UBM takes controlling interest in RISI.

United Business Media (London) has acquired an additional 2% of the equity of RISI, Inc. (Bedford, MA) from its private equity partner Pegasus Capital Advisors LP for $1 million. The purchase brings UBM's total shareholding to 52%, giving it a controlling interest in the company.

RISI provides online and printed pricing and market news, analysis, information and benchmarking products and services targeted to companies operating throughout the forest product industry supply chain, including timber, pulp, paper and packaging producers, industry suppliers, consumer products companies and commercial printers. The company also produces a series of related annual events.

Information products include "Pulp & Paper," a monthly magazine serving pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturers. With a controlled circulation of 40,000, it covers such topics as capital spending, power and energy, pulping, coating, emerging technologies, papermaking and mill management. "P&P International" is a monthly magazine for pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturers in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Published since 1959, it has a controlled circulation of 15,000.

Also, RISI also assumed management of the "IFPTA Journal" in January 2007 from the International Forest products Transportation Authority (IFPTA; New York). The quarterly magazine is targeted to transport professionals in the forest products sector. RISI also produces "Nonwoven Markets," a twice-monthly newsletter covering news and trends in the global nonwovens industry, weekly market reports, historical data, mill intelligence, and related references.

Currently, UBM has no other assets in the forest products market. UBM CEO David Levin said that the deal "represents the nucleus of a new division which we will grow through the acquisition of complementary businesses and assets, and by investing in RISI's organic growth."