Black Mountain Group Acquires TCBS Consulting; Appoints Chief Operating Officer as Part of Post-Acquisition Expansion And Repositioning.

NEW YORK -- Black Mountain Group Inc. announced today that it has acquired TCBS Consulting LLC and has added human resources consultant and executive Richard B. Davis to its senior management team. The moves are part of the HR consulting and outsourcing firm's growth and repositioning strategy following its acquisition in March by Chicago-based Benefitdecisions Outsourcing Inc., a subsidiary of Benefitdecisions, Inc.

TCBS Consulting, an HR and employee benefits consulting firm, brings proven capabilities in business process transformation, executive compensation/benefits and acquisition integration. It also contributes an established client base of mid-size organizations. Davis, TCBS' founder and Black Mountain's new chief operating officer, has extensive experience in HR outsourcing and transformation both as a consultant and as a former senior HR executive for international health care and technology companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"This acquisition strengthens our plan to capitalize on rising demand for strategic HR consulting and human resource outsourcing (HRO) services among mid-size organizations," said Mark Matuscak, chief executive of Black Mountain. "We have positioned Black Mountain as 'the' premier middle market player capable of providing integrated HR and employee benefits consulting and outsourcing services to clients with 200 to 4,000 employees. The TCBS acquisition, including the addition of Richard Davis, is a major milestone in our strategy."

Davis will oversee operational planning and execution. He also will be responsible for identifying additional strategic acquisitions and alliances and for continuing to build Black Mountain's robust service and technology platform for mid-size clients.

"The middle market is often served as an afterthought with - and charged a premium for - standard HR solutions intended for much larger organizations," Davis said. "We intend to offer a flexible, full-service menu specifically designed for this underserved market. Our solutions will be highly relevant and our pricing extremely competitive."

Davis gained extensive experience in serving the needs of mid-size clients during his more than 20-year career in HR management, employee benefits consulting and law. Most notably, he was vice president of human resources for Beltone Electronics/GN ReSound North America and vice president of compensation, benefits and HR systems for Caremark International. As a consultant and executive, he has managed HR outsourcing relationships and large-scale change management initiatives to achieve breakthrough operational, cost and organization results.

Black Mountain Group is a premier provider of customized HR and employee benefits outsourcing and consulting services. Black Mountain offers "HR Services that Work" - highly scaleable, end-to-end solutions, from acting as a turnkey human resources department to enhancing existing HR resources. Established in 1994 in New York, Black Mountain works in close partnership with its clients to develop and implement solutions that control costs, enhance service levels and reduce administration. Its clients range from small start-up technology companies to large global financial institutions. For more information, visit www.blackmountaingroup.com.

Benefitdecisions is a recognized leader in flexible, integrated HR and employee benefits services. It delivers creative and ethical applications of dynamic consulting, brokerage, actuarial, underwriting and technology solutions to local, national and global clients. It serves clients in North America and six countries. For more information, visit www.benefitdecisions.com.