Dodge Data & Analytics (“Dodge”) and The Blue Book Building & Construction Network (“The Blue Book”) yesterday announced that they are combining their businesses in a merger. Dodge’s owner, Symphony Technology Group (STG) – a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on business-to-business data, software and analytics companies – facilitated the transaction.
Dodge and The Blue Book have each successfully served the construction industry for more than 100 years, and their combined expertise and capabilities will give current and prospective customers access to the industry’s leading platform for data insight, market intelligence, firm discovery and networking. The combination will result in the Dodge | Blue Book Construction Industry Database, containing more than 10 billion data elements and comprising the most complete, up-to-date and accurate information about projects, people, firms and products in the industry.
“The Blue Book is one of the most respected brands in the construction industry, providing an indispensable resource for construction professionals to find one another to facilitate the connections necessary to deliver commercial construction projects,” said William Chisholm, Managing Partner at STG. “Combining The Blue Book with our existing portfolio company Dodge, the market leader in construction project information, allows us to create an indispensable resource for every firm on a local, regional or national level seeking information, connections and unique insights to create new relationships and to grow their business.”
Dodge CEO Daniel McCarthy will lead the combined company and The Blue Book President and General Manager Brian Tonry will continue in his current role. Former Blue Book CEO Richard Johnson will be integral in the combination of the two companies and will serve as a member of the combined company’s Board of Directors.
“The construction industry is undergoing a major digital transformation across the entire business lifecycle, and uniting Dodge and The Blue Book will provide construction business leaders the data and digital connections that help fuel their growth,” said McCarthy. “We’re confident that our combined offering will be unmatched and will help our customers improve their planning, win more new business and cultivate stronger relationships with the decision-makers that are involved in specifying products and awarding contracts for billions of dollars of construction projects every year.”
The Dodge and The Blue Book combination will offer a unified approach for new business generation, business planning, research and marketing services users can leverage to find the best partners to complete projects, and to engage with customers and prospects to promote projects, products and services.
The combined entity, powered by more than 1,200 team members, will annually serve:
- 10+ billion data elements, unique for their timeliness and accuracy
- 14+ million project and document searches
- 60+ million annual messages centered around bidding opportunities
- 1.2 million+ commercial construction professionals a month seeking growth opportunities
- 40,000+ customers
“The Blue Book and Dodge have enjoyed a decades-long partnership of working together, so officially merging our businesses is a natural evolution, not only for the two companies, but for the construction industry overall,” said Johnson. “Bringing together these two market leaders will allow us to innovate faster, develop even more advanced solutions and scale our operations to keep up with the changing demands of our customers and the industry.”
Following the merger, the company headquarters will remain at the Dodge campus in Hamilton, New Jersey, and The Blue Book headquarters in Jefferson Valley, New York, will become a primary office for the company.
Owl Rock served as administrative agent and sole lead arranger for the debt financing. Paul Hastings and Shearman & Sterling acted as legal advisors to STG.
About Dodge Data & Analytics
Dodge Data & Analytics, founded in 1891, is North America’s leading provider of analytics and software-based workflow integration solutions for the construction industry. Building product manufacturers, architects, engineers, contractors, and service providers leverage Dodge to identify and pursue unseen growth opportunities. Whether on a local, regional or national level, Dodge empowers its clients to better understand their markets, uncover key relationships, seize growth opportunities and successfully pursue sales opportunities. The company’s construction project information is the most comprehensive and verified in the industry. Dodge is leveraging its more than 125-year legacy of continuous innovation to help the industry meet the building challenges of the future. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.
About The Blue Book Building & Construction Network:
The Blue Book Building & Construction Network, founded in 1913, is an employee-owned company and the largest, most active network in the U.S. commercial construction industry. Today, The Blue Book Network defines and delivers the industry through three unparalleled databases of: companies, projects and people. By integrating and understanding the relationships shared by these groups, The Blue Book Network provides an indispensable resource to connect with the industry every day. To learn more, visit www.thebluebook.com.
About STG
Symphony Technology Group (STG) is the private equity partner to market leading companies in data, software, and analytics. The firm brings expertise, flexibility, and resources to build strategic value and unlock the potential of innovative companies. Partnering to build customer-centric, market winning portfolio companies, STG creates sustainable foundations for growth that bring value to all existing and future stakeholders. The firm is dedicated to transforming and building outstanding technology companies in partnership with world class management teams. STG’s expansive portfolio has consisted of more than 35 global companies. For more information, please visit www.stgpartners.com.
