RE: Crains Chicago - Umbrelly 4.5 Million Dollar Buyout Rumors

Crains Chicago will report that Umbrelly Inc  is rumored to be in buyout talks with a major telecom company, which it currently represents, to sell for as much as 4.5 million dollars sending the Aurora, Illinois-based marketing company soaring to the top of this list of Chicago's fastest growing companies.


Umbrelly has experienced explosive growth in the last year from about $300,000 in annual revenue to approximately 1.5 million according to recent estimates. This is all after a massive restructuring by the CEO Mark Hillard. In late 2012 Hillard removed much of the company's sernior management team which included former VPs for Billion dollar companies and Phds who headed up areas such as finance and legal matters.

In addition to closing all of its satellite offices across the country and relocating it's headquarters from the heart of the Chicago Loop to much more modest offices in the Fox Valley area of Aurora.

These changes have no doubt contributed to the rapid growth and improved cash position of the company.

The deals of the buyout are still being worked out but are said to include a total takeover which would include the CEO Mark Hillard relocating and joining the company's team of advisers 

 CEO Mark Hillard has not confirmed nor denied the rumors of any potential buyout.


By: Farah Tahmali
VP Communications 

Umbrelly Inc unveils new Premier Soccer Inc Brand and partnership deal with Nike



CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 15, 2013 - The folks at Umbrelly will soon be working on an exciting new project while  donning some new duds with a trademark swoosh.

Officials unveiled Wednesday, a five-year sales and marketing partnership with Nike.

“We anticipate rapid growth and expansion in typical Umbrelly fashion , this is very exciting” said Reuel Erastus, newly appointed President of Premier Soccer Inc (PSI), who will be spearheading the new project at Umbrelly adding the Nike brand also brings with it new “international reach and recognition for the PSI brand.”

While we've been in search of a brand sponsor for our soccer youth Football (soccer)  programs, equipment and clothing for a year, Erastus said it certainly didn’t hurt that the news comes less than a month after enrollment began.

Mark Hillard, Umbrelly Founder and CEO, said the announcement was an important step in the development of Premier Soccer Inc as a brand, which aims to provide soccer athletes with the tools to improve and to enjoy soccer for life!

“Our commitment extends beyond generating qualified leads, conversions and overall sales for Nike: it also involves creating an unforgettable athletic experience and building one cohesive team and family,” Erastus said in a statement.

• www.umbrelly.com              www.premiersoccerinc.com

By: Farah Tahmali
VP Communications At Umbrelly

Umbrelly Just Blasted Away The Walls Between Mobile and Traditional Advertising.

If you're an Umbrelly client, you may soon be a mobile advertiser — What's better? it won't cost you anymore than you're paying now.

Umbrelly's Mark Hillard-Brundidge just announced that it is improving and enhancing it's mobile marketing offerings and is currently in the process of optimizing all of it's products and services to include mobile marketing for a world where people increasingly use mobile devices.

The changes will take place by the middle of this year.

In fact, Umbrelly is eliminating the need to create multiple campaigns with extensive targeting  — in particular, the need to target specific mobile devices like tablets.

In addition, it will be possible to run your campaign across multiple social media platforms simultaneously. Umbrelly will "upgrade" campaigns previously created for one or more platforms and have the to run across all available markets as well.

Why is Umbrelly doing this? Industry statistics have shown incredible growth potential in mobile advertising over the past years. This move has the potential to increase Umbrelly's clients to gain customers and visability in areas they would otherwise have never known.

Umbrelly CEO Mark Hillard-Brundidge expressed a bit of frustration with regards to the fact that Umbrelly was slightly behind the curve but is both relieved and excited with the developement of the new technology and the incredible growth potential for both Umbrelly's clients and for the company itself.

In fact, the gap between mobile and traditional marketing metrics may soon go away, as a result of this change. "On average, they’ll be nearly doubled due to increased usage of mobile devices and all of the mobile platforms on which clients can promote their products or services," wrote Christian Wei, VP of Engineering and Technology at Umbrelly, in a blog post.

By: Farah Tahmali
VP Communications

Umbrelly To Open New Sales/Support Center in Chicago Suburbs

February 9, 2013

Aurora IL (USA) - Umbrelly has announced that it will be opening a new sales/support center in Aurora IL.
Operating at full capacity, this new center will employ over 300 customer service and direct sales representatives.

“Umbrelly is expanding rapidly and we are continuously looking to build on our qualified and bilingual workforce. This is why we chose Aurora”, declared Mark Hillard-Brundidge, Chief Executive Officer.

Umbrelly has signed a lease with the Boxer Corporation to occupy the former Blue Cross building in the Fox Valley area of Aurora. The building is a strategically located 107,000 sq.ft. office building just out side the perimeter of the Westfield Shopping Center where the company will also open a retail sales store in the spring.

"We are happy to welcome Umbrelly to our full equipped building and wish them long-term success" said Dan Joyce, Vice President of Boxer Corporation. "Our primary objective was to conclude the deal and minimize any disruption to the workforce. We are pleased that Umbrelly is moving in not long after Blue Cross relinquished the property to Boxer."
Blue Cross announced that they were closing their Aurora call centre, resulting in the loss of 120 jobs.

"Umbrelly's announcement means that Blue Cross Of Illinois' workers's have an opportunity to remain in the call center sector," said Mayor Tom Weisner.

About Umbrelly
Since it's inception, Umbrelly has grown exponentially. Starting from one computer science student in a Chicago suburb, we now have many employees and several offices across the US.

The company develops products, services and solutions that facilitate qualified customers connecting with local business and the exchange of useful information using the social graph, online search and real-world social connections. Any business can benefit from Umbrelly. Umbrelly is a part of thousands of people’s lives all around the world. Umbrelly is a privately-held company and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Beginning in 2008, DePaul University student Mark Brundidge built a search engine called “Eyaggu” that helped organize great deals on property listings across the country. After a great deal of interest, it was clear that Mark had an uncanny knack for driving well qualified customers to shop owners. By 2009 he had formalized his new project, creating the company you know today as Umbrelly.

• www.umbrelly.com

By: Farah Tahmali
VP Communications At Umbrelly

Umbrelly to Partner With Exelon Corporation

Combination will Supercharge Constellation, Improve Clean Energy Awareness, and Offer Wonderful Customer Experiences

CHICAGO, IL and LIBERTYVILLE, IL – APRIL 16, 2012 – Umbrelly Inc. and The Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Umbrelly will become the primary driving force behind the sales and marketing efforts of Exelon's Constellation brand. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The partnership with Exelon, a dedicated clean energy partner, will enable Umbrelly to supercharge the clean and renewable energy awareness in the mid-west. Umbrelly will remain a licensee of Exelon and Constellation. Umbrelly will run Constellation as one of its Direct Sales sub brands.

Mark Hillard, CEO of Umbrelly, said, “Exelon’s total commitment to clean and renewable energy has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing customer experiences that supercharge awareness of clean energy for the benefit of consumers, partners and the planet! I look forward to welcoming Exeloneans to our family of Umbrellians.”

Calvin Butler, Senior VP at Exelon, said, “This transaction offers significant value for Exelons’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Umbrelly to advance the Constellation brand, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding clean energy solutions across our commercial and residential markets.”

Christopher Hillard, Senior Vice President of Operations at Umbrelly, said, “We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the clean energy ecosystem. However, our vision for Exelon is unchanged and Umbrelly remains firmly committed to Exelon as a major player in the renewable energy community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Direct Sales & Marketing partners to develop and distribute innovative products and services.”

Umbrelly Exclusive Partnership

Chicago based Umbrelly inc announced today that through a series of negotiations, it has successfully secured an exclusive territorial agreement to offer home and technology services for AMLI Residential and its residents in the Chicago western suburbs. This partnership gives nearly two thousand AMLI residents direct access to exclusive savings on home products and services offered through Umbrelly and its partners including Comcast, Dish Network and ADT Security.

Chicago Based Umbrelly Inc Pledges $45,000 to The Salvation Army

Umbrelly Founder and CEO Mark Hillard-Brundidge, announced that he and Umbrelly are making a $45,000 donation to Salvation Army location throughout the Chicago and Tri city area to bridge the recent decline in donations likely linked to the current economy. The young CEO had this to say. "Umbrelly is very much committed to supporting local communities, many of our employees live and work in the very communities that have and are being effected by the down turn in the economy. We are just doing out part."

The Salvation Army locations on track to benefit from this generous donation are:

Elgin Salvation Army: 316 Douglas Ave. Elgin, IL 60120-4110; 847-741-2304

Tri-Cities Salvation Army: 1710 S. 7th Ave., St. Charles, IL 60174; 630-377-2769

Aurora Salvation Army: 437 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, IL 60505-3484; 630-897-7265

If you would like to donate to these or any other salvation army locations please log on to www.salvationarmyusa.org for more information.