• Vivabox Solutions, LLC is a full-service provider of customized, premium marketing solutions including tailored, multi-brand kitting solutions and packaging products for global luxury and premium consumer brands
• Mesirow acted as the exclusive financial advisor on this transaction, highlighting the firm’s continued track record in the business services and distribution & supply chain sectors

CHICAGO, March 4, 2024 – Mesirow, an independent, employee-owned financial services firm, has announced it acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Vivabox Solutions, LLC (“Vivabox” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of Lion Equity Partners, on its sale to Veritiv Corporation (“Veritiv”).

Vivabox is a full-service provider of customized, premium marketing solutions including tailored, multi-brand kitting solutions and packaging products for luxury and premium consumer brands. The Company helps brands grow and engage customers by providing innovative brand experiences that create immediate customer impact and deepen overall brand engagement. Vivabox is headquartered in Rockville, MD but provides solutions on a global scale to its clients.

Desiree Paquette, Chief Executive Officer of Vivabox Solutions, said “Mesirow’s extensive sector expertise, key industry relationships and excellent execution capabilities played a crucial role in the successful pairing of Vivabox with a like-minded partner in Veritiv.”

“It was an honor to represent Vivabox on this transaction and we are excited to have reached a successful outcome,” said Rocky Pontikes, Co-Head of Investment Banking. “The Company has built a remarkable reputation in the market by providing quality solutions and best-in-class client service. Vivabox and Veritiv’s partnership positions the Company for compelling long term strategic growth.”

Jim Levitas, Co-Founder of Lion Equity Partners added, “We want to express our sincere appreciation to the Mesirow team for their professionalism and execution of a seamless process that identified the ideal partner for Vivabox. We look forward to watching Vivabox’s continued success under Veritiv’s ownership." 

The sale of Vivabox represents another successful business services and distribution & supply chain assignment completed by Mesirow Investment Banking. Mesirow Investment Banking has completed over 325 transactions in recent years across its covered verticals. Committed to leveraging extensive sector-specific expertise across industry groups and nurturing deep longstanding relationships, Mesirow has a proven track record of completing highly tailored and successful transactions on behalf of its clients.

About Mesirow 
Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices around the world, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Global Investment Management, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our culture. To learn more, visit mesirow.com and follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to Spark, our quarterly newsletter.

Mesirow was recently named one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business and one of the Top 100 RIA firms by Barron’s.

About Vivabox
Vivabox provides an end-to-end suite of services, including unique turnkey solutions from concept and design to project management, kitting, sourcing, and distribution. The Company serves a global client base across three main locations in Rockville, MD, Dallas, TX, and Scottsdale, AZ. For more information, visit www.vivaboxsolutions.com.

About Lion Equity Partners
Headquartered in Denver, CO, Lion Equity Partners is an operations-focused private equity firm specializing in corporate divestitures and special situations. Lion’s investment strategy is centered on creating value in its portfolio companies through a combination of operational improvements, organic growth, and strategic add-on acquisitions. The firm leverages its strategic, financial, and operational expertise to build businesses that will create long-term value for all stakeholders. For more information, visit www.lionequity.com.

About Veritiv
Veritiv Corporation, headquartered in Atlanta, is a leading full-service provider of packaging, JanSan and hygiene products, services and solutions. Additionally, Veritiv provides print and publishing products. Serving customers in a wide range of industries both in North America and globally, Veritiv has distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Mexico, and team members around the world helping shape the success of its customers. For more information about Veritiv and its business segments visit www.veritiv.com.

Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any Mesirow investment vehicle(s). Mesirow Financial, Inc. is not affiliated with Vivabox Solutions, LLC, Veritiv Corporation, or their affiliates. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Mesirow refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. The Mesirow name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. © 2024. All rights reserved. Securities offered through Mesirow Financial, Inc. member FINRA, SIPC.

2022 Crain’s Best Places to Work (Received August 2022 reflective of previous 12 months – Licensing fees paid post award for use of the ranking). Best Companies Group (BCG), an independent workplace excellence research firm, conducted a two-part survey. Part one, consisted of an employer questionnaire, used to collect information about benefits, policies, practices, and other general information. Part two was a confidential 77-question employee survey used to evaluate local employee’s workplace experience and culture. Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications are not indicative of a firm’s future performance nor do they evaluate the quality of services provided to clients or guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Mesirow is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should they be construed as a current or past endorsement of Mesirow by any of its clients.

2023 Barron’s Top RIAs (Received September 2023 for the year 2022 – Licensing fees paid post award for use of the ranking). In order to be considered for the Barron’s 2023 Top RIA Firms list, applicants were required to complete a 145-question survey, with the firm’s ADV informing the majority of responses. Firms were also required to meet a number of other specified requirements to be eligible for inclusion. Firms were ranked based on various qualitative and quantitative factors, including assets managed, the size and experience of teams, regulatory records of the advisors and firms, technology spending, staff diversity, organic and M&A growth, client segmentation as well as succession planning.