U.S. Signs Has Been Acquired by FM Facility Maintenance
Business Services
Mergers & Acquisitions
Houston, Texas
HOUSTON, June 14, 2011 – GulfStar Group (“GulfStar”) is pleased to announce the sale of assets and certain liabilities of U.S. Signs Inc. (“US Signs”) to FM Facility Maintenance (“FM”) in a transaction that closed on June 6, 2011. GulfStar served as the exclusive financial advisor to US Signs and its shareholders.
US Signs was founded in 1980 by Ronald Farmer in Houston, Texas, as a traditional full-service sign company. In 1987, US Signs changed its business model to become a provider of outsourced fabrication, installation, and repair and maintenance services to retail sign customers. US Signs launched its US-1 service division in January 2006.
“We are very proud that FM Facility Maintenance recognizes the quality and value of the services US Signs provides to its customers. We look forward to working in partnership with our new owners to grow the signs business,” said Lee Clark, the president and chief executive officer of US Signs who will also continue as the president and chief executive officer of the US Signs division of FM.
The GulfStar transaction team was led by Managing Director Cliff Atherton who said, “Ron Farmer is an outstanding serial entrepreneur who is typical of many of our clients at GulfStar. With this sale, he has exited his original business and will now focus all his energies on his rapidly growing LED lighting business. We were pleased that he chose us to manage the sale of US Signs, and we know it will have success at FM under the continued leadership of Lee Clark.”
About US Signs Inc.
US Signs is a national leader in providing brand application management for clients with multisite retail locations in the United States. The company provides exceptional and timely repair and maintenance, installation and project management services in the sign and lighting trades. US Signs is based in Houston, Texas.
About GulfStar
GulfStar Group is a leading middle market investment bank headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm specializes in providing merger and acquisition advisory services, institutional private placements of equity and debt, and general corporate finance advisory services to companies with revenues or enterprise values typically between $25 million and $350 million. Since its formation in 1990, GulfStar has completed more than 475 assignments across a variety of industries. Through its merchant banking affiliate, the firm also makes equity and subordinated debt investments and serves as a transaction sponsor for acquisition-oriented growth strategies.
About FM Facility Maintenance
FM Facility Maintenance is a leading provider of facility management for clients with multisite restaurant and retail locations in the United States. The company provides an unparalleled level of service in more than 40 trades. FM manages over 30,000 customer locations nationwide, representing more than one million service requests annually. Current run rate revenues are approximately $400 million plus $100 million of pass-through revenue. Based in Hartford, Conn., FM is privately held.