GI Partners (“GI”), a leading middle market private equity firm, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kellermeyer Bergensons Services, L.L.C. (“KBS”), a leading provider of integrated facilities management services to many of the largest retail and grocery chains in North America, from funds managed by Kohlberg & Company, L.L.C.
KBS was established in 2011 after the merger of Kellermeyer Building Services L.L.C., which was founded in 1967, and Bergensons Property Services Inc., founded in 1984. The company’s services include contract cleaning, porter services, parking lot maintenance, snow removal, landscaping, general repairs, as well as other trade and technical services. With over 11,000 direct employees and a North American network of affiliated contractors, KBS currently serves over 300 retail and grocery customers in over 15,000 customer locations in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company is based in Oceanside, California and Maumee, Ohio.
“We are very excited to be partnering with GI and look forward to the next phase of the company’s growth and development,” said Mark Minasian, Chief Executive Officer of KBS. Minasian added, “We remain centrally focused on value creation through customer satisfaction first, and taking care of our people always. GI shares those values and we have a common vision for the future of KBS.”
Hoon Cho, Managing Director at GI Partners said, “KBS is a market leader and well-positioned for continued growth, both organically and through targeted acquisitions. We look forward to partnering with Mark and his talented team in building on the substantial success that the company has achieved to date.”
Amin Hariri, Director at GI Partners, added, “Outsourced facilities services is a large and growing industry, and significant additional growth opportunities exist as the company continues to broaden its services offering. Moreover, as the company enters complementary end markets, such as education and healthcare, its national presence, hybrid service delivery model, differentiated field management infrastructure, and data-driven orientation will allow KBS to continue to grow share.”
GI has previous experience in the facilities management services sector due to its investment in The Linc Group, a leading provider of infrastructure and maintenance services, which was acquired by ABM Industries in 2010. GI’s investment in KBS will be made from GI Partners Fund IV, a private equity fund with $2 billion of capital commitments.
“We are pleased that the actions taken under our ownership to create and grow KBS have resulted in positioning the business for a successful sale,” said Seth H. Hollander, Partner at Kohlberg & Company. “We are confident that the company will continue on its trajectory of success under GI Partners’ ownership.”
Completion of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected in the fourth quarter of 2014.
About KBS
Kellermeyer Bergensons Services is a leading integrated retail property services company offering interior and exterior contract cleaning, landscaping, parking lot maintenance, snow removal, and other trade and technical services on both a self-perform and vendor-managed basis for blue chip retailers and grocers in North America. The company also serves customers in the education, healthcare, and other end markets. The company offers its customers a complete outsourcing solution for all of their interior and exterior facilities services requirements. KBS operates in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and brings efficiency to the cleaning process through best-in-class labor management and technology. For more information, please visit www.kbs-clean.com.
About GI Partners
Founded in 2001, GI Partners is a leading middle market private equity investment firm based in San Francisco. The firm currently manages over $11 billion in capital commitments through private equity and real estate separate account strategies for recognized institutional investors, including some of the largest state and sovereign pension funds in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. GI Partners is active in a number of key sectors, including IT Infrastructure & Services, Healthcare Services, Retail & Leisure, and Financial & Real Estate Services. For more information on GI Partners and its entire portfolio, please visit www.gipartners.com.
About Kohlberg & Company
Kohlberg & Company is a leading private equity firm specializing in middle market investing. Since its inception in 1987, Kohlberg has organized seven private equity funds, through which it has raised over $5 billion of committed equity capital. Over its 27 year history, Kohlberg has completed 62 platform investments and well over 100 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value of over $9 billion. Kohlberg invests in companies where it can work in partnership with senior management to identify growth opportunities and implement fundamental operating and strategic changes, resulting in substantial increases in revenue and cash flow. For more information, visit www.kohlberg.com.
