Browne Jacobson advises on the sale of Ace Fire & Security Systems to andwis group

Browne Jacobson corporate finance team has successfully advised on the sale of Ace Fire & Security Systems to equity backed andwis group for an undisclosed consideration.

Milton Keynes based Ace Fire & Security Systems was established in 1990 and is a leading end-to-end provider of fire protection, specialist security systems, risk management and maintenance services to UK and international clients spanning the public and private sectors. Clients include, amongst others, Dyson, NHS, WeWork, Kier and PepsiCo.

Andwis group is a leading UK provider of technical services to the built environment. It was established in 2023 by leading global alternative asset investment firm H.I.G. Capital, following its acquisition of Synecore Limited and Meesons Futures Limited and amalgamation with H.I.G.’s existing portfolio of companies, CPS and Classic Lifts.

The Browne Jacobson corporate finance team comprised corporate finance partner Mike Jackson, Clare Hanna and Jack Milnthorpe alongside Christian Burchardt and Samuel Moore (both tax).

Darren Gibbons, Managing Director and CEO of Ace Fire & Security Systems who will continue to lead the business said : “We are delighted to become an integral part of the andwis group, this opportunity enables us to expand our service offering to our existing clients, whilst working in partnership with the other companies within the group to extend our reach both geographically and technologically.” 

Mike Jackson added : “We are delighted to have advised on this sale, providing andwis group with a complimentary Fire Protection Division to its existing family of best-in-class technical services providers. We wish continuing management well in playing a critical role in helping the group realise its ambition of being a global leader in technical building services.”

Browne Jacobson’s national corporate finance practice is ranked by Experian as one of the country’s leading corporate finance teams. It operates from our offices in Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Nottingham and is made up of over 50 expert corporate, private equity, venture capital (VC) and banking & finance lawyers delivering multi-layered transactions across a diverse range of sectors. The team works collaboratively with a rich, diverse, and longstanding portfolio of domestic and international clients including, fast growing start-ups, FTSE 100 companies, private equity investors and the UKs leading banking institutions.