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HVAC: A Consolidating Market

When financial buyers think of HVAC contractors, they see an industry ripe for consolidation. The trend of HVAC consolidation started a few years ago and has not slowed down.

Throughout the United States, there are thousands of independent HVAC contractors. Financial buyers, such as private equity, see the opportunity to consolidate the independent firms to create a regional or national presence. The market is roughly a $20 billion industry that is fairly recession proof, especially throughout warmer states, such as Texas and Florida.

Private equity seeks opportunities to expand businesses through acquisition and organic growth. Once they have a foothold in the industry, they can add related services, such as plumbing services, to the roll-up strategy.

HVAC consolidations tend to be in high demand in markets that have a need for the services. Some focus on new construction, while others focus on servicing existing units that can be viewed as a recurring revenue model. The competition in the local market is key when an acquirer is looking at an acquisition. Is the HVAC target company a big fish in a small pond, or vice versa? What is the growth potential within the market? Cities and towns that are growing tend to be more attractive.

 

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Additionally, HVAC contractors might specialize in commercial or residential services. Depending on the roll-up strategy, the acquirers might have different goals on what they are looking for in the consolidation.

The consolidation allows for a larger firm to take advantage of perks that a smaller firm might not have access to due to size or cost prohibition. For example, the roll-up might be able to build out software and accounting systems to help increase the efficiencies of the company or recruit top executives to add a level of professionalism to the company.

Having this type of option within the market allows for the seller to have options about their company’s next phase. Having a larger, growing firm complete the acquisition allows the seller and the company’s employees opportunities that the selling firm could not achieve on its own. The seller may stay on post-closing in a different capacity or retire and allow employees to step into the management role. In any case, mergers and acquisitions can be an ideal solution for companies in the HVAC sector.

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Benchmark International Facilitates the Sale of GPL Landscaping to Rotolo Consultants

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the acquisition of GPL Landscaping to Rotolo Consultants, Inc.

Benchmark International acted as the representative for GPL Landscaping throughout this transaction. This represents Benchmark International’s fourth successful deal closing in the Landscaping industry over the last two years. Benchmark International maintained a close relationship with the client to obtain a good value for both parties.

“The landscaping industry has become a hot sector for lower middle market M&A,” said Benchmark International Managing Director Clinton Johnston. “The volumes and multiples we are seeing now, as well as the sheer number of repeat buyers and closed transactions, especially below the Mason-Dixon Line, could never have been predicted even as recently as five years ago. While there is an exciting quantity of well-funded potential acquirers, each is looking for very specific criteria and will only pay the value sellers are demanding in cases where an exact match can be found for their criteria.”

 

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GPL Landscaping provides landscape maintenance and installation services to commercial and high-end residential accounts located in Florida. Approximately 80% of revenue is based on recurring maintenance programs. An established bank of customers made them a positive prospect for potential buyers.

Rotolo Consultants (RCI) Is a well-established regional landscaping company. RCI has designed, constructed, and maintained many of the most innovative and beautiful landscapes in the southeastern US. Through the years, they have evolved from a small family nursery business to one of the largest, most respected firms in the industry. “We are very excited about the acquisition of GPL Landscaping. (The company) comes with an experienced management team that has been at the core of its success,” said Keith Rotolo, president and CEO of RCI. “RCI will now be able to offer our extensive landscape and construction scopes of work to a new client base while aggressively growing the existing landscape maintenance presence that GPL had established. We will continue to explore acquisition opportunities in northwest Florida as well as in our core markets.”

Benchmark International Transaction Director, John Deeks, stated, “This transaction was not without its bumps and delays. However, as we knew that this client represented a perfect fit for the buyer in terms of geography, commercial to residential mix, level of recurring business, and management practices; we knew this was the right deal for our client and the valuation offered by RCI would be difficult to replicate. As a result, we fought hard to keep this deal on track, reminding the buyer of this compatibility at every opportunity and fighting through some unusually lengthy roadblocks.”

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Benchmark International Advises on the Sale of Partner Group (UK) Limited to Fastflow Group Limited

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Partner Construction to Fastflow Group.

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