Survey Sampling buys majority of research firm MRops
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the majority of assets of marketing research firm MRops. A deal that is set to further strengthen the capabilities of SSI around management consulting and healthcare. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
MRops is a market research company specialised in executive interviews, statistical services and sampling solutions, thereby providing end-to-end market research services to research agencies and management consulting firms across the globe. The company employs approximately 200 across offices in North America, Asia and Europe, and was founded in 2007.
SSI was founded in 1977 and has since grown to become a global provider of data solutions and technology for consumer and business-to-business market research and surveys. Its capabilities provide survey and other market research delivery in 100+ countries via internet, telephone, mobile/wireless and mixed-access offerings, with the firm managing 31 million surveys annually. The firm has 30 offices in 21 countries, employing 3,600 and servicing 2,500 clients. SSI is majority owned by the private equity firm HGGC.
The acquisition of MRops by SSI is set to further strengthen SSI’s global position as a data solutions and technology company, vastly improving its delivery capabilities in the growth areas of the business to business analytics as well as furthering its access to expertise in leveraging solutions for management consulting and healthcare clients. As part of the acquisition, MRops’ 200 employees will transfer to SSI, with CEO Ian Kiernan joining the SSI Global Executive Team as Senior Vice President Global Operations, and report to SSI President & CEO Chris Fanning.
Commenting on the deal, Kieran says: “SSI has the industry leading technology and global panel, and organisational strength that will enable our existing business to grow more rapidly once MRops has fully integrated with SSI. […] MRops’ full service expertise, combined with SSI’s panel size, global scope and integrated technology platform, creates a very attractive value proposition to customers worldwide.” Fanning concludes: “Adding a high growth business with such exceptional operational capability and talent is a very strong fit with SSI. We anticipate a very rapid and smooth integration of MRops into SSI. Clients of both entities will see a single, expanded SSI going forward with no disruption in service and, we believe, greater immediate value from the combined company.”
The deal, which is expected to be closed in the first quarter of 2015, was presided over by New York based mergers & acquisitions firm AdMedia Partners who acted as the financial advisor of MRops.
