Heartland, LLC has acquired Columbia Landcare in Columbia, Missouri. Heartland is the parent of Signature Landscapes in Kansas City and Keesen Landscape Management in Denver. Columbia Landcare, which had been owned by founder and CEO Jed Taylor, was formed in 2009 as a result of the merger of Missouri Mowing and Columbia Turf.  Columbia acquired Creative Surroundings, Inc., also in Columbia, in 2016 In addition to commercial grounds maintenance, Columbia Landcare provides landscaping, irrigation installation and service and snow removal. Heartland is a portfolio company of Great Range Capital.  

Search funds have become a popular investment vehicle in recent years.  We thought it might be helpful to provide business owners some information about what search funds are all about.  Much of this information is adapted from searchfunder.com, an online community serving the search fund world. A “Search fund” is an entity set up for the acquisition of a single business. Search fund principals move from dealmaking to operating roles once an company is bought, usually becoming CEOs. The search for a successful acquisition usually lasts 2 to 3 years. Many credit the search fund model to H. Irving Grousbeck … Read more

Rentokil Steritech, a Rentokil North America company, finalized a deal to acquire Marysville, Washington-based business Pratt Pest Management. The acquisition further expands Rentokil Steritech’s density in the Northwestern U.S. market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Established in 1991 by Dana Pratt, who has led the business as president for the last 27 years,  Pratt Pest Management has built a long-standing reputation as a provider of outstanding customer service to homeowners and businesses in Marysville, Camano Island, and surrounding Seattle metro. “In the booming Seattle market, there is a need for expert pest control services for both business and … Read more

Dwyer Group, a large multi-brand franchiser, has acquired Mosquito Joe, a top mosquito franchise business. Among Dwyer Group’s franchise brands are The Grounds Guys in the U.S. and Canada and Countrywide Grounds Maintenance in the U.K. Here is the press release announcing the acquisition: Dwyer Franchising, LLC (“Dwyer Group”), one of the world’s largest parent companies of home service brands, has announced the acquisition of Mosquito Joe, the leading franchisor in the mosquito control services industry based in Virginia Beach, Va. This event marks the first acquisition for Dwyer Group since announcing Harvest Partners as its new private equity partner … Read more

Texas based interior landscape company Natura has acquired Tropical Gardens, a Harlingen Texas based interior plant design and service company operating in the Rio Grande Valley regions of Texas. “This is a strategic acquisition enabling us to increase our presence to better serve our existing client base and the opportunity to grow throughout the rapidly expanding Rio Grande Valley market.” said Mike Senneff, Natura Founder & CEO. Tropical Gardens was founded in 1980 by Bill and Sue DeBrook, “We entered into the interior landscape business to expand on the success of our retail nursery and the enjoyment of bringing plants indoors.” said Ms. … Read more