Service Management Group acquires Catalyst Healthcare Research to bolster expertise and growth

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Service Management Group (SMG), on August 1, purchased Nashville-based Catalyst Healthcare Research (CHR) to accelerate strategic expansion within the healthcare category. SMG is a global leader in customer experience (CX) measurement, helping more than 450 brands around the globe to listen, understand and act on feedback and behavioral data.

SMG, best known for their work in the restaurant, retail and services categories, has experienced significant year-over-year growth—adding more than 60 new client partners per year in 2015 and 2016. SMG measures ongoing success through tenured relationships—touting an average client engagement of more than 7 years—and through client partner recognition, most notably Partner of the Year awards like the one received recently from Firehouse Subs.

"We're fortunate to have created the right combination of technology and insights that provides clients with high-quality data and actionable insights they can trust. We help our client partners understand what their customers and employees really want, so they can make big decisions with confidence and take fast actions," said SMG Chairman and CEO Andy Fromm. "We genuinely employ the same straightforward philosophy for ourselves that we champion for every customer experience and employee engagement program. We listen and then we act. Which means our technology roadmap and our research innovations are driven by what's most important to our clients. And when they're successful, everyone wins."

One avenue of strategic growth is category expansion. SMG entered the healthcare space in 2011 with a ratings and review site that helps people make informed decisions about care providers based on patient surveys for hundreds of surgeons. With ongoing and significant expansion across the healthcare ecosystem, the time is right for SMG to expand within the space too, offering more patients and employees the opportunity to guide the future of healthcare as we know it.

"High deductible plans are causing patients to think and act more like consumers. Which makes CX measurement that much more important within the fast-growing healthcare industry. By 2025 nearly $1 in every $5 spent in the United States will be spent on healthcare," said Fromm. "It's a pivotal time for healthcare 'consumers,' and we want to help create better experiences that improve people's lives."

SMG began conversations with Catalyst Healthcare Research executives in 2016. Through ongoing discovery, it was obvious the acquisition is a great fit for both organizations. "CHR is a talented team with deep healthcare expertise. And they've built an impressive portfolio of client partners," said Fromm.

"Like SMG, CHR is very focused on delivering actionable insights. And with the backing of SMG's technology platform, we'll see exponential and accelerated growth," said CHR Vice President David Butler.

Catalyst Healthcare Research will retain the name. And the team will continue to operate from Nashville while collaborating with team members from other SMG offices. "We couldn't be more pleased with how things have come about," said CHR President Dan Prince. "This was a logical next step in our growth, and we've aligned with a company that 100% embraces our approach and our culture. We couldn't ask for more, both for our teams and our client partners."

For more information on SMG solutions, visit https://smg.com/

About Service Management Group
SMG (Service Management Group) partners with more than 450 brands around the globe to create better customer and employee experiences, which drive loyalty and performance. SMG uniquely combines technology and insights to help clients listen better, act faster, and outperform competitors. Strategic solutions include omniCX™, Brand Research, and Employee Engagement. SMG evaluates 200 million surveys annually, across 130 countries. To learn more about SMG, visit www.smg.com or call 1-800-764-0439.

Contact: Shad Foos 1-816-778-8282

SOURCE Service Management Group

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