Riverside Ignites Growth with New Investment in Fire and Life Safety

The Riverside Company, a global investment firm focused on the smaller end of the middle market, has invested in Sanderson Fire Protection (Sanderson) as an add-on to its fire and life safety platform, Performance Systems Integration (PSI). Based in Portland, Oregon, PSI is a leading single source provider of fire and life safety services in the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Northern California and the Pacific. The company provides customers with fire and life safety services including system inspection, service and monitoring, equipment and first-aid sales and cylinder repairs as well as installations for new construction and retrofits.

Sanderson is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and provides commercial customers with fire extinguisher service as well as inspection, repair and installation of suppression systems for marine vessels, kitchen and special hazard applications across Oregon and Washington.

“Sanderson is the 14th add-on to PSI under Riverside’s ownership and further solidifies PSI’s market-leading position in the Pacific Northwest,” said Riverside Managing Partner Loren Schlachet. “The combination of Sanderson and PSI presents exciting new opportunities for growth.”

“We are thrilled to add Sanderson to the PSI platform,” said PSI CEO Jodi Kohler. “We look forward to enhancing PSI’s service offering in Oregon and Washington and building upon the legacy the Sanderson team has worked hard to build over its history.”

PSI is committed to delivering high-quality customer service through its ‘single-point-of-management’ compliance services for all fire and life safety inspection, repair and installations in the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, the California Bay Area and Hawaii. PSI also operates cylinder requalification, cylinder maintenance and fire equipment parts distribution businesses under the Fire King brand and provides dedicated marine suppression services under the A.Gow brand. With decades of experience in the fire and life safety industry, PSI’s mission is to help save lives by providing meaningful fire and life safety protection and training.

This is one more example of Riverside’s commitment to the Business Services industry. Riverside has invested in more than 380 platform and add-on companies in the business services sector since 1988 as part of its private equity and structured capital strategies.

“We are excited about the growth that will result from the partnership between Sanderson and PSI,” said Riverside Partner John McKernan. “We will continue to chase similar customer-focused fire protection companies with strong technicians and specializations in inspection, repair, maintenance and monitoring of fire and life safety equipment.”

Working with Schlachet and McKernan on the deal for Riverside were Assistant Vice President Aakeem Andrada, Analyst Nikolai Kassogue, Analyst Kyle Davis, Operating Partner Shaun Kelly and Finance Director Chrissie Yim. Origination Partner Cheryl Strom sourced the deal for Riverside.