Brainworks Software chief John Barry says the company is launching a series of strategic growth measures after securing investment capital, focussing on addressing the needs of the large and mid-sized newspaper publisher markets, and with Australasia and Asia earmarked for growth.

He told GXpress exclusively he was looking forward "with unbridled enthusiasm" to a strategy which includes product, geographic and company growth, and "to the next ten to 15 years".

To fuel the expansion, Brainworks has partnered with HIG Growth Partners, which says it "plans to support John and his management team to drive continued growth and success for the company and its customers".

Brainworks says the major initiative is aimed at expanding its product scope, geographical footprint, and overall company size. "The company has already expanded significantly over the past several years and is now making further investments in a number of key areas," Barry says. "These investments are focussed on addressing the growing needs of all newspaper publishers. Brainworks' customers are undergoing significant macro shifts and our solutions can help customers optimise those changes to enhance revenue and make operational improvements at the same time."

The strategy includes enhancement of the Brainworks team, the addition of new product lines to complement its advertising, CRM, circulation and ad tracking products, and expansion to new geographic markets beyond its current footprint in North America and Australia.

Founder and owner John Barry (right) says he is "incredibly excited" about the initiative: "It's taken us 18 years and a lot of hard work to get to the point where we can make this bold push. I am thrilled beyond belief to have the opportunity to lead my amazing team through this next phase - in my view the most exciting and rewarding phase - of our growth."

He says investment into the expansion of his team has already started with the recruitment of two very experienced industry executives earlier this northern summer - founder and former president of Data Sciences Mark Ganslaw and veteran saleswoman Mary Parker.

Ganslaw, who consulted for Saxotech after it bought Data Sciences in November 2010, came to Brainworks to consult on circulation systems, bringing vast expertise deploying large scale circulation implementations. At the time, Ganslaw had more than 40 years of business, technical and financial experience operating a multi-million dollar software company in all aspects. John Barry describes him as "the best and brightest circulation expert in the world - period. We are thrilled to benefit from his wisdom and expertise."

Parker also has a history with Saxotech, which last year was merged with DTI to form Newscycle Solutions (which later added Atex's US operations - and AdBase advertising product - and newspaper systems developer MediaSpan). Mary Parker brought more than ten years of industry business, technical, industry and product experience. "Mary is a phenomenon," says Barry, "the consummate professional, brilliant, focussed, hard-working, and driven... (and) we are overjoyed to be working with her."

He says Brainworks is continuing to innovate on products, both through its own development team and via acquisitions. In March of 2013, Brainworks announced the acquisition of ad management innovator - and long-term collaborator - Morcor Solutions, based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Barry says he had long admired Morcor's products and customer satisfaction: "Kenn Morrison is a brilliant pioneer and he created a very special company. We are extremely proud to carry on Kenn's vision and add our own special flavour along the way. The product has been a perfect fit for Brainworks - we have already secured major Xpance contracts and have many more to come."

Brainworks Software and HIG Growth Partners say they are looking forward with optimism to their growth in news media. "Overall, we see tremendous opportunity in the market," says Nik Shah, principal of the growth capital investment affiliate of global private investment firm HIG Capital.

And he added in an email to GXpress that HIG Growth Partners was excited to support Brainworks founder and chief executive John Barry and his vision for the company and its growth within the industry: "He has already created a phenomenal company, which we believe he will build to extraordinary heights in the coming years."

The company has also recently introduced its own mobile CRM product following more than ten years' development, and is focused on meeting the very specific needs of newspaper sales teams and management. Australasia - where it already has users - and Asia are among regions planned for growth as Brainworks expands its footprint outside North America: "We have customers in Australia and we will be expanding in that region, and we are also looking at Europe, Asia, and South America," Barry says.

Having previously focussed almost exclusively on the North American market - with newspaper advertising, CRM, ad tracking and circulation systems - Brainworks claims installations at more than 1000 newspapers over the past 40 years These cover integrated classified and display advertising, circulation, ad production tracking and online proofing for print and online ads, billing, accounts receivable, contract and credit management, classified pagination and ROP ad layout.

Its customers include group-wide implementations at EW Scripps, Digital First Media, Halifax, McClatchy, and Evening Post Publishing, as well as major independent dailies including the Buffalo News and Tampa Bay Times, community groups and independent newspapers.