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Trimountain leads significant investment in ABCA

Trimountain Partners has led a significant investment round in fire and security firm ABCA Systems (ABCA) alongside investor partners including The Vorsprung Partnership and Cambridge Capital Partners.

With over 30 years of experience behind it, ABCA is one of the UK’s preeminent fire and security experts, providing installation and maintenance across a broad range of fire and security systems. The Company serves a blue-chip client base that extends across several end-markets, principally social housing, government, education, hospitality, healthcare and commercial.

Headquartered in Newcastle, with a national footprint and a workforce of over 170, ABCA is one of the most trusted and fastest growing companies in the fire and security sector.

The Company’s highly experienced team is led since 2009 by Managing Director Phillip Miller, who joined ABCA following a successful career in the United States.

Miller says: “I’m proud of ABCA’s reputation of delivering outstanding service and value to its customers, reflected in the sustained and considerable period of growth that we’ve seen over the last few years. This investment from Trimountain and its investor partners, will enable us to really accelerate our ambitious growth plans and further invest in our national infrastructure, systems and capabilities. This in turn will further enhance our service to customers and enable ABCA to continue to go from strength to strength.”

With an annual turnover of GBP25 million, ABCA’s focus will remain on supporting its existing and new clients with market-leading systems and service standards, while also pursuing carefully selected bolt-on acquisitions to drive further growth in parallel with substantial investment in staff and infrastructure to support its expansion plans. ABCA plans to actively develop its client portfolio in the wider public, healthcare and B2B sectors, amongst others, and expand its geographic presence across the UK.

Miller is quick to emphasise that any growth will be achieved whilst retaining the values which have made ABCA such a success to date, “Our customers stay with us and trust us because of the high quality and high-touch service we provide, and they understand that we care as much as they do about protecting their business and their stakeholders. They know that they are in the best of hands and that we will deliver for them. No matter how ABCA develops in the future, that principle has and will always remain at the heart of our business.”

Ali Khanbhai, Partner and Co-Founder of Trimountain Partners, says: “ABCA and its high calibre team led by Philip Miller are best in class in the highly attractive fire and security market. Trimountain and our investor partners are thrilled to have the opportunity to join the ABCA family. We look forward to working together with Philip and the ABCA team to add significant value to their customers, service offering and market, with the ambition of taking the business to the next level in the years ahead. We believe the fast growing, highly resilient and particularly fragmented fire and security market provides tremendous opportunity for organic and acquisitive growth, which ABCA is extremely well- positioned to capitalise on in the years ahead, whilst importantly continuing to provide the same unparalled level of attention and service as the firm does today to its existing and future customers.”

Jamie Fraser, Relationship Director with Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking, that provided the debt financing for the transaction via Santander Growth Capital, adds: “We are pleased to have supported Trimountain Partners with their investment into ABCA. ABCA is a leading fire and security business which operates in a regulated sector that is expected to see significant growth. As a highly regarded North East based business with a national footprint, ABCA has enviable client relationships based upon its first class delivery and technical excellence. We look forward to supporting the Company in delivering its future growth aspirations.”

Usman B Malik, Grant Thornton’s UK Head of Business Services Mergers & Acquisitions team, comments “We are delighted to have originated this transaction and advised Trimountain Partners on their investment into ABCA. Through our in-depth knowledge and market leading track record of deals in the fire and security sector, we were able to add significant value to Trimountain Partners throughout the investment process. ABCA is a fantastic platform investment in a growing and highly resilient sector.”

As part of the transaction, Trimountain was advised on the buyside by Grant Thornton Corporate Finance (led by Usman B Malik and Robert Kennedy), Mishcon de Reya LLP (led by Nadim Meer), Grant Thornton Transaction Services (led by Dan Rosinke and Dennis Sorbie) and Aon M&A and Transaction Solutions (led by Adrian Lamasz).

ABCA were advised by Endeavour Partners (led by Nick Tunley) and Tait Walker (led by Lee Humble).

Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking were advised by Irwin Mitchell (led by Akhil Sharma and Robert Farrell)

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