Triple Point Technology Acquires Softmar

WESTPORT, CT--(Marketwire - January 11, 2010) -North America, South America, Asia, and Europe,
Triple Point Technology®, the leading provider ofincluding such notable organizations as ADM, ED
multi-market commodity and enterprise risk& F Man, EDF Trading, Oldendorff Carriers,
management software solutions, announced todayAlfred C. Toepfer International, Bunge, Essent
that it has acquired Softmar, the premier provider ofTrading, Glencore, Vale S.A., Louis Dreyfus, BW
software solutions for commercial chartering andGroup, Eitzen Group, NYK Global Bulk, and North
vessel operations. With the acquisition, Triple PointChina Shipping. Softmar has headquarters in
broadens and deepens its solution suite to provideSwitzerland and a development center in South
market-based, commodity supply chain managementAfrica. The solution set covers the broad ranges of
across sourcing, transportation, inventory, operations,commercial activities for shipments of dry, tanker,
and product marketing.gas, and chemical cargos.
With roughly 90 percent of the world's traded goodsThe companies' complementary customer bases,
transported by sea, a critical component ofmarket focus, and product synergies create
successful supply chain management is the ability tosubstantial opportunities for continued and
manage vessel movements and operations, andaccelerated growth in combined market share,
freight rate volatility. The acquisition of Softmarrevenue, and profit. The outstanding financial
singularly positions Triple Point to immediately andperformance of Softmar -- in terms of strong and
comprehensively optimize freight management in itsconsistent revenue growth, healthy profit margins,
core markets, including crude oil and petroleumand a solid balance sheet -- underscores the suitability
products, chemicals, metals and mining, agriculture,and attractiveness of the transaction for both Triple
and food and beverage.Point's and Softmar's shareholders, employees, and
"Supply chain management has historically been aboutcustomers.
transparency, automation, efficiency and costAll 45 Softmar employees from its Chartering and
reduction; all of which are necessary, but notVessel Operations business have joined Triple Point,
sufficient to optimize profitability," said Peter F.and Softmar co-founder, Michael Lolk Larsen, has
Armstrong, president and CEO of Triple Pointbeen named Triple Point's Managing Director of
Technology. "With the need to manage sharpChartering and Vessel Operations. Mr. Larsen and
commodity price volatility, supply chain solutions mustother key Softmar executives will be instrumental in
be market-based and provide analysis and riskintegrating the companies' product portfolios, driving
management tools to best determine when toproduct advancement, and accelerating customer
source, how to move, whether to store, and whenadoption of the solution set. Softmar's other
to hedge using financial derivatives. Through theco-founder, David Marais, will retain Softmar's Ship
acquisition of Softmar, Triple Point's ability to provideBrokering business under a new and separate entity.
market-based supply chain solutions, including freight"Integrating with a larger, successful organization like
rate risk management, is unmatched."Triple Point gives Softmar the immediate resources
Softmar develops and markets software solutionsand reach to accomplish its goals of continued
for ship owners, operators, and charterers togrowth and support of existing and new clients," said
manage commercial chartering and vessel operations.Mr. Larsen. "This is an exciting time in the commodity
The best-of-breed solutions manage all chartering,and freight markets, and becoming part of Triple
post-fixture activities, and financial aspects ofPoint is the perfect next step in Softmar's
commercial vessel operations. The company servesmaturation.
60 blue-chip clients and over 2000 users throughout