Benchmark International is delighted to announce the acquisition of Deeside-based drainage services business, PDS, by Salford-based Thermatic.

Established in 2009, PDS offers drainage and wastewater services including CCTV surveys, HPW cleaning, lining, and repairs around the North Wales, Cheshire, Wirral, and North West areas.

Thermatic provides mechanical and electrical maintenance services to building owners and managers throughout the UK and Ireland. The acquisition supports the Thermatic operating model by expanding its technical self-delivery capabilities and supplements their hard facility management offering in the UK.

Post acquisition, all PDS staff will transfer to Thermatic’s existing drainage division, along with its extensive fleet and equipment.

It is the company's second major transaction, following the purchase of a critical ventilation business in 2019, and forms part of Thermatic's goal of supporting current and prospective customers in both private and public sectors.

Steven Partington, director at PDS, said this about working with Benchmark International:

“Overall a great experience in what were very stressful circumstances. The initial teaser and IM were brilliant in locating the right buyer for our business, which I am hugely grateful for. Along the way the Benchmark team were very informative with updates on potential interest, and at the deal end of the process were very professional in helping get everything over the line.”

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of KES Excavating, a Wisconsin company by Bug Tussel Wireless (Hilbert Communication), also a Wisconsin company.

Benchmark International successfully facilitated the transaction between Metro-Tech Electrical Contractors, Inc. and Michael Bowman.

Hexagon Electrical (Pty) Ltd (Hexagon Electrical) designs, manufactures and re-conditions a large range of flameproof and non-flameproof motors, switchgear, transformers, flameproof and non-flameproof enclosures, flameproof auxiliary equipment, and standard and flameproof motors for ventilation fans and dust control systems.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the transaction between McAlister Design, Inc. and Wauseon Machine and Manufacturing, Inc. 

Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins, Inc. is a leading mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering firm specializing in commercial construction. The company has extensive experience in several different industries and has completed numerous projects for national retailers and hospitality companies throughout the US. Located in Springfield, MO, and Overland Park, KS, the company is licensed to perform work in all forty-eight contiguous states. Over its thirty-five years in operation, Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins, Inc. has successfully completed hundreds of large-scale retail and hospitality projects.

Rod Finkle, President of Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins, Inc. commented, “We are excited about the acquisition and RTM’s future capabilities with the firm. Benchmark International’s transaction team provided a great buyer that fits perfectly with the culture of our company. Tyrus, and the team quickly sourced a motivated buyer which eventually turned into our exit strategy. We would like to extend a special thanks to the team that quickly brought us results in finding the right buyer.”

Tyrus O’Neill, Managing Director at Benchmark International, stated, “It was a pleasure to represent Rod and the firm in this transaction, and on behalf of Benchmark International, we are extremely pleased with the outcome. The acquirer and seller have numerous strategic synergies which has led to a great process and result. Overall, this has been a thoroughly satisfying experience and we wish both parties the best of luck moving forward.”

Established in 1981 and headquartered outside Chicago, RTM Engineering Consultants integrates MEP/FP and civil engineering services with sustainable design as a given. The firm goes beyond a typical consulting role and becomes a partner to clients by aligning with the goals, processes, and people at each organization. Licensed in all 50 states, its portfolio spans major market sectors nationwide. For more information,
visit www.rtmassociates.com.

International M&A specialist, Benchmark International, has successfully negotiated the sale of its client, FAST of Florida, Inc. (“FAST”) to Southern Air & Heat (“Southern HVAC”), a portfolio company of MSouth Equity Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm.

Based in Clearwater, Florida, FAST is a leading provider of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical sales, installation, and maintenance services to the residential and commercial markets. In 1972, the company was established as a small air conditioning repair shop by Eddie Vaughan. Eddie’s wife, Melissa, joined the company in the early 1980’s, assisting with administrative duties and bookkeeping. As the company grew, FAST evolved to expand its service offerings in order to remain competitive and add additional revenue streams. In 2005, Mr. Vaughan passed away after a long illness, and Melissa assumed ownership of the business. Under Mrs. Vaughan’s leadership, FAST has continued to experience tremendous growth while continuing to offer the same level of quality service the company was built upon. Today, the company employs nearly 50 people serving Pinellas County, Florida and the surrounding markets.

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Southern Air & Heat is a leading provider of essential maintenance, repair, replacement and new installation services for the residential and commercial HVAC markets. Currently, the Company serves over 100,000 homeowners across its target markets. Southern HVAC is financially backed by MSouth Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm that provides equity capital and expertise to support management teams of lower middle market companies. Founded in 2007, MSouth manages $1.3 billion with three active funds, and is the successor to Cravey, Green & Wahlen, which was founded in 1984.

President of FAST, Melissa Vaughan, stated, “Benchmark International played an instrumental role in helping me to exit my family legacy business gracefully. The team did an outstanding job of marketing my business toward motivated buyers, and ultimately finding the perfect fit in Southern HVAC. I would like to thank the Benchmark transaction team for the extraordinary effort in making this transaction a reality.”

“Our focus was to find the acquirer that shared FAST’s passion and commitment to providing a personalized level of service while retaining the culture that Melissa has worked so hard to preserve,” said Trevor Talkie, Senior Associate at Benchmark International. “FAST is a compelling addition to MSouth’s growing HVAC platform, and we are truly honored to have worked alongside Melissa and her team toward this successful outcome.”

Tyrus O’Neill, Director at Benchmark International added, “After the journey Melissa has been through, we’re happy to see the process reach an ideal end result. On behalf of Benchmark International, I’d like to wish both parties the best of luck moving forward.”

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the sale of Progressive Industries, Inc to Power Products LLC. With this acquisition, Power Products LLC expands its product offering and distribution base in the recreational vehicle industry.

October was a fantastic month for Benchmark International and we are proud to announce that our teams in the UK and US have completed deals with an overall, combined transaction value of $160,000,000.