NEWS
Keep up with what we’re doing and read our latest press releases, insights, and more.
Finalists Announced for the 21st Annual M&A Advisor Awards
We’re proud to announce that Access Holdings has been named a finalist for the 21st Annual M&A Advisor Awards in the Private Equity Firm of the Year and Private Equity Deal of the Year categories. The M&A Advisor Awards are the benchmark for dealmaking excellence and recognize leading M&A transactions, restructurings, deal financings, products/services, firms, and professionals.
At Access Holdings, we buy businesses we want to own, not just ones that are for sale. This relationship-focused investment approach demonstrates our dealmaking excellence, and we are honored to be recognized alongside private equity industry leaders for the value we provide to our partner companies.
A new Chester County sports-tech firm channels ads to 83% of U.S. fans
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Former Comcast executive Michael Schreiber has launched a sports-focused advertising firm that pulses out 230 billion advertising impressions a year.
Michael Schreiber calls his start-up firm the biggest sports network that “you’ve never heard of, and that’s OK.”
Almost two years ago, the former Comcast Corp. executive launched the sports-ad firm Playfly Sports LLC in Chester County that now reaches 83% of U.S. sports fans, pulsing 230 billion advertising impressions a year through 8,500 professional and college televised games, streaming platforms, digital banners, radio shows and newsletters.
PMP Industry Insiders Podcast
Recently, Access’s own Josh Finifter, Principal on the Investment Team, joined hosts Donnie Shelton and Dan Gordon on the PMP Industry Insiders podcast to discuss why the pest control industry is an attractive market for purposeful investing.
“At Access Holdings, we aim to truly partner with operators of businesses we want to own, not just those that are for sale, so alignment is critical both financially and strategically,” said Josh. “We won’t ever know the pest control space like an operator who’s been there twenty years, and we won’t ever try to run the business day to day, but we certainly want to be more accretive and value add than just being a source of capital.”
Hear more of Josh’s insights and listen to the full discussion here!
Access Holdings’ Zeus Fire & Security Partners with Universal Atlantic Systems to Form Top 15 Largest Fire and Security Provider
Baltimore, MD – Zeus Fire & Security (Zeus), a portfolio company of Baltimore-based Access Holdings, today announced a new partnership with Universal Atlantic Systems (UAS), a Philadelphia-based national provider of integrated security systems that will make Zeus one of the top 15 largest fire and security providers in the U.S. UAS President Scott Elkins, who has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, will become the CEO of Zeus.
As a mid-market investment firm specializing in buy-and-build strategies, Access Holdings partners, scales, and innovates to build enduring businesses. Access Holdings will support both UAS and Zeus’ future growth, recruit best-in class talent and leadership, implement and develop new digital tools, identify M&A opportunities, and provide long-term strategic guidance.
Cremation Borrows a Page From the Direct-to-Consumer Playbook
The New York Times: Also in 2019, a major operator of funeral homes, Foundation Partners Group, bought the start-up Tulip Cremation, which today is active in eight states. It has deep pockets behind it: Foundation Partners Group’s parent company is the private equity firm Access Holdings, which said last year that it was investing $150 million in improving the tech side of the funeral business.
The pitch, to consumers and investors, boils down to convenience and price. The companies point to the growing number of Americans who live away from home as a target demographic.
“It wouldn’t be that uncommon to see an older parent pass in Florida, for example, while their children live somewhere up in the Northeast,” said Mike Doyle, Tulip’s general manager. That doesn’t mean people will automatically turn to an online start-up. Many families have visited the same funeral homes for generations, and it will take more than a little bit of inconvenience to get customers to sign up.
Access Holdings’ Zeus Fire & Security Partners with Alert Alarm Holdings, A Leading Fire Safety and Security Business
Baltimore, MD – Zeus Fire & Security (Zeus), a portfolio company of Baltimore-based Access Holdings, today announced a new partnership with Spring Rock Capital (Spring Rock); and its portfolio company, Alert Alarm Holdings (Alert), which operates under Alert Alarm and SMG Security (SMG). Alert, through its two operating subsidiaries, provides comprehensive fire safety and security services to over 33,000 commercial and residential customers.
As a mid-market investment firm specializing in buy-and-build strategies, Access Holdings partners, scales, and innovates to build enduring businesses. Access Holdings, Spring Rock Capital, and Zeus will support Alert, as well as future partners, as they seek to grow. Access Holdings will support Zeus as it scales and innovates, specifically helping recruit best-in class talent and leadership, implement and develop new digital tools, identify M&A opportunities, and provide long-term strategic guidance.
Access named as a Top 50 PE Firm in the Middle Market
Baltimore, MD – Access Holdings is honored to be named by GCI Publishing as a Top 50 PE Firm in the Middle Market. As one of the oldest and most respected awards, this program recognizes private equity firms for their achievements in great leadership, winning culture, and strong performance.
We are thankful to our exceptional partners and teams for their hard work and commitment to continuous improvement, which helped us achieve this recognition.
We are excited to continue partnering, scaling, and innovating to build enduring businesses.
Access Named to 2021 PE Innovators in ESG
Baltimore, MD – Mergers & Acquisitions names the 2021 PE Innovators in ESG, including, Access Holdings.
Access Holdings is using education from expert opinions to drive its ESG strategy. The firm has a three-pronged approach that focuses on education, engagement, and alignment to apply ESG best practices.
The Baltimore-based firm, which was founded in 2013 and has $1.5 billion in AUM, concentrates on change in a focused and purposeful manner. Access has established standard impact metrics that will be applied across its entire portfolio, with each company responsible for reporting its progress. The results are regularly reviewed at board and management meetings.
The firm has implemented a self-education process and interviewed ESG experts such as Fiona Reynolds, head of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), and Pavan Suhkdev, founder of Gist Impact, which helps investors and companies make informed ESG decisions.
Access Holdings Announces Transaction to Further Support Foundation Partners Group
Baltimore, MD – Access Holdings, a mid-market investment firm that partners, scales, and innovates to build enduring businesses, today announced that it has completed a transaction that will allow Access Holdings to continue to manage portfolio company Foundation Partners Group (FPG).
Access Holdings is fully committed to its partnership with Foundation Partners Group and believes that it is positioned for long-term growth. Coller Capital, a leading investor in the secondary market for private assets, backed the transaction. The FPG transaction represents an extension of the existing partnership between Access Holdings and FPG, which first began back in 2015.
Access Holdings plans to reinvest most of the proceeds from the transaction back into Foundation Partners Group to help grow and scale the business over the long term.
Access Holdings’ CWON Partners with Flagship Car Wash Center
Baltimore, MD – Car Wash Owners Network (“CWON”), a portfolio company of Baltimore-based Access Holdings, has closed its investment in Flagship Car Wash Center (“Flagship”), a leading car wash operator in the Mid-Atlantic. As a mid-market investment firm specializing in buy-and-build strategies, Access Holdings partners, scales, and innovates to build enduring businesses.
Access Holdings and CWON will support their partnership with Flagship by bringing best-in-class processes and technologies to bolster Flagship’s position within its existing markets and expand into new geographies through de novo development and M&A initiatives.
ACCESS INSIGHTS
ESG: THE ACCESS WAY
At Access Holdings, we are passionate about building enduring businesses that deliver long-term value to our partners. To achieve this, we believe a business must work to positively impact its stakeholders. This belief has been fundamental to our investment strategy as we have worked to consistently try and “do the right thing.”
Given the rapidly evolving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) landscape, we embarked on a journey to formalize our approach to implementing and managing ESG both at Access and our portfolio companies.
THE ACCESS WAY
Here at Access Holdings, we are often asked what differentiates us from the thousands of other private equity firms operating in a crowded – and highly competitive – investment environment.
The Access Way showcases and explains our purposeful approach to investing, our deep commitment to partnership, and our focus on scaling and creating enduring businesses.
Press inquiry Contact
For press inquiries, please fill out this form or contact us directly at pressinquiries@accessholdings.com