Ranger Fire and Security has announced the latest acquisition of Dublin-based kitchen and gas fire suppression company, KSS Fire Suppression (“KSS”).
The acquisition marks Ranger’s first expansion beyond the UK and into Europe, while simultaneously broadening out the Group’s offering.
Ranger’s leadership
Ranger’s leadership is also considerate of the platform that the acquisition provides for future growth
Ranger has strong ambitions to grow out its offering through Ireland, drawing on CEO Mark Bridges’ experience and background in scaling European businesses.
Ranger’s leadership is also considerate of the platform that the acquisition provides for future growth in continental Europe, further highlighting its aim to become a key player in the European fire safety market in the medium term.
Long-standing relationships
Based in Dublin, Ireland, and offering national coverage, KSS has been serving the Irish market for more than a decade, building a reputation for its high-quality service and customer satisfaction.
Its brands and partners cover all areas of commercial and industrial fire safety systems, boasting long-standing relationships with its clients, and a robust operational structure that includes sales and support staff.
Ranger's key criteria
Ranger's key bar was to find a well-invested and adept control team to help also growth
Ranger’s expansion into Ireland was mainly driven by the KSS operation and the management team in place. Founder Jeff Doyle and Director Rob Davis are two extremely experienced professionals in the fire industry and have a strong reputation. Ranger's key criteria was to find a well-invested and experienced management team to enable further growth.
Both Rob and Jeff will remain key figures in the business, with Rob continuing as Managing Director and Jeff stepping into the role of Regional Chairman, helping Ranger identify and manage Irish acquisition targets to build out the platform.
Acquisition of KSS
With this strong leadership, KSS is well-positioned for further organic and inorganic growth, backed by a solid maintenance portfolio, recurring revenues, and an employed engineer model.
With the acquisition of KSS, Ranger will continue to build out its footprint across the UK and Ireland, while evaluating further growth opportunities in Europe.
Buy-and-build strategy
The Ranger team is clear that there is a potential opportunity to expand into other European countries
Given its current success and management team’s experience, the Ranger team is clear that there is a potential opportunity to expand into other European countries, through a series of hubs across the continent.
Ranger would remain focused on businesses that prioritize maintenance, with strong and highly motivated management teams, and the capacity to execute a buy-and-build strategy when the time is right.
Important milestone for Ranger
Mark Bridges, CEO of Ranger Fire and Security, said: “KSS Fire Suppression is a respected business in the fire suppression space that adds a wealth of industry expertise, a strong customer base, and a proven track record of success to the Ranger Group.
“With Jeff and Rob staying on to lead the business, we’re confident that together we can drive significant growth across Ireland through further acquisitions and organic business growth. This acquisition marks an important milestone for Ranger as we continue to expand and deliver high-quality fire safety solutions across new regions."
New avenues of growth
Jeff Doyle, Founder of KSS Fire Suppression, said: “Ranger is the best partner for us moving forward – I am excited by the opportunity of KSS becoming the Ranger hub in Ireland. We have the remit to identify and acquire new businesses into the Ranger platform in Ireland, which is exciting."
“We have a shared focus on providing a high-quality service for customers, and I look forward to working closely with Mark and the team to grow KSS, while enhancing our existing portfolio, fostering collaboration and exploring new avenues of growth in Ireland and beyond."
Comprehensive range of services
The announcement builds on Ranger Fire and Security’s previous acquisitions of AFIL, Ignis Fire Protection Ltd, Syncro Group Ltd, IPH Fire Solutions Ltd, and Fire Door Specialists Ltd, which together have helped Ranger to enhance its offering in all key areas of fire and security services, such as fire detection and alarms, extinguisher maintenance, passive fire and security services.
Since launching earlier this year, with backing from the private investment firm Hyperion Equity Partners, Ranger has embarked on a mission to establish itself as the pioneering one-stop solution provider in the fire and safety sector, offering a comprehensive range of services through both regional and national operations, and providing a seamless customer experience. Funding for the acquisition was provided by ThinCats.