Human Resources: MassMutual Purchases Winmark Equipment Finance

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life

Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced today that it has purchased Winmark

Equipment Finance (Winmark), which has become one of the nation's leading

equipment-leasing finance companies in just three years since its founding in

March of 2004. Winmark will now operate under the name MassMutual Asset

Finance and will become a member of the MassMutual Financial Group of

companies.

    MassMutual was one of the founding partners of Winmark along with Boston-

based CrossHarbor Capital Partners, with each providing 50% of the original

equity. MassMutual purchased all the shares of Winmark that it did not

already own as part of this transaction. Terms were not disclosed.

    Winmark has grown quickly since its inception and has more than $725

million in assets under management and approximately 150 customers throughout

the U.S. In 2005 and 2006, the company was recognized by Monitor, a leading

industry periodical, as being one of the nation's top 50 equipment finance

companies in terms of new business origination.

    The firm is headquartered in Foxborough, Mass., and the senior management

team -- including John Chipman, Winmark's President and CEO; David Coutu,

Winmark Senior Vice President; Bill Oberg, Winmark's Chief Financial Officer;

and John Pedro, a Winmark Senior Vice President -- will remain and retain

their positions and titles within the newly formed MassMutual Asset Finance.

    "MassMutual has been an outstanding partner for Winmark throughout its

development stage," said Chipman. "MassMutual's financial strength will allow

us to accelerate and deepen our penetration of our market as we move into the

growth phase of our development. MassMutual's ownership position will help us

expand our product offerings, which we hope will be welcome news to the

market."

    MassMutual Asset Finance will have a significantly increased ability to

operate across a wider range of transaction types which will include dealer

floorplan, federal leasing and corporate aircraft finance, Chipman said.

    "We have been very pleased with the progress John and his management team

have made and are excited about the future growth of MassMutual Asset

Finance," said Mark Ahmed, Managing Director, Corporate Securities for Babson

Capital Management LLC, a MassMutual subsidiary and investment advisor to

Winmark/MassMutual Asset Finance. "John and his staff have consistently

demonstrated that they understand the dynamics of the syndication market and

can successfully manage important institutional relationships."

    MassMutual Asset Finance has been a consistent and reliable capital source

for high credit-quality transactions for a select group of national

syndication sources, focusing on transactions in the $5 million to $25 million

range. The firm provides competitive rates on a wide variety of structures

and collateral types, and invests primarily in transactions with investment-

grade public companies and large private companies that exhibit a strong

credit profile.

    MassMutual Financial Group is the fleet name for Massachusetts Mutual Life

Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliates, with more than $450 billion

in assets under management at year-end 2006. Assets under management include

assets and certain external investment funds managed by MassMutual's

subsidiaries. Securities and investment advisory services offered through MML

Investors Services, Inc., a broker-dealer and registered investment advisor.

    Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a mutually owned financial protection,

accumulation and income management company headquartered in Springfield, Mass.

MassMutual's major affiliates include: OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; Babson Capital

Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate

Advisers LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc., member NASD and SIPC (www.nasd.org

and www.sipc.org); MassMutual International LLC and The MassMutual Trust

Company, FSB. MassMutual is on the internet at www.massmutual.com.