Baird Capital Partners: Closes New Investment in Accume Partners, LLC

MILWAUKEE, March 10, 2006– Baird Capital Partners (BCP), the U.S. private equity affiliate of Robert W. Baird & Co. (Baird), together with Company management, has acquired Accume Partners, LLC (“Accume Partners” or the “Company”), a leading national provider of internal auditing, IT auditing, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and related risk management services.

Accume Partners was founded in 1994 and initially focused on outsourced internal audit to community banks.  Over the last several years, the Company has expanded into other financial services and commercial sectors.  Headquartered in New York, N.Y. with administrative headquarters in Moorestown, N.J., Accume Partners serves over 300 clients from 16 locations and has a significant presence in Pennsylvania, Florida and Georgia.  Founder John White will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer; he and several key members of management will retain a significant equity interest in the Company. 

“We are excited about our partnership with Baird Capital Partners,” noted White, Accume Partners CEO.  “Leveraging their network and experience in professional services will allow us to take advantage of the many opportunities we see in the internal auditing and risk management arena.”

 “With executives and audit committees held to higher standards around controls and risk management, the opportunities in this business are enormous,” said Randall A. Mehl, a Partner at BCP and Accume Partners Board member.

 David P. Pelisek, a Partner at BCP, will also join Accume Partners’ Board.  “Accume Partners’ management has established a high quality reputation by providing excellent customer service utilizing its team of experienced professionals.  We look forward to helping broaden and deepen Accume Partners’ reach in outsourced internal audit and risk management services,” said Pelisek.

BCP acquired Accume Partners with participation from Catalyst Capital Management, a Chicago-based private equity firm that focuses on investment opportunities in business services, healthcare and information services.

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About Accume Partners

Accume Partners, headquartered in New York, NY, with administrative headquarters in Moorestown, NJ, is a leading provider of internal auditing services that identify and help organizations control risks. The company offers internal auditing, information technology auditing, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and related risk management services.  Accume Partners has served more than 500 clients and employs more than 300 professionals in its 16 offices.  For more information, please visit www.accumepartners.com. 

About Baird Capital Partners

Baird Capital Partners, the U.S.-based private equity affiliate of Robert W. Baird & Co. (Baird), provides change-of-control and growth capital to U.S.-based, middle-market companies in the Business Services and Manufactured Products sectors. Baird Capital Partners also has an operating team located in three offices in China, focused on facilitating and executing Asia sourcing, manufacturing and distribution opportunities for portfolio companies.

With more than 40 investment professionals in the United States and Europe, Baird’s global private equity business has raised and managed $1.7 billion in capital. The group’s investments are supported by Baird’s full range of financial advice, operating expertise and industry research, providing a unique full-service approach to the entire private equity investment process. For more information, please visit www.bairdcapitalpartners.com.

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