Waterford-based GSP acquired by building consultancy firm ORS in fire safety expansion

by Featured NewsSafety

In a strategic move towards diversification and expansion, building consultancy firm ORS has acquired Waterford-headquartered fire safety consultants, GSP.

This acquisition was confirmed following an earlier investment by private equity firm Erisbeg.

Fire safety expertise meets multidisciplinary approach

Established in 1995 by Gerry O’Sullivan, GSP has offices in both Waterford and Kilkenny.

While its operations are primarily in the South East, GSP Fire collaborates with every Local Authority nationwide.

Furthermore, they have a notable client roster which includes names like Bank of Ireland, AIB, GlaxoSmithKline, and Boston Scientific.

ORS, on the other hand, boasts of its diverse operations spanning across civil and structural engineering, project management, infrastructure, health and safety, and more.

With its roots dating back to 1991, the company was established by Paul O’Reilly and Finbar Stuart.

Currently, it employs approximately 200 individuals spread across various locations including Cork, Donegal, Galway, Westmeath, and Dublin.

First-time acquisition enhances ORS offerings

John Brennan, the managing director of ORS, highlighted the significance of this purchase: “The alignment of ORS’s multidisciplinary services with GSP Fire’s fire safety expertise positions the company to provide comprehensive solutions that meet evolving industry demands.”

He further expressed optimism about the acquisition: “This collaboration strengthens our capabilities, diversifies our offerings, and generates new opportunities for our teams and clients alike.”

GSP’s Director, Ger Hodson, echoed a similar sentiment, stating that the partnership with ORS: “not only broadens our expertise but also reinforces our commitment to client value and work ethic.”

IFSJ Comment

The fusion of ORS’s multidisciplinary services with GSP’s profound knowledge in fire safety brings forward an era of comprehensive solutions tailored to the evolving needs of the industry.

As both entities merge their expertise, clients can anticipate more diversified offerings that encapsulate the best of both worlds.

Furthermore, this acquisition mirrors the industry’s trajectory towards consolidating knowledge and expertise to achieve efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in fire safety.

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety expands its footprint with acquisitions in Florida and Missouri

by AmericasFeatured NewsSafety

Pye-Barker acquires Advanced Engineered Systems in Florida

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, a leading full-service fire protection, life safety and security services provider, has acquired Florida-based Advanced Engineered Systems (AESC).

This acquisition is a part of Pye-Barker’s ongoing growth strategy.

The Tampa-based AESC has over a quarter-century experience in integrated fire alarm, security and mass notification systems.

Boosting fire and safety provisions in Tampa

With the acquisition, Pye-Barker expands its offerings to include security and alarms, enhancing their already robust presence in fire protection in Tampa.

AESC’s service offering is wide, catering to commercial, healthcare, education, correctional, and industrial clients in southwest and central Florida.

Their services include inspection, testing, maintenance, installation and design to ensure quality and uphold code-compliance.

Karen Thomas, Owner at AESC, expressed her enthusiasm: “I’m very excited about the opportunities that our partnership with Pye-Barker will present for our employees and our business growth in Florida.”

She added that AESC is “proud to join a flourishing and respected company like Pye-Barker that is committed to first-class service to our clients while fostering a family-oriented team culture for our employees and investing in ongoing, hands-on training and technology for our team.”

Pye-Barker acquires Pyrotech, extending their reach into Missouri

In a separate acquisition, Pye-Barker has announced the acquisition of Pyrotech, a provider of fire suppression, extinguisher and life safety equipment serving Missouri and Illinois.

With this new addition, Pye-Barker gains its first physical location in Missouri, bringing the total number of company branches to 163 nationally.

Pyrotech offers a range of services including 24-hour service, inspection, testing, maintenance, and installation of suppression systems for commercial kitchens, food trucks, paint booths, and industrial applications.

From its St. Louis, Missouri headquarters, Pyrotech has served the greater Missouri and Illinois area since 1998, priding itself on delivering high-quality work and excellent customer service.

“We’re proud to join a flourishing company like Pye-Barker that is committed to fostering family culture and investing in ongoing, hands-on training for our team,” said Pyrotech Co-Owner Tim Sauer.

Bart Proctor, CEO at Pye-Barker, emphasized that “Pyrotech joins the Pye-Barker family during a time of tremendous growth for our company as we expand service to our 38th and 39th states.”

These recent acquisitions signal Pye-Barker’s continued mission to expand its national platform and commitment to being the premier provider in the fire and safety sector.

IFSJ Comment

These latest acquisitions highlight the ongoing consolidation in the fire and safety sector, underlining Pye-Barker’s commitment to expanding its comprehensive service offering across the United States.

This also indicates a potential shift in the competitive landscape with an increasing focus on an integrated service approach, combining fire protection, life safety, and security services under one umbrella.

Altus boosts fire safety services

by Featured NewsSafety

Altus Steps Up Fire Safety Game with Major Acquisition

Altus Fire and Life Safety, the full-service fire and safety platform, has purchased Massachusetts-based Priority Fire and Security, Inc. in a move that broadens Altus’s reach and deepens its service capabilities.

Priority Fire, a provider of comprehensive fire and security system services, will continue to have its founder and president, Steve Prior, actively involved. The specifics of the transaction, however, remain under wraps.

Bolstering Altus’ Platform with Priority Fire’s Expertise

Altus, established in May 2021, is part of the portfolio of AE Industrial Partners (AEI), a private equity firm with expertise in aerospace, defense, and various industrial markets. The Altus platform comprises nine distinct brands, including the newly added Priority Fire and Security.

Priority Fire, based in Clinton, Massachusetts, has been delivering fire safety and security services in the Greater Boston area since 2013. As a Honeywell Elite Partner, the company’s specialty lies in the sales, installation, and servicing of fire detection and protection systems, alongside a range of security products.

A strategic addition to the Altus family

Altus CEO, John Adams, highlighted the importance of this acquisition. “The addition of Priority Fire brings strategic advantages in both aligning with our focus on Honeywell engineered systems and expanding our service capabilities in the Northeast,” he commented. “This marks Altus’s second addition in the past month following our acquisition of CIA, and we’re pleased to welcome Steve and the outstanding Priority Fire team as we continue to become one of the leading consolidators in the fire and safety industry.”

Steve Prior, founder and president of Priority Fire, echoed Adams’s enthusiasm. “We’re excited to partner with Altus and AEI, who have the deep industry experience and relationships to help us build greater value in our business going forward,” he said.

About Altus

Serving customers for more than 100 years, Altus is a full-service fire and life safety services platform. Altus offers a complete suite of solutions, from the design, engineering, installation, and servicing of state-of-the-art fire and life safety systems to training, consulting, crisis management and business continuity services. 

About AE Industrial Partners

AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm specialising in aerospace, defense and government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets.

Industrial Electronic Controls acquired by SureGrip Controls

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Sure Grip Controls Inc., a subsidiary of Bailey International LLC, (Bailey) has announced the acquisition of Rockford, IL-based, Industrial Electronic Controls (IEC).

The acquisition will expand Sure Grip Control’s product portfolio and provide additional expertise in electronic throttles, displays and sensor manufacturing as Sure Grip Controls continues to develop and grow IECs business.

Ken Baker, CEO of Bailey International said that combining IEC’s products with Sure Grip Controls’ existing portfolio allows the company to offer a broad range of electronic controls products to the market: “The addition of IEC’s products will help us fulfil our vision to provide mobile and industrial equipment manufacturers with a fuller range of products and expand our fingertip-to-tooltip offering.”

Darren Lockyer, Vice President of Bailey International’s Electronics Business Unit, said: “We look forward to providing more products, additional capabilities and continued excellent service to our customers.”

Beyond complementary product portfolios, Sure Grip Controls and IEC are both developing highly customised controls for heavy equipment applications in agriculture, construction, forestry, transportation and beyond. Both companies employ rigorous processes to design, engineer, manufacture, and quality-test products to ensure they withstand constant use in even the most rugged environments.

Joe Benjamin, Owner of Industrial Electronic Controls, commented: “If there is one company in the mobile electronics control industry that matches our engineering capabilities and approach, it’s Sure Grip Controls.

“I am very excited that Sure Grip shares a very similar culture to IEC of unsurpassed service to their customers, which will make for a smooth and seamless transition for our much valued customers.”

FirePro acquired by Halma for €150 million

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Halma, the global group of life-saving technology companies, has announced the acquisition of leading designer and manufacturer of aerosol fire suppression systems FirePro.

Headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, FirePro’s systems are designed to protect people, critical infrastructure and equipment from fire using a non-pressurised condensed aerosol technology which does not contain ozone depleting substances or fluorinated greenhouse gases and extinguishes fire without causing damage to the environment.

FirePro’s products have been installed in over 110 countries across a broad range of industries and applications, and have listings and approvals with certified bodies around the world.

Avgoustinos Avgousti, Managing Director of FirePro commented on the acquisition: “Fire safety technology plays a key role in protecting people and their environment. By joining Halma, we gain access to new capabilities and collaborative opportunities with a global group of businesses which is aligned with FirePro’s purpose of protecting human life.”

‘A valuable addition’

Andrew Williams, Group Chief Executive of Halma, said the acquisition represents a valuable addition to our portfolio of fire detection and suppression solutions: “Its technologies provide a sustainable alternative to established pressurised gas fire suppression solutions.

“There are strong opportunities for growth in its existing market niches, driven by higher regulatory standards, and the adoption of new technologies for renewable energy are creating new opportunities for growth. We are delighted to welcome FirePro to Halma and look forward to working with the team to expand FirePro’s global impact.”

The acquisition is part of Halma’s growth strategy to acquire businesses aligned with its purpose of growing a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone every day. Halma has completed a total of seven acquisitions so far this financial year.

East Fire Extinguishers and Alarms acquired by Kings Secure Technologies

by Featured NewsFire Detection

Kings Secure Technologies (KST) has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire one of the UK’s leading providers of Fire and Life Safety Systems; East Fire Extinguishers and Alarms T/A EFire.

EFire was first established in 2011 and headquartered in Norwich with over 50 engineers across the UK. It provides the full range of consult, design, install and maintenance services, successfully delivering into the Healthcare, Education and Industrial sectors.

EFire, combined with KST’s existing specialist smoke ventilation business, Silver Group will strengthen the companies’ experience and offerings in the life safety systems market.

Darren Gamage, Chief Operating Officer of Kings Secure Technologies commented: “I am excited to be able to announce this acquisition. KST’s vision is to lead, transform and innovate in the security, fire, life safety and compliance environments.  Our acquisition of EFire will turn this vision in to a reality; we will move forward at pace self-delivering in all key areas of fire and life safety systems to our national client base.”

Commenting on the acquisition Roger Sparrow, Managing Director of EFire said: “With the backing of KST’s resources and reach, we look forward to delivering a wider range of services to our clients.  We will combine our core strengths with those of the existing companies within the KST group, deepening our industry expertise. We recognised KST as the perfect fit for our business and I am delighted that this acquisition is now complete.”

Bob Forsyth, CEO KST Group said “This is our fourth acquisition in just over 2 years, strengthening our position in the fire and life safety arena.  Our standing as a critical solutions provider has been enhanced; we are tremendously excited to welcome our new colleagues into the Group and watch the business flourish and grow.”

KST was advised by Squire Patton Boggs, the team consisting of Partner Paul Mann, Director Louise Parker and Associate Indy Bening.

Halma expands fire safety portfolio

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Global life-saving technology group Halma has announced its acquisition of Thermocable (Flexible Elements) Ltd (Thermocable) for its Safety sector fire detection company, Apollo Fire Detectors Limited (Apollo).

Thermocable is based in Bradford, UK, and is a developer and manufacturer of Linear Heat Detectors (LHDs) – temperature sensitive cables, installed in areas at risk of overheating and fire, which trigger an alert when they detect a change of temperature. 

Thermocable’s specialist detection technologies will expand the range of devices on offer from Apollo helping to keep more people safe from the risk of fire.

Thermocable’s technology is particularly suited for use in challenging infrastructure and industrial applications such as tunnels, factories, car parks, and increasingly solar farms.

“Thermocable’s specialist technologies will further enhance Apollo’s existing strengths in fire detection and alarm systems for industrial and commercial customers, “ said Andrew Williams, Group Chief Executive of Halma. 

“They will enable Apollo to address a greater range of customer needs in niche applications for a variety of sectors such as urban infrastructure and transportation, logistics, natural resources and emerging applications in renewable power generation.”

David Bulley, Managing Director of Apollo, said: “Our long-term growth is driven by increasing urbanisation, population growth and safety regulation. With the acquisition of Thermocable, we will serve a greater range of customer needs globally while offering an extra layer of protection to help extinguish fires at the source before they cause serious harm. Its technologies are highly aligned with Apollo’s purpose to protect people and their environment.”

The acquisition is part of Halma’s growth strategy to acquire bolt-on and standalone businesses, with a total of four acquisitions so far this financial year.

ILUS ramps up Middle Eastern fire safety expansion plans

by Featured NewsMiddle East - Featured News Archives

ILUS International Inc., a Mergers and Acquisitions company focused on acquiring and growing public safety and industrial companies across the globe, signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire 51% control of AL Shola Al Modea Safety and Security LLC, an established fire safety company registered in the United Arab Emirates. 

In a strategic move by ILUS, the company has acquired the majority stake of ASSS to ramp up its Middle Eastern fire safety expansion plans.

This involves ASSS working closely alongside BCD Fire, which was wholly acquired by ILUS in April 2021, to dominate the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fire safety sector through the leveraging of licensing, certifications, manpower, experience, and relationships.

The acquisition will also speed up ILUS’ focused expansion into the Saudi Arabian market as well as the rest of the Gulf region. 

As a well renowned primary contractor for many of the region’s most prestigious property developments, ASSS specializes in the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of fire alarm, fire protection and security systems. ASSS holds the highest level of licensing and certifications to operate as the main contractor for commercial, residential, and industrial facilities across the United Arab Emirates. 

ASSS has a full order book for 2023 and is currently expanding its resources to take on additional contracts. As a main contractor, the company will work closely with BCD Fire, who operates primarily as a sub-contractor in the region. Together, the companies plan to secure larger contracts and reduce project completion timeframes.

It is hoped that the cooperation between the two companies will result in a substantial momentum shift for ILUS’ fire safety growth plans across the Middle East, including in Saudi Arabia, where ILUS has been negotiating several large contracts, all requiring the additional manpower and experience provided by ASSS.

The Managing Director of ASSS, Sanjeeb Safir, who has been involved in the company since its inception and led its growth for many years, will take on the role of General Manager for both ASSS and BCD Fire, from January 2023.  

John-Paul Backwell, ILUS Managing Director said: “This is an important strategic acquisition for ILUS in the Middle East and it also signifies the significant progress we are making towards our global fire safety rollout.

“There is so much more going on behind the scenes when it comes to product development, project management of current contracts and business development for new contracts, therefore this deal is important for strengthening our management and resources in the region to ensure that we reach our milestones and accelerate our growth in the Gulf region.

“I am looking forward to working closely with ASSS, together with BCD Fire, to capitalize on the plethora of huge opportunities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. With further deals and important strategic moves lined up, we expect to close out 2022 strongly with further announcements before starting 2023 with a flourish leading up to our second Annual Shareholder Meeting on January the 27th.” 

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety acquires ComTronix

by Featured NewsSafety

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety has announced the acquisition of ComTronix, a commercial and residential security and fire alarm monitoring company in Wyoming.

This addition sees Pye-Barker expand its footprint in the state of Wyoming, strengthening its burgeoning alarm division and enhancing its communication and mass notification service offerings. Pye-Barker continues its acquisition strategy and has become a dominant provider in the fire, safety and security services industry in the United States.

ComTronix is an integrated security and life safety systems provider including fire and intrusion alarms, 24/7 fire and security alarm monitoring, access control, intrusion detection, CCTV, business telephone systems, overhead paging and structured cabling.

Founded in 1989 by Richard Fisher, Bruce Kopperud and Rob Dobler, ComTronix now operates two locations in Casper and Sheridan, Wyoming. Kopperud, who took the helm as company President in 2011, is a proud US military veteran and works with active and veteran military families.

Kopperud commented: “We are proud every day to serve the communities we live in and provide life-saving security solutions for our neighbors and friends. We know that Pye-Barker holds the same values as the ComTronix team – commitment to customer care, hard work and community. This partnership will enable us to do more for our customers and our employees.”

Bart Proctor, CEO of Pye-Barker, said: “ComTronix is a great fit for the Pye-Barker family as we continue to expand our security offerings. We’re honored to work with the ComTronix team and learn from their 30+ years of industry experience.”

Scott Taylor, ComTronix General Manager, will oversee the business post acquisition and the company’s experienced alarm professionals will continue to service customers.

Building Industry Partners forms fire and life safety platform company

by Featured NewsSafety

Building Industry Partners (BIP), a leading building industry-focused private equity investment firm, has formed a new fire and life safety platform company following its acquisition of Valley Fire Protection Systems.

Robert Lane, Vice President at BIP, said: We are extremely happy to announce the formation of Endeavor Fire Protection and the closing of the Valley Fire Protection Systems acquisition. BIP has deep relationships in the fire protection segment and has long wanted to build a platform in this vertical. Valley is an elite operator with a field-driven philosophy.

“The Company brings extraordinary capabilities and a long-standing reputation as a leader in the fire protection sector. Given the strong leadership at all levels of the Company, we believe Valley will continue to innovate and grow. We are confident that this will be a strong partnership.”

Lane also noted that Endeavor Fire Protection is BIP’s fourth platform under the company’s renewed people-focused purpose.

Founded in 1974, Valley Fire Protection Systems installs, services, and repairs fire suppression and plumbing systems throughout the Midwestern United States. The Company offers a suite of systems and services to a diverse customer base including the commercial, industrial, and government markets.

The acquisition is in line with the Valley management team’s plans to recapitalise and grow the business. The entire Valley management team is remaining with the Company.

Thomas Hartel, President of Valley Fire Protection, commented: “Choosing to partner with Building Industry Partners to form Endeavor Fire Protection was an easy decision for us, especially given the strong cultural fit, safety emphasis, and focus on people.

“My family has been in the Fire Protection business for over 120 years. We greatly valued BIP’s shared commitment to employee growth and education as well as the complementary focus on teamwork and customer service. Our team believes this partnership will enhance our commitment and investment in our people and allow us to better serve our customers and communities. We feel confident in a bright future together.”

Dave Sobota, Executive Vice President at Valley Fire Protection Systems, added: “We could not be more excited. Building Industry Partners’ focus on people development strongly resonated with our entire team. We are on a mission to not only be the very best fire protection and plumbing contractor, but also to be the very best place to work for our employees.

“BIP’s talent resources, access to growth capital, and deep industry relationships will allow us to greatly strengthen the wonderful foundation Valley has built over the last 40 years. This partnership will allow us to provide even more opportunities to our employees and better serve our customers.”

Justin Gilson, Principal at BIP, said: “We are excited to launch Endeavor Fire Protection with the objective of building a leading national fire and life safety organization both organically and through acquisition. Valley Fire is a preferred provider of fire protection services with a proven track record of operational excellence and a passion for high-quality service. We have been extremely impressed with the entire team at Valley and the strong relationships they maintain throughout the Midwest. We look forward to supporting Tom and his team in the Company’s next phase of growth.”