E.L. Rothschild LLC, a private investment company led by
Chairman Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and CEO Lynn Forester de
Rothschild, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement
to acquire a 70% interest in Weather Central, LP (www.wxc.com). The
world’s leading provider of interactive weather graphics and data
services for television, web, and mobile, Weather Central’s highly
accurate and personalized forecasting offers businesses and
consumers a truly unique suite of science-driven weather
information products. The company will continue to operate under
CEO and founder, Terry Kelly, as well as current management.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Lynn Forester de Rothschild CEO, E.L.
Rothschild LLC (Photo: Business Wire)
Founded in 1974, Weather Central is a global provider of
professional on‐air, online, print, mobile, and enterprise weather
solutions and forecasting. With 180 employees, including 70
meteorologists, Weather Central provides dynamic weather graphic
systems, proprietary forecast models, and dedication to
high-quality customer service. Weather Central has secured a
leading 46% market share of North America’s weather information
delivery market for broadcast and media delivering content to
hundreds of millions of viewers. It is the largest provider of
broadcast and interactive web weather solutions for media companies
in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Weather Central has more than 400
broadcast television clients in 21 countries worldwide. It provides
weather forecasts to millions of users daily by distributing
real-time personalized forecasts, interactive maps, and storm
warnings based on each user’s exact address.
Well-known for its advanced technologies, the company pioneered
weather computer graphics systems worldwide and continues to
innovate, recently releasing the industry’s first 1km
high-resolution forecast data set available on-air, online, and for
mobile devices. Weather Central has used its hallmark scientific
approach to secure customers that include network-owned and
operated television stations, independent television stations,
newspapers, websites, and individual businesses and consumers. From
its headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin and its regional offices in
Hong Kong, Beijing, and Berlin, the company’s systems provide
weather to hundreds of millions of viewers through customer
installations worldwide, including those in the U.K., Canada,
Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and other countries. Weather Central is also
the primary provider of weather technology and delivery to
broadcast stations in China.
Beyond its core North American and international media
operations, Weather Central is also expanding its business for the
enterprise, consumer, and mobile markets. The company’s offerings
for the B2B segment include precise weather products and solutions
for a broad base of customers, including insurance, commodities and
energy companies, hedge funds, and governments. Weather Central has
also developed an extensive suite of consumer-facing digital
products that will launch across online and mobile platforms as
part of the company’s MyWeather® brand in the next few months.
CEO of E.L. Rothschild LLC, Lynn Forester de Rothschild,
commented on the acquisition, saying: “Weather Central is a
world-class company that is number one in its category, with a
history of success, a talented team, and a very bright future.
Their products, which are the world’s most precise for broadcast,
online and mobile forecasting, allow companies and individuals
unparalleled insights. Whether designed for an insurance company
wanting to alert its customers of an impending hailstorm, a hedge
fund trying to monitor agricultural commodities, or a consumer
planning a vacation, no one has better information than Weather
Central. At E.L. Rothschild, we will use our resources, business
experience, and industry insights to build upon Weather Central’s
current success, and to develop the company’s escalating
international profile in markets like Latin America and India. We
will also be focused on enhancing Weather Central’s position as a
digital leader in the consumer space.”
Chairman of E.L. Rothschild LLC, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild,
added: “As a family, the Rothschilds have always been dedicated to
the utmost quality of our products and services. With respect to
our investments, we focus on entering into long-term partnerships
with people who share our values. As weather becomes more extreme
around the planet, with greater human and financial ramifications,
we believe that Weather Central will play a major role in
mitigating damage and improving lives. This is important to the
Rothschilds, as it is to Weather Central. We are proud of our new
partnership with them."
Terry Kelly, Weather Central’s founder and CEO, stated: “Much
has changed since we launched Weather Central more than 35 years
ago, but our core passion for innovation, customer service,
excellence, and vision is stronger than ever. The world today is
facing major weather shifts due to climate change, and with an
increasingly mobile population, the ability for consumers to obtain
highly accurate and personalized information about the weather is
more important than ever. With our scientific knowledge and
technological edge, we’ve established a business that is top-ranked
in the broadcast market. With E.L. Rothschild, the sky is the limit
for Weather Central as we look to expand our success
internationally and prepare to launch exciting new digital
offerings for consumers.”
ABOUT E.L. ROTHSCHILD LLC
E.L. Rothschild LLC is a privately funded family investment
company, which was established in 2003 by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild
and Lynn Forester de Rothschild to oversee a variety of the
Rothschilds’ global investments. The principals have extensive
experience investing in and operating businesses in the United
States, United Kingdom, Europe, India and South America. E.L.
Rothschild LLC employs the strategy of taking a long-term view
toward partnership and value creation. The company currently has
interests in media, real estate, agriculture and luxury goods, with
significant previous positions in financial services, technology
and communications.
ABOUT WEATHER CENTRAL, LP
Weather Central, LP was founded in 1974 by Terry Kelly. The
company today has an outstanding team of meteorologists,
scientists, industry specialists, and creative staff. Based in
Madison, Wisconsin, the company is a leading provider of
professional on-air, online, print, mobile, and enterprise weather
solutions and forecasting in North America and to major customers
worldwide. Utilizing the company’s dynamic weather graphics,
proprietary precise forecast models and data, and patented
technology, more than 1,000 partners and hundreds of millions of
consumers worldwide benefit from Weather Central’s attention to
superb weather presentation, forecast accuracy and personalization,
and continuous customer support.
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