News

Multi-Shot, LLC Announces Partnership with The Stephens Group, LLC

April 3, 2007

Multi-Shot, LLC (“Multi-Shot” or the “Company”) today announced that it has finalized an agreement under which The Stephens Group, LLC, a Little Rock, Arkansas based private equity firm, will make a majority equity investment in the Company and provide subordinated debt financing. The transaction completes a partial recapitalization that will position the Company for the next stage of its growth and further expand its service capabilities for its customers.

Multi-Shot, headquartered in Conroe, Texas, is an independent directional drilling services company. The Company has grown throughout Texas, Louisiana, and into the Rocky Mountains and Montana while successfully establishing itself as one of the premier directional drilling service companies in the Barnett Shale. The Company provides directional drilling services, down-hole surveying, measurement while drilling (“MWD”) services, down-hole motors, and steering tool services, principally to the land based energy sector. Prior to the recapitalization, the Company was owned by management and Catalyst/Hall, a Houston, Texas based private equity firm.

Multi-Shot is presently a party to an existing First Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (“Merger Agreement”) with JK Acquisition Corp. (AMEX:JKA). The initial merger agreement, dated September 6, 2006, was amended in its entirety on February 14, 2007, to, among other things, anticipate and be conditioned upon the recapitalization of the Company with The Stephens Group (referred to as the “Investor” in the Merger Agreement). Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, which is expected to close prior to July 31, 2007, the consideration payable to Multi-Shot’s members, which now includes The Stephens Group, Catalyst/Hall, and management of the Company, will consist of common stock and warrants that can be exercised for common stock of JKA and the payment of certain Company debt, including The Stephens Group’s subordinated debt. Following the consummation of the merger, JKA will change its name to MS Energy Services, Inc. The existing Multi-Shot management team will continue to be responsible for managing the operations of the merged company.

“We have known the principals of The Stephens Group for several years, and we are very pleased that they have completed the partial recapitalization and their commitment to participate in the Merger Agreement. We look forward to The Stephens Group, Catalyst/Hall and management working together to build the business of Multi-Shot,” said Ron Nixon, a founding principal of Catalyst/Hall. “Likewise, we look forward to working with JKA for a timely completion of the SEC review process and the shareholder vote on the Merger Agreement.”

“Multi-Shot is honored to add another well-known and highly regarded private equity investor to its ownership in The Stephens Group and to involve its designees on the Company’s board,” said Allen Neel, President of Multi-Shot. “The principals of The Stephens Group have lengthy resumes of involvement in the oil and gas industry, including meaningful investments in the energy service sector. This transaction further strengthens Multi-Shot in a variety of ways and is beneficial for the Company, its customers, suppliers and employees.”

“We are excited to invest in and with the Multi-Shot management team and Catalyst/Hall,” said K. Rick Turner, senior managing principal at The Stephens Group. “The Company’s high-quality directional drilling services, experienced management team, and growing motor and MWD fleet position it well for continued growth. In addition, we are very optimistic regarding the future of directional drilling as producers continue to exploit resource plays in the face of accelerating decline curves of proved and producing reserves. We have evaluated numerous drilling company investments over the years and feel Multi-Shot is uniquely positioned to continue to grow vis-à-vis current industry trends. This recapitalization will enable the Company to continue to execute its internal growth initiatives as well as explore accretive acquisitions. Furthermore, Catalyst/Hall’s investment philosophy mirrors that of The Stephens Group. We are each dedicated to a long-term partnership-oriented investment style that focuses on prudently capitalized value creation.”

Mr. Turner is joining Allen Neel and Ron Nixon on the Multi-Shot Board of Managers along with Jim Jacoby, a principal at The Stephens Group, and Kim Eubanks, Chief Executive Officer of CamWest – a company formerly affiliated with The Stephens Group.

ABOUT MULTI-SHOT, LLC

Based in Conroe, Texas, Multi-Shot provides directional drilling services with an established presence in most major onshore producing basins in the U.S. Since its inception in 1980, the company has developed into a leading independent service provider that employs a highly skilled and experienced labor force. The Company owns and operates equipment of the highest standards and maintains a diversified customer base that includes large U.S. independent exploration and production companies.

ABOUT CATALYST/HALL

Catalyst/Hall and its affiliated family of private investment funds specialize in middle market equity and mezzanine investments from their offices in Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and Oklahoma City. Catalyst/Hall, which was formed in 2002 by affiliates of The Catalyst Group and Hall Brothers Capital of Oklahoma City, formally ceased investing in 2006, but both Catalyst and Hall Brothers Capital continue to manage equity and debt funds seeking investment opportunities in manufacturing, distribution, and service companies with solid, defensible business franchises and a defined requirement for capital. Catalyst and Hall Brothers Capital continue their cooperative pursuit of co-investments in furtherance of their affiliation which began in 1999. Both Catalyst and Hall Brothers investment partnerships include high-net worth families and institutions that are focused on long-term value creation and capital appreciation.

ABOUT THE STEPHENS GROUP, LLC

The Stephens Group is a private, family-owned firm that invests its capital in private and public companies with exceptional management teams and high returns on invested capital in growing industries. The principals of The Stephens Group have over 70 years of history of successfully investing in both minority and control positions across multiple industries. The Stephens Group, through its affiliates, has large positions in gas exploration and production (Stephens Production Company), natural gas gathering and processing (Energy Transfer Partners, (NYSE:ETP)), energy services (North American Energy Partners (NYSE:NOA), JV Industrial Companies, and Seminole Energy Services), media, communications, consumer, manufacturing, and other industries. The Stephens Group typically provides equity capital of $5 million to $75 million dollars per transaction and looks to invest $100-$200 million per year.

Contacts:

Ron Clark
General Counsel
The Stephens Group, LLC
PressReleases@stephensgroup.com
501.377.3401