Sunbelt Expands Into South Africa

CLEVELAND, OH, June 9, 2006 – Sunbelt®, the largest international business brokerage franchise, has continued its aggressive international growth with the recent sale of Master Franchise rights for South Africa.

“Sunbelt has been rapidly growing internationally for the past six years and it is a privilege to be the first on the African continent,” stated Mike Hughes, Sunbelt Master Franchisee of South Africa. “I am eager to expose South African buyers and sellers to the global market.”

Sunbelt’s focus compliments South Africa’s growing business climate, comprised of industries such as manufacturing, financial services and tourism.

Mike is an experienced management consultant, specializing in marketing and pricing. He has serviced clients such as JSE, Nedcor, Nissan SA and Moss Morris Attorneys. Mr. Hughes stated, “My professional experiences will enable me to bring the same level of service to South Africa and help buyers and sellers achieve their goals.”

Sunbelt specializes in helping individuals and companies buy and sell businesses in all four areas of the private business market: Main Street, Franchise Sales, Franchise Resales and Mergers & Acquisitions. Sunbelt is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merrymeeting®, Inc. (MMI), a Cleveland-based investment firm specializing in the acquisition and development of franchised brands. MMI currently operates four franchise systems with more than 1,200 franchised locations worldwide. To learn more, please visit either www.sunbeltnetwork.com or www.merrymtg.com.