Merrill Corp. Plans to Sell Merrill Translation Services

Slator has learned from sources that Merrill Corporation is in the process of selling its translation unit Merrill Translation Services. An internal memo went out to all employees of Merrill Corporation, according to our sources, to the effect that the company is discussing a buyout of its translation unit, led by no other than the original founder of the business Jeff Brink.

Back in 2005, Merrill Corp. acquired what was then called P.H. Brink International Corporation from Jeff Brink, who was President and COO of the company at the time. Brink stayed with the business as COO of Merrill Brink International until 2008.

In 2011, Brink founded a company called Brink Global Solutions, which went into a joint venture with euroscript (now Amplexor) to provide the Luxembourg-headquartered language service provider with a bridgehead into Europe. The company was renamed BGS euroscript.

According to information gathered from LinkedIn profiles, Jeff Brink formed a new company in 2015 called United Language Group, which lists Jeff Brink as CEO, Greg Brink as EVP, and TransPerfect veteran and former GALA CEO Hans Fenstermacher as COO.

While the memo mentioned that Jeff Brink will head the newly independent translation business, it did not disclose details on how the transaction is financed or whether Brink will get outside financing for the deal.

In mid 2014, Merrill Corp. hired IBM veteran Rusty Wiley as its new CEO. Wiley wants to focus the company on its core financial reporting, virtual data room, and other presumably more platform- and less service-driven businesses.

Translations is not the first unit to go. In March 2015, the company already sold its Legal Solutions business for an undisclosed amount to legal process outsourcer DTI.

Merrill Translation Services is a mid-sized language service provider with a staff count of around 130–140 people.

Slator reached out to Jeff Brink for comment but has not received a response as of press time.