Mergers & Acquisitions

Guardian Fire Protection Partners With Knox Lane

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M&A Engagement Overview

Industry Group: Business Services
Areas of Focus: Commercial & Industrial Services; Fire & Life Safety 

Harris Williams advised Guardian Fire Protection, a portfolio company of RHV Capital, LLC, on their sale of a majority stake to Knox Lane. Based in Rockville, Maryland, Guardian is a one-stop-shop provider of fire protection services across a diverse base of customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. 

The company is focused on all fire protection services needs, spanning engineering and design, inspections and testing, and ongoing repair and maintenance. Guardian directly performs all work for customers and offers a full suite of services across a vast range of products, including suppression, extinguishers, sprinklers, alarm systems, and alarm monitoring. 

Knox Lane has a history of working closely with founders and management teams to accelerate both organic and inorganic growth. They will be an excellent partner for Guardian as the company continues to build out their execution capabilities and capitalize on value-creation opportunities. 

The non-discretionary nature of the services Guardian offers, particularly inspection, maintenance, and repair work – coupled with directly performing the services – underpins predictable, above-market organic growth. The industry is still highly fragmented and allows well-capitalized firms to scale rapidly through established M&A programs.

 Contact the Harris Williams Business Services Group to learn more about this transaction. 

Harris Williams is a global investment bank specializing in M&A and private capital advisory services. Clients worldwide rely on us to help unlock value in their business and turn ambitious goals into reality. We approach every engagement with boundless collaboration, pooling expertise and relationships across industries and geographies. For over 30 years, our clients have trusted us to think strategically, execute precisely, and deliver superior outcomes to help them grow.


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