The Riverside Company Keeps CertaSite’s Growth Burning with Latest Add-on Investment

The Riverside Company (Riverside), a global private investor focused on the smaller end of the middle market, has invested in Fire Systems Professionals, LLC (FSP), a full-service fire and life safety inspection, repair and maintenance services company in Grove City, Ohio. This investment is the 24th add-on to Riverside’s CertaSite® platform, a commercial fire protection and life safety company.

CertaSite provides the highest levels of customer service, responsiveness, building safety and code compliance to customers across the Midwest. The company goes beyond compliance, focusing on partnerships and professionalism while providing customers a simplified and dependable solution to managing all the fire protection and life safety systems in commercial buildings.

“We are excited to bolster the CertaSite platform with the acquisition of FSP, which is the 24th add-on and the eighth in Ohio,” said Riverside Micro-Cap Fund (RMCF) Managing Partner Loren Schlachet.

Founded in 2005, FSP helps protect properties and people by designing, installing, servicing and maintaining fire and security systems such as sprinklers, CCTV equipment, fire alarms and fire extinguishers for commercial and institutional facilities.

“This investment advances our strategy of aggressively expanding the CertaSite platform through organic growth and add-on acquisitions,” said RMCF Partner John McKernan. “FSP offers increased cross-selling opportunities within the existing customer base, as well as an extensive technician training program, including the only state-approved sprinkler apprenticeship in Ohio, which will augment CertaSite’s recruiting and training efforts.”

This acquisition is another example of Riverside’s commitment to investing in the business services industry. The firm has completed over 350 investments in this area and has a team of global experts dedicated to growing companies in this specialization.

Working with Schlachet and McKernan on this deal were Vice President Kenneth Johnson, Associate Caitlin McGrath, Analyst Reece Quigley and Finance Director Jana Bell. Partner of Origination Cheryl Strom sourced the deal for Riverside.