RedPrairie Boosts Its Overseas Muscle

Hoping to expand sales overseas, supply-chain vendor RedPrairie Corp. said Wednesday it's buying LIS, a leading provider in Europe of warehouse-management systems and other enterprise software.

RedPrairie is acquiring LIS from the Permira Funds, an international equity investment firm. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

The acquisition will boost RedPrairie's revenue to a projected $130 million. It also will put RedPrairie's revenue closer to that of supply-chain-execution heavyweight Manhattan Associates Inc., which had 2003 revenue of $196.8 million.

RedPrairie says its and LIS's product portfolios are complementary. RedPrairie's suite of apps includes transportation, productivity, and distribution management, as well as components for real-time visibility, quality control, supplier collaboration, and performance management. Customers include Amazon.com, Eveready, General Electric, Georgia-Pacific, Nestlé, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, Sony, and Unilever.

LIS's products include warehouse and yard management, supply-chain-process management, and mobile logistics tools. Its customers include Armstrong World Industries, Easton Sporting Goods, Esselte, Panasonic, and Tetley Tea.