Kian Capital Partners, a middle-market focused private investment firm, exited its investment in Westcoast Gate & Entry Systems through a sale to Aurora Capital Partners. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Westcoast Gate is a regional provider of gate automation services to residential, HOA and commercial customers across Southern California. The company opened in 1998. In addition to gate automation solutions including design, fabrication, installation, maintenance and repair, Westcoast Gate’s offerings include commercial capabilities, including anti-terrorism solutions for high-security commercial, industrial and municipal clients.
Kian acquired Westcoast Gate in April 2017 as part of the firm’s home services investment initiative. During Kian’s four-and-a-half-year ownership period, the company more than tripled its revenue and EBITDA.
“Kian has been a great partner for Westcoast Gate, providing valuable support and guidance that has enabled us to scale meaningfully without losing sight of our core mission — to address our customers’ needs with exceptional service and quality,” Bob Flecken, CEO of Westcoast Gate, said. “The growth we’ve experienced has been nothing short of amazing and has culminated in this exciting new partnership with Aurora. From their original investment through the exit process, Kian showed an incredible commitment to investing in our company and our people to help Westcoast Gate maximize its potential.”
During Kian’s time owning the company, Westcoast Gate hired Flecken and CFO Blake Jackson and created an institutional quality executive management team to drive future growth. Westcoast Gate also expanded into a c larger facility, grew its employee base from six employees to nearly 100 and invested in technology to improve operational efficiencies. Furthermore, in August 2020, the company completed the acquisition of Automated Gate Services, which expanded Westcoast Gate’s expertise in commercial perimeter security solutions.
“The success of this transaction for Westcoast Gate, Kian and its investors is a direct result of our outstanding management team and their execution on the growth plan we collectively developed from the onset of our relationship,” Kevin McCarthy, co-founder and partner at Kian Capital Partners, said. “Bob and his team worked incredibly hard every day, and we thank them for a wonderful partnership. Our team takes pride in working with our management teams to build platforms for the next level of growth, and Aurora is an ideal new home for Westcoast Gate to continue its journey.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Westcoast Gate as the company enters its next stage of growth,” Andrew Wilson, partner at Aurora Capital Partners, said. “Westcoast Gate has become a leading provider of automated gate services in California, and we believe its scalable foundation provides significant opportunity for the future. We look forward to working with the management team to help capitalize on the momentum they and Kian have built over the past several years.”
Stifel acted as exclusive financial advisor and Robinson Bradshaw acted as legal advisor to Westcoast Gate for this transaction.
