Susquehanna Private Capital (SPC) has made an investment in Authority Franchise Systems (AFS), a franchisor of pest control services to residential and commercial customers.
AFS does business under the Mosquito Authority and Pest Authority brands and has more than 150 franchises in 38 US states, Puerto Rico, and Canada. AFS, headquartered northwest of Charlotte in Hickory, North Carolina, was founded in 2002 by Joey Osborne and is led by CEO Chris Buitron.
“With SPC’s support, we look forward to entering the next phase of company growth by expanding our pest control services and client reach,” said Mr. Buitron.
“We are pleased to partner with the Mosquito Authority team as we set out to build a multi-branded franchisor within the niche, growing and recession-resistant pest control industry,” said Kyle Squillario, co-head of SPC. “We look forward to leveraging our resources and combining them with Chris’ industry insight and the deep experience of his management team as we seek to grow Mosquito Authority by partnering with other founder‐owners of outdoor home service brands.”
Susquehanna Private Capital (SPC) makes control investments of $10 million to $50 million in companies that have EBITDA from $3 million to $15 million. Sectors of interest include business, consumer and franchise services, healthcare services, and industrial technology.
“We are proud to partner with the Mosquito Authority team and excited to build upon the company’s strong reputation within the franchising space,” said John McGinley, a vice president at SPC.
The buy of AFS follows SPC’s formation of Quality Collision Group earlier this month to acquire Brandywine Coach Works, a Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania-based provider of OEM-certified collision repair services with 4 Pennsylvania locations and 90 employees.
SPC was founded in 2017 by Susquehanna International Group (SIG), a privately held investment, trading and technology firm with approximately 2,000 employees. SIG is headquartered in the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd with additional offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Sydney, Dublin, Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong.
Private Equity Professional | October 14, 2020