NEP Broadcasting Welcomes Kevin Rabbitt as new CEO; Debra Honkus Becomes Chairman of the Board

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NEP Broadcasting (NEP) announced today that Kevin Rabbitt will become its new Chief Executive Officer effective January 25, 2012.  Debra Honkus, current CEO, is assuming the position of Chairman of the Board.

Rabbitt comes to NEP with experience serving as the chief executive of several companies, leading them through significant growth and operational improvements.  He will assume management and oversight of the day-to-day operations of NEP on a global basis.  Debra Honkus will remain involved with the company as Chairman focusing primarily on key client relationships and providing strategic direction. NEP Broadcasting is owned by American Securities LLC and management.

"Kevin's success in improving operations and service, realizing significant growth, and energizing the cultures of various companies will be a wonderful asset for NEP.  I am thrilled to have him on board and look forward to working with him as we guide the company forward," commented Debra Honkus, Chairman of NEP.

Marc Saiontz, a managing director of American Securities, said, "We are delighted that Kevin is joining NEP as the new CEO.  Kevin's outstanding track record and broad background in strategy, operational review, service and process improvement, and best practices implementation will benefit NEP Broadcasting in many ways.  Debbie Honkus has been a terrific, dedicated leader of NEP and we are pleased she is moving into her new role as Chairman of the Board."

Since 2010, Rabbitt served as Chief Executive Officer for 3 Day Blinds, where he led the company to strong growth by improving client experience, building a winning culture, and improving sales force effectiveness.

From 2006 to 2009, Rabbitt served as President and Chief Executive Officer of GES Exposition Services, a Viad Corp (NYSE:VVI) company, having previously served as the company's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President.  GES is a leading global producer of face-to-face events and expositions providing annual service to more than 3,500 tradeshows and 300,000 exhibiting companies globally.  Before GES, Rabbitt was as a Consultant with Bain and Company and also served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Ice Stadium in Houston. 

Named the 2008 Executive of the Year by UNLV College of Hotel Management, Rabbit is a member of the Young Presidents Organization.  He received his Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Managerial Studies from Rice University.

About NEP
NEP is a leading provider of services and equipment for remote television production, studio production, video display and live-to-web event production. With more than 500 employees worldwide and three decades experience, NEP leads the industry in engineering expertise and technology innovation.  The company is majority-owned by American Securities, a private equity firm headquartered in New York, and NEP management. For more information, please visit our website at www.nepinc.com.

About American Securities
Headquartered in New York with an office in Shanghai, American Securities is a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm that invests in market-leading North American companies with annual revenues generally ranging from $200 million to $2 billion. American Securities has approximately $9 billion under management and is currently investing from its sixth fund.  More information about American Securities can be found at www.american-securities.com.

SOURCE NEP Broadcasting