Aleyant

Background

Founded in 2005 as an LLC, Aleyant Systems provides web-to-print, estimating, production, and prepress automation workflow software for graphics and commercial print professionals.

Aleyant’s solutions are deployed in 43 countries with over 690 customer implementations across North America, Europe and Asia. Aleyant’s partners include Canon Solutions of America, HP, Fujifilm, and Fuji Xerox.

Aleyant’s founder, Greg Salzman, started the company as he saw tremendous growth potential in developing e-commerce printing solutions. Salzman took his industry knowledge and founded Aleyant with an initial investment of about $1000. In just over a decade since its founding, Aleyant has grown to be a market leader in its industry.

The company has diversified its product offering, entered into various strategic partnerships and expanded across the globe. Volaris Group is enabling Aleyant to continue to grow and prosper through financial stability, knowledge sharing and management best practices.

Challenges

The decision to sell was made with the best interests of Aleyant’s customers and staff in mind. Salzman was interested in continuing to operate his business. He knew the market and had developed close relationships with his customers and staff. He wanted to be there to see his company continue to grow, but he began to feel that he was taking on too much of a financial burden.

Salzman wanted to de-risk and monetize the hard work he had put into Aleyant over the years. He saw acquisition as an opportunity to increase his liquidity without increasing his risk.

I wasn’t interested in a buyer that just wanted my revenue and customer count. If that were my only option, I wouldn’t have sold Aleyant.

— Greg Salzman, Founder, Aleyant Systems

The Decision to Sell

When deciding who to sell his business to, Salzman was patient. He wanted to conduct proper due diligence on potential acquirers and quickly realized that Volaris was different from the rest. “All of those other acquirers put the legacy of the company at-risk,” Salzman explained. “Their plan was to pick and choose the assets they wanted and match them up with their other businesses.” Salzman knew that this approach would mean an uncertain future for his customers, his employees and his brand. After spending over a decade building up Aleyant’s reputation in the industry, Salzman wasn’t interested in watching his company dissolve in front of his eyes. For this reason, Volaris Group’s buy-and-hold strategy was attractive to him. He also appreciated that Volaris encourages existing leadership of the companies they purchase to remain and grow within the organization.

Reassured by Volaris’ refreshing approach to M&A, Salzman decided that Volaris was the right acquirer for Aleyant. As the process progressed, Salzman appreciated Volaris Group’s due diligence methodology. “Concerns were discussed openly. Volaris took a constructive approach. I did not feel they were looking for leverage,” he explained.

There are huge opportunities for organic growth in the print industry for those that know how to find them. Aleyant understands the challenges of the space and how to address those challenges.

— Greg Salzman, Founder, Aleyant Systems

Post-Acquisition Success

As Aleyant begins its integration into Volaris’ Comms & Media Portfolio, Salzman is able to comment on the early stage support he’s received from Volaris leadership. One thing he immediately appreciated was Volaris’ culture of knowledge sharing. Salzman is glad to have a set of benchmarking tools that help him understand the business better. “Having a disciplined approach to benchmarking has been illuminating,” he explained. “It’s been helpful to look at the metrics across different departments and see what’s healthy and what’s not.” Volaris’ benchmarking tools have given Salzman good insights into Aleyant’s strengths and challenges.

Salzman and his team have done a great job of solidifying Aleyant’s role as a leading player in the online print software space. Now, as a part of the Volaris Group of companies, Aleyant will continue to do what they do best, but with more financial and operational support. With Aleyant’s industry knowledge and Volaris’ capital, international presence and operational knowledge, the growth potential is virtually limitless. And, just as importantly, Salzman can be confident that Aleyant will be able to take care of its customers over the long term.