(Alothon Group) January 19, 2012 –  Alothon Group LLC, a leading private equity firm that invests in middle-market companies in Brazil, announced today that it has completed an investment, through its Fund II, in Atmosfera Gestao & Higienizacao de Texteis SA, joining global private equity firm Advent International, the current shareholder of Atmosfera.

Terms of the investment in Atmosfera were not disclosed.

Atmosfera, headquartered in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, is the leading industrial laundry company in Brazil, serving the hospital, hospitality and industrial sectors. It has more than 3,000 employees, seven strategically located plants throughout the country, and a strong client portfolio that includes leading blue-chip companies. Atmosfera was founded in 1997.

Ettore V. Biagioni, Managing Partner of Alothon, stated, “We were introduced to Atmosfera by one of its founders and have come to know the company well. We believe the investment fits perfectly with our strategy to invest in businesses that we anticipate will benefit from an increase in outsourcing.”

Mr. Biagioni continued, “Laundry is not a core competency for industries such as health care and hospitality, and there is considerable operational and commercial upside for a well managed company in this space. We look forward to working with Advent and the founders of Atmosfera to continue the company’s focus on operationally driven value creation and opportunistic acquisitions.”

Patrice Etlin, Managing Partner of Advent International in Brazil, said, “Atmosfera has reached a point where the entry of another leading shareholder will enable the company to further expand and give it the added strength to continue providing clients with a premium service driven by a first-class management team.”

About Atmosfera
Founded in 1997, Atmosfera is the largest industrial laundry company in Brazil, providing outsourcing services that include laundry and rental of uniforms, mats, mops and linen for hospitals, restaurants, hotels and industrial customers. The company operates through seven plants, located in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Minas Gerais and Santa Catarina.

About Alothon
Alothon Group LLC is a leading private equity firm dedicated to Latin American investments, principally in Brazil. Over the past 15 years, the Alothon team has invested in more than 30 companies in the region. The firm is currently investing in mid to late stage buyouts in Brazil, with the investment strategy focused on controlling positions in businesses with strong franchise value. Alothon works closely with the management of companies in which it invests and brings a combination of strategic, financial, operating and governance expertise. For additional information, please visit www.alothon.com.

About Advent International
Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the world’s leading global buyout firms, with offices in 16 countries on four continents. A driving force in international private equity for 27 years, Advent has built an unparalleled global platform of over 170 investment professionals across Western and Central Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. The firm focuses on international buyouts, strategic repositioning opportunities and growth buyouts in five core sectors, working actively with management teams to drive revenue growth and earnings improvements in portfolio companies. Since inception, Advent has raised $26 billion in private equity capital and, through its buyout programs, has invested in over 270 companies valued at over $60 billion in 35 countries.