ONX Enterprise Solutions Ltd. of Thornhill, Ont., one of CDN’s Top 10 solution providers, has entered into a deal with Marlin Equity Partners, a Los Angeles.-based private investment firm with more than $1 billion of capital under management.
According to Ed Vos, ONX president and CEO company co-founder Phil DeLeon sold his shares to Marlin because he wanted to move to Florida and join his family. DeLeon has been living in the sunshine state for the past two years.
Vos said that nothing changes with ONX’s direction and leadership. “It’s the status quo other than we will plan to grow more aggressively both organically and through acquisitions,” Vos added.
Going forward ONX leadership will comprise of co-founder Sheldon Pollack, Vos and Marlin.
A source outside the company told CDN that Marlin, with this deal, has 15 per cent ownership in ONX.
Marlin made headlines late last year by acquiring Phoenix Technologies Ltd., for US$152 million. Phoenix is the original manufacturer of BIOS and has shipped firmware to more than a billion PCs around the world. The company also has another Canadian connection. In 2007, Marlin arranged the SolarSoft Business Systems merger in Toronto. The SolarSoft merger was between Toronto’s CMS Software and XKO Software of the U.K. Last April SolarSoft acquired Informance International, a provider of Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence software for an undisclosed amount.
Just last week, ONX was the first Canadian-based solution provider to build solutions for Research in Motion’s new PlayBook tablet.
ONX has been a perennial top 10 finisher in CDN’s Top 100 Solution Provider rankings. The new list will be unveiled tomorrow night at the Paramount Conference and Event Venue in North Toronto.
