Pamlico Capital Announces Agreement to Sell Clear Link Technologies, LLC

Pamlico Capital (“Pamlico”) today announced that Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated (“SYKES”), has entered into a merger agreement with Clear Link Holdings LLC, the holding company for Clear Link Technologies, LLC (“Clearlink” or the “Company”), pursuant to which SYKES will acquire Clearlink. SYKES is a global leader in providing comprehensive outsourced customer contact management solutions and services in the business process outsourcing (BPO) arena.

Founded in 2003, Salt Lake City-based Clearlink is a leading provider of performance-based customer acquisition solutions to a number of the largest providers of home services and insurance carriers in the U.S. through various online and offline marketing channels.

Pamlico acquired Clearlink, in partnership with management, in January 2011, and has supported the Company over the past five years as it has built out an impressive management team, launched its Insurance division, and demonstrated impressive organic revenue growth. During its ownership period, Pamlico further assisted Clearlink in completing strategic acquisitions that have strengthened the Company’s capabilities and enhanced its in-house search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Today, Clearlink has a dominant position in the customer acquisition market for Home Services providers, serving nearly every major Home Services provider in North America (including telecommunications, satellite television, and home security providers), combined with a growing presence in the Insurance vertical.

“Pamlico was an excellent partner that helped us achieve our strategic growth initiatives and continue to enhance our product capabilities to better serve our loyal customer base,” said Phil Hansen, Clearlink’s Chief Executive Officer. “We have truly enjoyed our partnership with Pamlico and look forward to the next chapter of our story with SYKES.”

“We enjoyed partnering with Phil Hansen and his team over the past five years as they significantly enhanced Clearlink’s value proposition to its customers and successfully expanded the addressable market through its entry into the Insurance vertical, positioning the Company for strong continued organic growth. We appreciate all of their efforts on behalf of Pamlico and our investors and wish them continued success with SYKES.” said Eric Wilkins, a Partner at Pamlico.

The closing of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2016, is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including, among others, the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976, all as determined in accordance with the merger agreement.

Clearlink and Pamlico were advised by Harris Williams LLC and Petsky Prunier LLC (financial advisors) and Alston & Bird LLP (legal advisor). Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC served as a sole financial advisor to SYKES on the transaction, while Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP served as SYKES’ legal advisor.