CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Livingstone, an international mid-market M&A and debt advisory firm, is pleased to announce the sale of Gem Shopping Network, Inc. (“Gem Shopping” or the “Company”) to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners (“Sun Capital”). Livingstone acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Gem Shopping. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded over 16 years ago by Frank M. Circelli, Gem Shopping Network is a 24-hour live television network specializing in the sale of unique colored gemstones and one-of-a-kind jewelry. The Company reaches over 40 million homes broadcast via satellite and cable networks across the United States.

“I founded Gem Shopping to educate people about fine colored gemstones from around the world and to make them accessible to the consumer. The fact that we sell finer quality jewelry than anyone else on television is a testament to the trust our clients have in Gem Shopping,” said Frank M. Circelli. “Livingstone did an outstanding job understanding our business and conducting a competitive global sale process that exceeded our expectations.”

“Frank’s passion for gemstones is contagious. He and the Gem Shopping team built a truly unique business and were a pleasure to work with. The Livingstone team is excited about the opportunity this transaction will present for all involved,” commented Livingstone Managing Director Andrew Isgrig.

“We are proud of the success the team has had establishing Gem Shopping as an industry leader. We are enthusiastic about partnering with Sun Capital and the opportunity ahead. Sun Capital will help us accelerate the execution of our growth strategy with capital and their deep retail and consumer products sector expertise,” said PJ Lynch, CEO Gem Shopping.

Livingstone Vice President Andrew Bozzelli added, “We recognize what is important to our clients and how to navigate the complexities of founder transitions. This is another example of our ability to deliver great results for owner-operated businesses.”

Gem Shopping adds to Livingstone’s growing list of private company sales to leading private equity firms including Bertram Capital, Kohlberg & Company, Lindsay Goldberg, Olympus Partners and The Jordan Company.

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP served as legal counsel to Gem Shopping.

For more information, please visit www.livingstonepartners.com

Contacts:

Andrew Isgrig
P: 312.670.5910
isgrig@livingstonepartners.com

Andrew Bozzelli
P: 312.670.5924
bozzelli@livingstonepartners.com

SOURCE Livingstone