News Release
Sciens Announces Majority Investment from Carlyle
Investment to support the growth and development of leading fire and life safety platform
San Francisco, CA, November 10, 2021 – Sciens Building Solutions (“Sciens”), a leading full-service commercial fire and life safety company, announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell a majority stake to funds managed by global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG). The Company’s senior management team, as well as current owner Huron Capital, will retain minority equity stakes in the business. Terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Sciens is focused on the fire detection and security services sector, including the design, installation, and provision of maintenance services for fire detection and clean agent fire suppression systems in a variety of commercial, institutional, and government facilities.
Terry Heath, Founder and CEO of Sciens said, "Since forming Sciens in 2016, we have rapidly grown and successfully integrated numerous acquisitions and we believe that Carlyle is the ideal partner for the next phase of our journey. Carlyle will bring additional resources and valuable industry expertise as we continue to invest and grow organically and through acquisition. We thank Huron Capital for their partnership in establishing Sciens and look forward to our new partnership with the Carlyle team."
Greg Nikodem, Managing Director at Carlyle, said, “We’re excited to partner with Terry and Sciens’ experienced and talented team to fuel the Company’s growth in such an attractive market. By combining management’s unparalleled knowledge of the fire and life safety industry with our resources and network of relationships, we aim to add value for Sciens’ customers, channel partners and employees. This investment is consistent with our demonstrated strategy within the broader business services space, and we look forward to helping the team accelerate their vision of building a best-in-class and differentiated company."
Jim Mahoney, Managing Partner at Huron Capital, said, "We have been extremely proud to support Terry and the senior management team over the last five years. Looking forward, we knew that Sciens would benefit from a larger partner with deep industry experience, and there is no one better to do this than the Carlyle team."
Baird served as financial advisor and Honigman LLP served as legal advisor to Huron and Sciens. Harris Williams served as financial advisor and Latham and Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to Carlyle. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
About Sciens Building Solutions
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Sciens Building Solutions is a company focused on the fire detection and security services sector. This includes the design, installation, and provision of maintenance services for fire detection and clean agent fire suppression systems in a variety of commercial, institutional, and government facilities. The Company’s daily mission is simple: save lives and protect property. For more information, please visit: www.sciensbuildingsolutions.com.
About Carlyle
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $293 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2021, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 1,800 people in 26 offices across five continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on Twitter @OneCarlyle.
The investment in Sciens is a continuation of Carlyle’s long-term global commitment to the Global Industrial and Transportation sectors, in which it has invested over $26 billion since inception including investments in Asplundh, Atotech, Nouryon, and Novolex, among others.
About Huron Capital
Founded in Detroit in 1999, Huron Capital is an operationally focused private equity platform with a long history of growing lower middle-market companies through our proprietary ExecFactor® buy-and-build investment model. We prefer complex situations where we can help companies reach their full potential by combining our operational approach, substantial capital base, and transaction experience with seasoned operating executives. An early pioneer of the buy-and-build approach, Huron Capital has successfully established six private equity funds aggregating nearly $2.0 billion in committed capital and invested in over 220 companies, and our portfolio companies have employed over 11,000 people throughout North America. The Huron Capital buy-and-build investment model includes equity recapitalizations, family succession transactions, market-entry strategies, corporate carve-outs, and management buyouts of companies having revenues up to $200 million. Huron Capital targets both control and non-control equity stakes in fundamentally sound companies that can benefit from the firm’s operational approach to creating value. Huron Capital focuses on niche segments within commercial & industrial services, professional services, and the consumer services sectors. For more information, please visit: www.huroncapital.com.
Carlyle
Brittany Berliner
+1 (212) 813-4839
brittany.berliner@carlyle.com