Palladium Equity Partners to Open California Office

    NEW YORK, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Palladium Equity Partners, LLC today
 announced the launch of its office in Los Angeles, the largest Hispanic
 market in the United States. The California office will provide Palladium
 with an important presence in this critical market as the firm continues to
 focus on companies which are well-positioned to capitalize on the
 fast-growing U.S. Hispanic market.
     Marcos A. Rodriguez, Managing Member of Palladium, said, "Home to
 nearly one-third of the Hispanics in the United States, California has
 tremendous potential and our Los Angeles office will serve as an effective
 platform for Palladium to pursue opportunities in this fast-growing
 market."
     Mr. Rodriguez added, "The rate of population growth in the Los Angeles
 area is significantly higher than the United States as a whole because of
 its large Hispanic population. We believe that this growth will continue to
 drive demand for new investments. U.S. Hispanic purchasing power is
 projected to reach over $1 trillion by 2010, vastly increasing the
 potential opportunities for Hispanic-focused investment. Palladium was
 pleased to commit to a significant investment in PROMERICA Bank in October
 2006, the first primarily Latino-owned commercial bank to form in
 California in more than 30 years. With offices in the two largest Hispanic
 markets, New York and Los Angeles, we feel that we will be better
 positioned to capitalize on attractive investment opportunities
 nationwide."
     The California office will be launched by Maria del Pilar Avila, Vice
 President of Marketing for Palladium. She will be accompanied by Vice
 President Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon who will join Palladium in July.
     Prior to joining Palladium in 2005, Ms. Avila was the founding
 Executive Director of New America Alliance (NAA), a national organization
 committed to leading Latino business growth through expansion of capital.
 Ms. Avila was instrumental in establishing programs such as the Wall Street
 Summit and the Pension Fund Initiative as well as building relationships
 with entrepreneurial and non-profit organizations, federal and state
 governments, public pension fund systems, and corporate America. Prior to
 this, she was a Vice President at the United States Hispanic Chamber of
 Commerce. Ms. Avila serves on the Board of Directors of The Marathon Club
 and is a member of the New America Alliance and the National Association of
 Securities Professionals.
     Mrs. Rodriguez Simon, a Toigo alumna and Harvard M.B.A. graduate,
 served previously as Vice President at Reliant Equity Investors, a private
 equity investment firm based in Chicago, where she was responsible for deal
 generation, investment structuring, portfolio management, and investor
 relations. Before joining Reliant, Mrs. Rodriguez Simon was a Vice
 President at Equest Partners where she was involved in early stage
 investments and interim portfolio executive management. She began her
 career in mergers & acquisitions at Salomon Brothers and merchant banking
 at Banc of America Securities.
     Palladium Equity Partners
     Palladium Equity Partners, LLC (http://www.palladiumequity.com) is an
 investment firm targeting companies in financial and business services,
 consumer/retail, food/restaurants, healthcare, manufacturing, and media.
 Palladium has a particular focus on companies that are well-positioned to
 capitalize on the fast-growing U.S. Hispanic market. The principals of
 Palladium have invested over $2.5 billion of equity in more than 50
 portfolio companies over the last two decades. Formed in 1997, Palladium
 currently has committed equity capital in excess of $750 million.
     CONTACT:
     Laura Walters
     212-521-4858
     laura-walters@kekst.com
 
 

SOURCE Palladium Equity Partners, LLC