West Edge Partners has formed Citadel Access Solutions as a new platform in the commercial access and security systems sector and has closed on three acquisitions with the buys of C.G. Systems, Western Door and Gate, and Elite Access.
C.G. Systems (DBA California Gate & Entry Systems) is an Anaheim-headquartered provider of integrated physical access infrastructure including automated gate systems, access control platforms, and parking guidance technologies. Key products of the company include slide and swing gates, RFID or keypad-based access systems, and space detection tools for parking garages.
Source: Citadel Access Solutions
Many of the company’s customers are federal government agencies, commercial properties, apartment complexes, and school campuses. The business was founded in 1981 and serves customers across Southern California.
Western Door and Gate provides installation and maintenance services for residential and commercial overhead garage doors, automated gate systems, and surveillance cameras. The company also provides video surveillance systems that are integrated with access control equipment. Customers of Western Door and Gate include homeowners, retail property owners, and homeowners associations located in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Las Vegas.
Source: Citadel Access Solutions
Elite Access provides residential and light commercial automatic gate opener installations, garage door sales and repairs, and intercom system installations across the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Common installments include gate openers for multifamily driveways, garage doors in suburban homes, and audio-visual intercoms in office buildings. Elite Access was founded in 1988 and is headquartered near Los Angeles in Granada Hills, California.
Citadel Access Solutions is headquartered in Santa Monica, California and is led by CEO Duane Rapson.
“Citadel’s approach is grounded in accelerating the growth of our partner companies through investing in the people that make these companies special and facilitating the exchange of best practices across our family of brands,” said Mr. Rapson. “Our model is designed to deepen our service offering, strengthen customer relationships, and support talent acquisition and employee development.”
“We are very excited to establish a strong presence in the growing access solutions market through our partnerships with C.G. Systems, Western Door and Gate, and Elite Access,” said Stefano Nark, a partner at West Edge. “Their track records of excellence are rooted in a shared commitment to integrity, customer-centric service, and prioritizing their colleagues. We look forward to building on the strong foundation and heritage of these businesses and accelerating their growth through additional investment and resources.”
The access control and automated entry systems industry that Citadel is targeting is highly fragmented, with over 7,000 businesses in access control installation and more than 10,000 regional firms in garage door and gate services. Most operators are founder-owned and generate under $10 million in revenue, with no single company holding more than 5% market share.
“We see tremendous opportunity to expand Citadel through thoughtful partnerships with companies that share our values and commitment to service excellence,” said Abby Kaplan, a vice president at West Edge. “With Citadel, we’re building a leading access solutions platform that combines the scale benefits of a larger organization with the agility and service commitment of local businesses.”
The access control industry is not just fragmented but is also undergoing rapid transformation due to the integration of AI-driven technologies. While these innovations enable smarter, more responsive systems—such as biometric scanners, intelligent gates, and networked parking platforms—they also introduce new cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Traditional mechanical locks were largely isolated, but today’s connected devices are increasingly targeted by hackers. According to Deloitte’s Tech Trends 2025, the rise of autonomous AI agents is reshaping cybersecurity by accelerating threat detection across digital access infrastructure. KPMG’s Cybersecurity Considerations 2025 further notes that chief information security officers are shifting focus to AI-enabled threats, including deepfakes capable of bypassing facial recognition and intelligent malware designed to penetrate parking and entry systems. Meanwhile, McKinsey’s analysis of emerging cybersecurity risks underscores the growing threat of supply chain attacks, where compromised third-party vendors become entry points into broader access control networks—potentially impacting everything from overhead doors to live surveillance systems.
West Edge Partners invests in companies that have more than $5 million in revenue and less than $15 million in EBITDA. Sectors of interest include business and consumer services, distribution, and light manufacturing businesses. West Edge was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Los Angeles with an additional office in Philadelphia.
West Edge Partners has formed Citadel Access Solutions as a new platform in the commercial access and security systems sector and has closed on three acquisitions with the buys of C.G. Systems, Western Door and Gate, and Elite Access.
“We are very excited to establish a strong presence in the growing access solutions market through our partnerships with C.G. Systems, Western Door and Gate, and Elite Access,” said Stefano Nark, a partner at West Edge. “Their track records of excellence are rooted in a shared commitment to integrity, customer-centric service, and prioritizing their colleagues. We look forward to building on the strong foundation and heritage of these businesses and accelerating their growth through additional investment and resources.”
“We see tremendous opportunity to expand Citadel through thoughtful partnerships with companies that share our values and commitment to service excellence,” said Abby Kaplan, a vice president at West Edge. “With Citadel, we’re building a leading access solutions platform that combines the scale benefits of a larger organization with the agility and service commitment of local businesses.”
