Leicester firm fires up another private equity-backed deal
Obsequio Group, the provider of fire detection, safety, security and water hygiene based in Leicester, has expanded again after acquiring Hampshire-based Premier Fire Security.
The deal will help Obsequio extend its presence to the south coast.
In addition to adding to Obsequio’s canon of education, local government and public sector clients, the purchase means the group can offer its one-stop-shop portfolio of related compliance services to Premier’s customer base.
As well as its strong focus on the education and public service industries, Premier has also worked for the last decade and a half with organisations from the museums and heritage, motor, care and hospitality sectors, with Skoda and the HMS Victory on its client list.
The Romsey-based company specialises in fire and intruder alarms, CCTV systems, access control and fire extinguishers.
The acquisition follows the purchase last month of UKAS-accredited Environtec, which enabled Obsequio to add asbestos compliance to its portfolio.
Obsequio group M&A director Philip Sarthou said: “Premier Fire Security’s impressive pedigree in fire safety and its location in the South of England make it an ideal acquisition for the Group. Its UKAS accreditations join those of our recently acquired asbestos compliance specialist Environtec and give the group an impressive stable of endorsements from industry bodies.”
Obsequio group chairman Simon Cashmore added: “Acquiring Premier Fire Security is the latest step in our focused buy-and-build strategy. Our threefold aim is to widen our geographical reach, expand the range of sectors we support and increase the number of compliance services we offer.”
Premier Fire Security founders Mark Harwood, Mike Covill and Paul Robins said: “With our shared values and reputation for customer service this is an ideal partnership and will enable Premier Fire Security to add extra compliance services to our existing offering.”
The deal was backed by European financing firm Kartesia, which works in partnership with Beech Tree Private Equity.
Beech Tree Private Equity director Ben Cartwright said: “The acquisition of Premier Fire Security is the seventh acquisition made by Obsequio since we invested in 2023 and takes Obsequio another step closer to achieving its goal of being the leading multi-disciplinary compliance services provider in the UK. We expect to add further complementary services to the group during 2025.”
