MONTREAL, Dec. 19 /CNW Telbec/ - TECSYS Inc. (TSX: TCS), an industry- leading Supply Chain Management (SCM) software company announced today that it has acquired a major stake in TECSYS Latin America Inc. (TLA), a privately held high-growth reseller of TECSYS' supply chain management software and other solutions in the region. With this transaction, TECSYS Inc. has become the second largest shareholder of TLA, holding an equity position of 27%. TECSYS' presence currently spans the North American continent, and more recently Europe, serving customers in Canada, the U.S., Spain, France, Portugal and Germany. With this transaction, TECSYS forges a global supply chain management partnership for both organizations, and provides them both with a stronger market position in the region-substantially strengthening their competitive stance to serve global clients with the need for multinational solution deployment, while at the same time providing them with the localized customer services and support. Dave Brereton, TECSYS' Executive Chairman and Co-CEO commented on the transaction: "With the increased globalization and offshore sourcing trend in supply chain management, it has become evident that multinational solutions deployment is a strategic asset to our competitive position. TLA, a long- standing TECSYS partner, is a solid extension of our team and provides us with the presence, expertise and market know-how in Latin America, strengthening our ability to win customers with global reach." TLA, a privately held high-growth company, has offices in Venezuela, Colombia and Chile. The company has over 110 customers in 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and is the exclusive reseller of TECSYS' supply chain management software solutions for the region. TLA's customers include known multinationals such as Diageo, Procter & Gamble, Cargill and Colgate Palmolive, as well as regional leaders, including Venezuela's largest agrochemical company, Agroislena; Colombia's leading dairy products company, Alpina; the region's largest retailer, Almacenes Exito; the region's leading auto parts distributor, VenAmerican; Chile's leading beverage company, CCU; Puerto Rico's leading food service distributor, Matosantos; and the region's leading third-party logistics providers, including Cealco and Loma in Venezuela, Almaviva in Colombia, Almacenadora in Costa Rica and Ransa in Peru. Gregor Nassief, TLA's CEO stated, "Since the inception of our partnership ten years ago, we became engaged because of the synergy between our two organizations; common strategic vision, our values and principles and deep understanding of the distribution industry. Today, as we move further, our two entities become more of a unified force with substantial expertise and leading technology to serve customers and bring product to market more quickly." TLA employs over forty professionals. It provides its customers with a comprehensive portfolio of leading supply chain applications in the areas of distribution, logistics, warehousing and transportation. The company also offers a broad range of value-added professional services such as business and logistics consulting, project management and implementation, systems analysis and software development, system integration and ongoing support and maintenance services. About TECSYS Latin America -------------------------- TECSYS Latin America (TLA) is a regional provider of globally recognized integrated logistics solutions for optimizing the business supply chain. TLA's solutions aim to maximize customer flexibility and responsiveness while improving their quality of service and minimizing costs. The company's portfolio of solutions include logistics software applications such as warehouse management and transportation management systems (WMS/TMS) as well as consulting services such as distribution centre design and transportation network analysis. TLA also provides end-to-end software solutions for distributors, third-party logistics providers and transportation companies. TLA's customers include the region's leading manufacturers, retailers, distributors, third-party logistics providers and transportation companies. About TECSYS ------------ TECSYS is a leading, fast-growing supply chain management software provider that delivers powerful enterprise distribution, warehouse and transportation logistics software solutions. The company's customers include about 600 mid-size and Fortune 1000 corporations in healthcare, giftware, office products, third-party logistics, and general wholesale high-volume distribution markets. TECSYS' shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TCS. The statements in this news release relating to matters that are not historical fact are forward looking statements that are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties, including but not limited to future economic conditions, the markets that TECSYS Inc. serves, the actions of competitors, major new technological trends, and other factors beyond the control of TECSYS Inc., which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. All names, trademarks, products, and services mentioned are registered or unregistered trademarks of their respective owners.