Aussie Presidents Sell Firms #1: Opinion Research Buys NWC

infoUSA-owned Opinion Research has bought Melbourne-headquartered NWC Research, headed by current AMSRS President Greg Wayman, in a move to expand its presence into the Asia Pacific region. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

NWC Research (formerly known as Newton Wayman Chong & Associates) was founded in 1993 to provide quant and qual research across a wide range of public and private sectors, both in Australia and internationally.

The firm, which also has offices in Singapore and Malaysia, will become part of Opinion Research's market research group. Wayman, CEO of NWC, will remain with the company and report to Gerard Miodus, President of Opinion Research, while NWC's existing management team will head up the combined Asian operations.

Commenting on the investment, infoUSA's Chairman and CEO Vin Gupta said: 'This acquisition makes perfect strategic sense, coming on the heels of infoUSA's acquisition last week of Guideline'. (www.mrweb.com/drno/news6985.htm ).

Miodus believes that there are many synergies between the two organisations in the US, the UK and Greater China and confirmed that the firms had worked together previously on a number of shared client projects.

Wayman says the combined resources of the two firms will accelerate NWC's existing expansion strategy. Curiously, Wayman is current President of the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS), while its former President John Sergeant also sold his research firm today, to Ipsos - see DRNO www.mrweb.com/drno/news7006.htm.

The firms are online at www.infousa.com and www.nwca.com.au.