Sir Evelyn and
Lynn Forester de Rothschild's Firm Sees Opportunity for Growth
in Multi-Platform Weather Solutions Company
January 31, 2011
from
Business-Wire
Website
E.L. Rothschild LLC, a private
investment company led by Chairman Sir Evelyn de Rothschild
and CEO Lynn Forester de Rothschild, today announced the
signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a 70% interest in
Weather Central, LP (www.wxc.com,
now
www.wsi.com).
The world's leading provider of
interactive weather graphics and data services for television,
web, and mobile, Weather Central's highly accurate and
personalized forecasting offers businesses and consumers a truly
unique suite of science-driven weather information products.
The company will continue to operate
under CEO and founder, Terry Kelly, as well as current
management.
Financial terms of the acquisition
were not disclosed.
Lynn Forester de
Rothschild
Founded in 1974, Weather Central is
a global provider of professional on air, online, print, mobile,
and enterprise weather solutions and forecasting.
With 180 employees, including 70
meteorologists, Weather Central provides dynamic weather graphic
systems, proprietary forecast models, and dedication to
high-quality customer service.
Weather Central has secured a
leading 46% market share of North America's weather information
delivery market for broadcast and media delivering content to
hundreds of millions of viewers.
It is the largest provider of
broadcast and interactive web weather solutions for media
companies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Weather Central has more than 400
broadcast television clients in 21 countries worldwide. It
provides weather forecasts to millions of users daily by
distributing real-time personalized forecasts, interactive maps,
and storm warnings based on each user's exact address.
Well-known for its advanced
technologies, the company pioneered weather computer graphics
systems worldwide and continues to innovate, recently releasing
the industry's first 1km high-resolution forecast data set
available on-air, online, and for mobile devices.
Weather Central has used its
hallmark scientific approach to secure customers that include
network-owned and operated television stations, independent
television stations, newspapers, websites, and individual
businesses and consumers.
From its headquarters in Madison,
Wisconsin and its regional offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, and
Berlin, the company's systems provide weather to hundreds of
millions of viewers through customer installations worldwide,
including those in the U.K., Canada, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and
other countries.
Weather Central is also the primary
provider of weather technology and delivery to broadcast
stations in China.
Beyond its core North American and
international media operations, Weather Central is also
expanding its business for the enterprise, consumer, and mobile
markets. The company's offerings for the B2B segment include
precise weather products and solutions for a broad base of
customers, including insurance, commodities and energy
companies, hedge funds, and governments.
Weather Central has also developed
an extensive suite of consumer-facing digital products that will
launch across online and mobile platforms as part of the
company's MyWeather® brand in the next few months.
CEO of E.L. Rothschild LLC, Lynn
Forester de Rothschild, commented on the acquisition,
saying:
"Weather Central is a
world-class company that is number one in its category, with
a history of success, a talented team, and a very bright
future.
Their products, which are the
world's most precise for broadcast, online and mobile
forecasting, allow companies and individuals unparalleled
insights. Whether designed for an insurance company wanting
to alert its customers of an impending hailstorm, a hedge
fund trying to monitor agricultural commodities, or a
consumer planning a vacation, no one has better information
than Weather Central.
At E.L. Rothschild, we will use
our resources, business experience, and industry insights to
build upon Weather Central's current success, and to develop
the company's escalating international profile in markets
like Latin America and India.
We will also be focused on
enhancing Weather Central's position as a digital leader in
the consumer space."
Chairman of E.L. Rothschild LLC, Sir
Evelyn de Rothschild, added:
"As a family, the Rothschilds
have always been dedicated to the utmost quality of our
products and services.
With respect to our investments,
we focus on entering into long-term partnerships with people
who share our values. As weather becomes more extreme around
the planet, with greater human and financial ramifications,
we believe that Weather Central will play a major role in
mitigating damage and improving lives.
This is important to the
Rothschilds, as it is to Weather Central.
We are proud of our new
partnership with them."
Terry Kelly, Weather
Central's founder and CEO, stated:
"Much has changed since we
launched Weather Central more than 35 years ago, but our
core passion for innovation, customer service, excellence,
and vision is stronger than ever.
The world today is facing major
weather shifts due to climate change, and with an
increasingly mobile population, the ability for consumers to
obtain highly accurate and personalized information about
the weather is more important than ever.
With our scientific knowledge
and technological edge, we've established a business that is
top-ranked in the broadcast market.
With E.L. Rothschild, the sky is
the limit for Weather Central as we look to expand our
success internationally and prepare to launch exciting new
digital offerings for consumers."
ABOUT E.L. ROTHSCHILD LLC
E.L. Rothschild LLC is a privately
funded family investment company, which was established in 2003
by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Lynn Forester de Rothschild to
oversee a variety of the Rothschilds' global investments.
The principals have extensive
experience investing in and operating businesses in,
-
the United States
-
United Kingdom
-
Europe
-
India
-
South America
E.L. Rothschild LLC employs the
strategy of taking a long-term view toward partnership and value
creation.
The company currently has interests
in,
-
media
-
real estate
-
agriculture
-
luxury goods,
...with significant previous
positions in,
-
financial services
-
technology
-
communications
ABOUT WEATHER CENTRAL, LP
Weather Central, LP was founded in
1974 by Terry Kelly.
The company today has an outstanding
team of meteorologists, scientists, industry specialists, and
creative staff.
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the
company is a leading provider of professional on-air, online,
print, mobile, and enterprise weather solutions and forecasting
in North America and to major customers worldwide.
Utilizing the company's dynamic
weather graphics, proprietary precise forecast models and data,
and patented technology, more than 1,000 partners and hundreds
of millions of consumers worldwide benefit from Weather
Central's attention to superb weather presentation, forecast
accuracy and personalization, and continuous customer support.
