Apax IX acquires Authority Brands
The Apax IX Fund (“Apax IX”) has today announced that it has acquired Authority Brands, a leading North American franchisor of home services.
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, USA, Authority Brands is the parent company of two home services franchisors: The Cleaning Authority, which provides residential cleaning; and Homewatch CareGivers, which delivers at-home care services. With a diversified customer base and experienced management team, Authority Brands is well placed to expand further through continued organic growth and strategic acquisitions, as well as through international expansion, additional services, and digital acceleration.
AGA, whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange, provides investors with access to the investment expertise of Apax Partners through its investments in a diversified portfolio of private equity funds advised by Apax Partners as well as derived investments in debt and equity. In May 2016, AGA committed $350m to Apax IX.
Funds advised by Apax Partners acquire Authority Brands
New York and Columbia, Maryland, 24 September 2018: Funds advised by Apax Partners (the “Apax Funds”) today announced the acquisition of Authority Brands, a leading North American franchisor of home services, from PNC Riverarch Capital. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands is the parent company of two home services franchisors: The Cleaning Authority, which provides residential cleaning services to over 100,000 customers across the U.S.; and Homewatch CareGivers, which delivers at-home services including elderly, disabled and after-surgery care, as well as help for those living with dementia. Authority Brands operates over 300 franchises in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, supporting them to grow through the provision of marketing, technology and operational support.
The acquisition by the Apax Funds will help the company accelerate its growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, as it looks to expand internationally and offer additional services. It also presents digitization opportunities as Apax intends to leverage its significant experience in this area to help Authority Brands provide enhanced software, digital marketing and systems to support its franchise partners. Under the terms of the acquisition, Authority Brands’ management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Rob Weddle, will remain in place.
Rob Weddle, CEO of Authority Brands, said: “We are very excited about the experience and depth the Apax team brings to this new partnership. Authority Brands has a vision to become the leading franchisor of home services by providing unparalleled business ownership opportunity to its franchisees and delivering first-class service to consumers. We are confident Apax shares in this vision and expect a bright future for Authority Brands.”
Ashish Karandikar, Partner at Apax Partners, said: “We have been attracted to the home services market for some time, due to its size, fragmentation and attractive growth rate. We have been impressed by Authority Brands’ established franchise network, experienced management, and strong track record of growth.
“We look forward to working with management and all franchise partners to accelerate growth, both organically and through M&A, as well as to leverage Apax’s significant experience in international expansion and digitization.”
Contact details
Investor enquiries
Sarah Wojcik
IR Manager – AGA
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7666 6573
Email: sarah.wojcik@apax.com
Media enquiries
Andrew Kenny
Head of Communications
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7872 6371
Email: andrew.kenny@apax.com
About Apax Global Alpha Limited
AGA is a Guernsey registered closed-ended collective investment scheme incorporated as a non-cellular company that listed on the London Stock Exchange on 15 June 2015. It is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
AGA’s objective is to provide shareholders with capital appreciation from its investment portfolio and regular dividends. The Company is targeting an annualised Total Return, across economic cycles, of 12-15% (net of fees and expenses) including a dividend yield of 5% of Net Asset Value.
The investment policy of the Company is to make Private Equity investments in Apax Funds, and Derived Investments which are investments in equities and debt derived from the insights gained via Apax Partners’ Private Equity activities. The Company’s portfolio is expected to be allocated in approximately equal proportions between Private Equity and Derived Investments, although the investment mix will fluctuate over time due to market conditions, investment opportunities, cash flow requirements, the dividend policy and other factors. Further information regarding the Company and its publications are available on the Company’s website at www.apaxglobalalpha.com.
About Apax Partners LLP
Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm and over its more than 35-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of over €43 billion as at 30 June 2018. Funds advised by Apax Partners invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare and Consumer. These funds provide long_term equity financing to build and strengthen world_class companies. For further information about Apax Partners, please visit www.apax.com.
Apax Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.