Warburg Pincus has agreed to make an investment in Universal Services of America, a provider of security services and a portfolio company of Partners Group. Partners Group and the management team of Universal Services of America remain as equity investors in the company. Partners Group first invested in the debt of Universal in 2009 and acquired an equity interest in October 2014.
Universal Services of America provides a mix of services including traditional manned guards, fire and life safety emergency preparation services, and janitorial services. The company has four operating divisions – Universal Protection Service; Universal Protection Security Systems; Universal Building Maintenance; and Universal Fire/Life Safety – and employs more than 44,000 uniformed security officers that operate out of more than 100 locations across the US. Universal was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, CA (www.universalpro.com).
“We are excited to have Warburg Pincus as our team’s new incoming partner,” said Steve Jones, Universal’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our team is impressed by Warburg’s clear track record of success and we have been very impressed by the team’s grasp of our business and what it takes to win in the security services industry. Warburg’s investment will enable us to continue to expand into new markets, make strategic acquisitions, and grow our scale.”
According to Warburg Pincus, the company is one of the fastest growing security services companies in the industry. “Universal is the fastest growing player in the US security services market. We are excited to be partnered with Steve and his management team. We anticipate the company’s continued growth in size and market share due to the strength of its brand and innovative approach to recruiting, hiring, and training,” said Chandler Reedy, Managing Director at Warburg Pincus.
“We are very proud of what Partners Group and Universal have accomplished together and are confident that this success will continue well into the future,” said Dave Layton, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Americas at Partners Group.
Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm with over $45 billion of assets under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. The firm is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and has over 700 employees across 18 offices around the globe (www.partnersgroup.com).
Warburg Pincus has more than $35 billion in assets under management and has raised 14 private equity funds which have invested more than $50 billion in over 720 companies in 35 countries. The firm was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mumbai, San Francisco, São Paulo and Shanghai (www.warburgpincus.com).
Baird was the financial advisor to Partners Group and Universal Services of America. Credit Suisse was the financial advisor to Warburg Pincus.
© 2015 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 7-15-15
