iServed.com Acquires The Stars and Stripes

Posted on May 5, 2000

iServed.com, an Internet military content and solutions provider, has announced that the company has acquired The Stars and Stripes newspaper, a 138 year-old privately owned military publication. The acquisition will merge the history and authority of The Stars and Stripes with the military content capabilities and technological expertise of iServed.com. The union will provide news coverage, online services and information to military members, veterans and their families.

To commemorate the acquisition, a special edition of The Stars and Stripes is being published with an expanded distribution of 100,000 copies. This special edition will feature articles on the acquisition, the paper's history (highlighting archived stories) and a special feature covering ``dot-com entrepreneurs'' with military backgrounds. The paper will also include stories about iServed.com and the management team, along with congratulatory messages from military and veteran service organization officials such as Gen. John Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and John W. Smart, Veteran of Foreign Wars National Commander-In-Chief.

As part of the agreement, the iServed.com management and content/editorial team, led by CEO Jack Colletti, will take over day-to-day operation of The Stars and Stripes newspaper. The current editorial and reporting staff of The Stars and Stripes will remain on board with former Owner/Publisher Howard E. Haugerud joining iServed.com's board of directors.

``Today The Stars and Stripes goes digital,'' said iServed.com's Colletti. ``The Stars and Stripes newspaper will be re-energized with new content and features, and the online version will leverage superb content and commerce, enabling the company to appeal to a wider military/veteran audience. We will build on this amazing brand and will remain a trustworthy source of military and veteran focused news and information.''

The Stars and Stripes has a long and storied history of covering veterans' issues and was originally printed in 1861 by Union troops during the Civil War. In 1926, National Tribune Corporation purchased the paper and merged it with its existing publications, The National Tribune, The American Standard and The National Guardsman.

iServed.com is an Internet provider of military-focused news coverage and editorial content. The Company serves as a multimedia military solutions and content provider for military portals, traditional media companies, veteran service organizations, veteran-owned technology businesses, defense contractors and the U.S. Department of Defense. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, iServed.com is privately-held and backed by the venture capital firm Redleaf Group LLC.