Goldsmith Agio Helms Announces the Sale by
Florida Capital Partners of Katzkin Leather, Inc.
to ClearLight Partners, LLC 

LOS ANGELES, CA – June 27, 2007:
Goldsmith Agio Helms is pleased to announce the completed sale of its client, Katzkin Leather, Inc. (“Katzkin” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of Florida Capital Partners (“FCP”), to ClearLight Partners, LLC (“ClearLight”), one of the leading middle-market private equity firms in Southern California.  Katzkin is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of made-to-order leather interiors for automobiles and light trucks. The current management team, including Company founder Mitch Katz, will remain with Katzkin post closing.

TRANSACTION HIGHLIGHTS
Ed Villeneuve, a managing director with Goldsmith Agio Helms, commented, “It was a pleasure to represent Florida Capital Partners in the sale of its portfolio company, Katzkin Leather Interiors.  This was truly an exciting process, garnering significant interest from many buyers.  Katzkin is a first class organization with an impressive growth strategy, sophisticated information systems, and an outstanding management team.  We are pleased to have completed the transaction with ClearLight Partners, LLC, a southern California-based private equity fund.  ClearLight showed strong interest from the start and worked diligently toward an efficient close.”

Brooks Mayberry, Katzkin’s President concurred, “ClearLight consistently delivered throughout the acquisition process.  Clearlight shared our strategic vision from our first meeting, and will support our growth into the future.  While it is with mixed emotions we part ways with Florida Capital Partners, we are excited to partner with ClearLight through our next stage of growth.  I am thankful to Goldsmith Agio Helms for leading the transaction with tireless effort and sage advice throughout.”

Company founder, Mitch Katz, also noted, “When I first set out to find outside investors for Katzkin, it was with an eye toward having the capital to attract additional management talent and to pursue significant growth opportunities at the restyler and OEM levels.  With Florida Capital Partners, and now ClearLight, the Company continues to have the strong financial backing to help it achieve its long-term goals.”

The completion of this assignment marks the 15th successful sale by Goldsmith Agio Helms of a consumer products company in the past 12 months.

THE COMPANY
Katzkin Leather, Inc. (www.katzkin.com) is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of made-to-order leather interiors for automobiles and light trucks, sold to and installed by a national network of more than 2,000 independent automotive aftermarket restylers.  Katzkin’s product line consists of a vast selection of customized, ready-to-install leather and vinyl interior kits, seat-heating components, mobile electronics, and aftermarket accessories under recognized brands including Katzkin, DK-Schweizer, Tuscany, Suedezkin, and AutoExotics.  The Company is known not only for its high-quality products that can be customized to exact specifications, but also its ability to manufacture and ship orders usually within 24 hours of receipt.  Katzkin’s personalized leather interiors can be constructed with more than 100 materials that can be configured with a variety of options – including color, perforation, two-tone, piping, stitching, embroidery, and embossing – resulting in millions of unique combinations.

THE SELLER
Florida Capital Partners (www.fcpinvestors.com) was founded in 1988 by John F. Kirtley and P. Jeffrey Leck.  Since then, FCP’s mission has been to provide long-term, patient capital to owners and management teams of small and medium sized companies in order to structure recapitalizations and management buyouts and support the continued growth of their businesses.  Over the years, FCP has partnered with dozens of owners and managers in building their companies and executing various growth strategies, whether through internal initiatives or through add-on acquisitions.  The partners of FCP have made more than 100 investments and have a long track record of supporting management and building businesses.

THE BUYER
ClearLight Partners, LLC (www.clearlightpartners.com) is one of the leading middle-market private equity firms in Southern California.  With $300 million in capital and extensive operating and financial experience, ClearLight invests in and contributes to the expansion of established and profitable middle-market businesses.  ClearLight seeks to partner with experienced management teams who have a track record of building successful companies within their industry, and have the vision to build a market leader. ClearLight is backed by Secom Co., Ltd., one of the largest and most respected security services companies in the world with a multi-billion dollar market capitalization.

ABOUT GOLDSMITH AGIO HELMS
Goldsmith Agio Helms (www.agio.com) is one of the nation's leading independent investment banking firms providing sophisticated corporate finance advisory services to middle-market businesses.  The firm's services include mergers and acquisitions, private placements of debt and equity, distressed advisory and restructuring, and financial advisory and opinion services.  The firm operates internationally from its offices in Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Shanghai and through Agio International, a proprietary partnership of leading independent investment banks with offices in London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Milan, and Zurich. 

If you would like more information about this transaction, contact Ed Villeneuve  (evilleneuve@agio.com) at 310-551-4111.