Counsel Corp. Buys 33% Stake in ALC Interactive

American List Counsel Inc., Princeton, NJ, has sold a 33% stake in its interactive marketing services business, formerly known as ALC Interactive and now called Impower Inc., to Toronto-based Counsel Corp. for $15 million.

The sale was part of a strategic funding initiative to expand the marketing services unit, including developing and licensing new technology, acquisitions and recruitment, says ALC chairman/CEO Donn Rappaport.

For Counsel, the acquisition was aimed at broadening its investment focus and building shareholder value by exploring new areas for growth. Counsel is engaged primarily in the ownership and management of companies that provide healthcare services and products in the United States.

Impower (www.impower.net) is a transaction-based Internet direct marketing service that enables clients to attract and retain customers through interactive data marketing techniques, Rappaport said.

Meanwhile, ALC of New York LLC has formed NetMail, a division providing e-mail list management and brokerage, Internet marketing services and interactive consulting. The Polk Co. has awarded management of its 325,000-name NetSelector e-mail list to the new unit.