Multiplatform, multigenerational success story of a communications industry leader celebrated by Wall Street, executives, team and clients
NEW YORK - Saturday, October 1st 2011 [ME NewsWire]
-(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Business Wire’s CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz pushed the button on the opening bell at the NYSE today, ringing in the next half-century of a multigenerational, multiplatform story successful enough to convince Warren Buffett to buy the Company in 2006.
Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, which now owns Business Wire, stood by Tamraz’s side as executives, staff, Wall Street insiders and Business Wire clients looked on.
"You have to offer real value to attract Warren Buffett, but that's Business Wire," said Tamraz. "We definitely feel 50 years young: experienced enough to know what we're doing in a very competitive marketplace, but young enough to embrace new ideas and technologies, find our place in the digital world, and help our clients grow bigger and stronger, too."
Business Wire 50th Anniversary Events
The NYSE bell ringing ceremony caps months of 50th birthday activities, notably a companywide Business Wire Gives Back volunteering initiative that allowed employees up to 12 hours of paid time off to volunteer for worthy causes on company time.
In addition, the mayors of more than a dozen cities from New York to Los Angeles have honored the company with proclamations. New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted, “…I am proud to say New York’s future looks brighter than ever thanks to its status as a leader in the financial news industry. That is why we are honored to join Business Wire in celebrating its 50th Anniversary.”
The media and investment communities have relied on Business Wire as a trusted provider of vetted company news for decades. Public companies with disclosure requirements depend on Business Wire’s secure, simultaneous network to help keep them in compliance, while marketers, public relations and other communicators use the Company’s services for general awareness raising, visibility and lead generation.
Privately held for 45 years, Business Wire was founded by Lorry Lokey and began with seven clients and a network of 16 San Francisco Bay area media outlets. Current CEO, Cathy Baron Tamraz, took the helm in 2006. Today, the Company hosts 31 offices worldwide, a client roster of tens of thousands, and the largest media and investor relations network in the industry.
The acquisition of Business Wire by Berkshire Hathaway came about when Tamraz read an article in the Wall Street Journal that described the traits and management style of companies that fit Buffett's value-driven, no-nonsense portfolio. Following Buffett protocols, Tamraz wrote Buffett a letter, faxed it, and a deal was struck within two weeks.
At the mid-century mark, Business Wire reflects on its half-century of pioneering achievements, including these online milestones:
First commercial news wire website (1995)
First multimedia news release (1997)
Introduction of "NX," a web-based patented platform providing simultaneous, real-time news delivery (2003)
Introduction of InvestorHQ and NewsHQ online newsroom platforms (2010)
The Company celebrates its 50th birthday Sunday, October 2 with events and celebrations continuing throughout the month in its 31 offices worldwide.
About Business Wire
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011 as the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations and investor relations professionals rely on Business Wire for both broad-based and targeted market reach. A recognized disclosure service in the United States, Canada and a dozen European countries, Business Wire handles XBRL tagging, document formatting and regulatory filing into EDGAR, SEDAR and other systems. Business Wire provides online newsroom hosting and integration services as well as search engine optimization, mobile distribution and detailed measurement on every press release. Its patented NX delivery platform provides simultaneous full-text posting of Business Wire content to news systems and websites in virtually any country or language. With 31 bureaus worldwide, Business Wire offers local service and global reach.
Learn more at BusinessWire.com and the BusinessWired blog; follow updates on Twitter: @businesswire or on Facebook.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50013146&lang=en
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Video of Business Wire ringing the bell at the NYSE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxn8E3U6lOM&feature=youtu.be
Photo:
Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz (center) rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, September 30, 2011, accompanied by parent company Chairman Warren Buffett. Joining Tamraz on the podium, L - R: Pat Evans, Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Human Resources, James Maguire, Barclays Capital, Neil Hershberg, Senior Vice President Global Media, Gregg Castano, President of Business Wire, Duncan Niederauer, CEO of NYSE, Geff Scott, Chief Financial Officer, Warren Buffett, Phyllis Dantuono, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Becktold, Senior Vice President Marketing, Richard DeLeo, Senior Vice President, Business Policies and Procedures, Laura Sturaitis, Executive Vice President, Media Services & Product Strategy and two others. --Photo by Ben Hider for NYSE/Euronext
Contacts
Business Wire
Monika Maeckle, +1-512-476-1000
Vice President New Media
Monika.Maeckle@businesswire.com
www.businesswire.com
Blog: http://blog.businesswire.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/businesswire
Facebook: http://facebook.com/businesswire
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