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Imagem owner considering sale
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 30 April 2014
Independent music publisher Imagem is reportedly up for sale, if you want it. Set up in 2007 and backed by Dutch pension fund ABP, the company began by buying song catalogues that Universal was forced to sell when it acquired the original BMG publishing company in 2008. An acquisition spree then followed, with the purchases of Boosey & Hawkes and the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organisation perhaps the stand out deals.
Reports suggest that the firm’s owners are looking for in the region of $650 million for the company, with New York bank Jeffries LLC currently sounding out possible buyers. Though insiders say ABP is in no rush to sell, and will only do so at the right price.
Meanwhile Imagem CEO Andre De Raaff told Billboard that while ABP was indeed reviewing its ownership of the publishing firm at this time, various options are being considered, including “a sale, a strategic partnership, or a hold”. De Raaff added that a decision should be known about the future of Imagem by the summer, which I think gives us a good ten weeks to start spreading BMG/Imagem merger rumours.