Sound the Alarm: Riverside Adds Fuel to the Fire with 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 South Sound Fire & Security (South Sound) 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.

South Sound is headquartered in Olympia, Washington, and provides fire alarm service, inspections, monitoring, installations and related product sales to commercial customers in Oregon and Washington.

“South Sound is the 15th add-on to PSI under Riverside’s ownership and further cements PSI’s market position in the Pacific Northwest,” said Riverside Managing Partner Loren Schlachet. “This transaction underscores PSI’s commitment to partnering with high-quality, founder-owned businesses in the fire and life safety space.”

“We are very excited to bring South Sound under the PSI umbrella,” said PSI CEO Jodi Kohler. “PSI has a comprehensive suite of fire and life safety capabilities in the Puget Sound, and we look forward to providing our expanded service offering to South Sound’s current customers.”

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 provides cylinder requalification, cylinder maintenance, fire equipment parts distribution and dedicated marine suppression services. 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.

“South Sound will bolster our growth trajectory and strengthen PSI’s positioning in the Pacific Northwest,” said Riverside Partner John McKernan. “This acquisition is a testament to PSI’s ongoing commitment to acquiring companies that excel in quality service and reliability.”

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 helped source the deal for Riverside.