the team has made over 200 investments including several landmark transactions and has developed numerous businesses into leaders in their respective markets. Based in New York, NY, Court Square invests in companies that have compelling growth potential. The firm manages over $6 billion in aggregate capital commitments while focusing on the following four sectors: business services, general industrial, healthcare and technology/telecommunications. For more information on Court Square please visit www.courtsquare.com.

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SOURCE Conterra Ultra Broadband Holdings, Inc.