a21 Names New Interim President and Chief Operating Officer; Philip N. Garfinkle, former Chairman, CEO and President of PictureVision, appointed Interim President and Chief Operating Officer.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- a21, Inc. ("a21") (OTCBB: ATWO), a leading online digital content marketplace, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Philip Garfinkle as interim President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Garfinkle replaces Thomas V. Butta, former President of a21 and CEO of its SuperStock subsidiary, who is no longer an employee of the Company. Mr. Garfinkle has been a member of a21's Board of Directors since June 2003 and is Chairman, CEO and President of Navig8US.com LLC, an executive advisory company. Previously, Mr. Garfinkle was Chairman, CEO and President of PictureVision, Inc., a digital imaging concern he founded that was a pioneer in digital photography and introduced online photo processing to the consumer, which was acquired by Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK). He also served as general manager of Network Services for Kodak. "We are pleased that Phil has agreed to take a more direct position in the Company's operations, and we wish Tom well in the future," stated Albert H. Pleus, Chairman and CEO of a21. "As a member of the Company's Board of Directors, Phil has played a key role in providing guidance on the strategic direction of the Company. In his previous managerial roles, he demonstrated strong entrepreneurial energy and operational talent, and we believe he is going to work well leading our team as we continue to build the Company. Having just raised $15.5 million and purchased ArtSelect which added $12.1 million in pro forma revenue for 2005, we plan to continue to grow the Company both organically and by acquisition and, with Phil's guidance, focus on integration, the bottom line and creating shareholder value." a21's Board of Directors has also engaged DHR DHR - De Heer (Dutch: Mister) DHR - Danaher Motion Saro, AB DHR - Decay Heat Removal DHR - Department of Historic Resources (Virginia) DHR - Department of Human Resources DHR - Device History Record DHR - Digital Hardcore Records (record label) DHR - Digital Health Record DHR - Dihydrorhodamine DHR - Director of Human Resources International, one of the top five search firms in the country, to lead a search for a CEO to manage the Company through its next phase of growth. They will be reviewing internal and external candidates. "With over $7 million in cash and no short term debt, the Company has never been financially stronger. To leverage that strength, we believe that continuing to bring in additional talent and refresh our executive ranks will help us accelerate our growth and the achievement of our business objectives. With their connections, DHR should help us to identify a variety of strong prospects," noted Mr. Pleus. About a21 a21 (www.a21group.com) is a leading online digital content marketplace for the professional creative community. Through SuperStock (www.superstock.com; www.superstock.co.uk; and www.purestockx.com), Ingram Publishing (www.ingrampublishing.com), and ArtSelect (www.artselect.com), a21 delivers high quality images, art framing, and exceptional customer service. a21 and its companies, with offices in New York, Florida, Iowa, and the United Kingdom, provide a valuable and viable choice to photographers, artists, photography agencies and other customers in the stock image, art and wall decor industries. The statements contained in this press release contain certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding a21, Inc.'s expectations, intentions, strategies and beliefs regarding the future. All statements contained herein are based upon information available to a21, Inc.'s management as of the date hereof and actual results may vary based upon future events, both within and without the control of a21, Inc.'s management. |
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