Atlanta Equity Announces Marshall Emergency Services Associates, PLLC Platform Investment

ATLANTA, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta Equity Fund, LP ("Atlanta Equity" or "AEQ") has announced that it consummated an investment in Marshall Emergency Services Associates, PLLC (the "Company" or "Marshall") on September 20th, 2011.  Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky and founded in 1999, Marshall is a leading provider of emergency department ("ED") and hospital medicine (or "hospitalist") physician contract management services.  Marshall has experienced tremendous growth based upon its stellar reputation for high quality patient care and its focus on hospital quality performance metrics.  The Company's physician owners chose to partner with Atlanta Equity based upon AEQ's strong healthcare services investment experience and the firm's ability to attract experienced senior executive management.  Atlanta Equity was joined in the transaction by Fulcrum Equity Partners. Together, the Sponsors will lend both financial and operational support for the Company's growth initiatives.

Joining Marshall upon the closing of the transaction are industry veterans Larry Kraska, CEO, and Waite Popejoy, CFO. Both Kraska and Popejoy previously worked closely together with AEQ Co-Managing Partner, Gerry Benjamin, in executive capacities at clinical services provider, Physicians' Specialty Corp.. Thereafter, Kraska worked with Benjamin, serving for nine years as CEO of Boca Raton, Florida based Club Staffing, Inc. which, under Kraska's leadership, emerged into the nation's leading allied healthcare travel staffing firm. Popejoy, a former Charter Medical Corporation Chief Accounting Officer, also has a long history of partnering with Benjamin, serving as a Director with Casas, Benjamin & White, LLC and its successor, Navigant Consulting,  where he led numerous restructuring and crisis management initiatives for large acute care hospitals, academic medical centers, complex integrated delivery systems and ancillary healthcare providers.  Messrs. Kraska and Popejoy are teaming with the stellar physician leaders resident at Marshall, who will continue to lead clinical operations while continuing as substantial equity holders following the transaction.

Gerry Benjamin, Atlanta Equity co-Managing Partner, commented, "Our firm is excited to partner with Marshall's talented physician leadership team and the Company's new executive management team leaders, whom we know well.  We see a tremendous opportunity for the Company to leverage its success to date as it continues to focus on serving as a strategic partner to its hospital customers while providing quality patient outcomes."  Larry Kraska, Marshall CEO, added, "I look forward to joining Marshall and furthering its leadership in both ED and hospitalist services. The complex nature of emergency room operations and today's shortage of healthcare practitioners creates an attractive market opportunity for quality operators such as Marshall."  John Mullins, MD, Marshall co-Founder and co-President, added, "Atlanta Equity was the natural partner for the Company as we looked to expand our service capabilities and further benefit our hospital partners.  Larry, Waite, and Atlanta Equity bring tremendous industry experience and relationships to Marshall."  James Foster, MD, Marshall co-Founder and co-President, added, "My partners and I are excited to be partnering with Larry, Waite and AEQ; together I see us accelerating Marshall's rate of growth and expanding our client service offerings, while creating enhanced clinical and administrative opportunities for our physician partners."

Troutman Sanders LLP served as legal counsel to Atlanta Equity. Marshall was represented by Katz Teller LLC as legal counsel, with CCG Advisors, LLC serving as Marshall's financial advisor. In conjunction with the Marshall recapitalization, Amalgamated Bank provided a senior secured credit facility and Babson Capital provided both subordinated debt financing and an equity co-investment.

About Atlanta Equity

Atlanta Equity is a private equity firm with $109 million in capital under management, focused on making investments in growth companies primarily in the Southeast.  Established in 2007, Atlanta Equity focuses on deploying capital in lower middle market companies with revenues between $10 million and $100 million.  The firm particularly favors investments in business and healthcare services, specialty manufacturing, technology, consumer products/services and selectively retail.

For more information, please visit www.atlantaeq.com.

About Marshall

Established in 1999 and headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, Marshall is a leading provider of emergency department and hospital medicine physician contract management services.  The Company manages EDs and inpatient care for its client hospitals, while improving quality of service and reducing costs.  Marshall recruits, manages and staffs high-quality practitioners and administrators while ensuring efficient hospital operations through its implementation of proprietary processes, procedures and an unyielding focus on quality metrics.

For more information, please visit www.mesaer.com.

SOURCE Atlanta Equity Fund, LP