During the second quarter of 2021, Pye-Barker Fire crossed another big milestone as it added its 80th location to the map!  In spite of the obstacles of the past year and a half, the company continues to thrive.  In the past 18 months, Pye-Barker has expanded in existing locations, entered new territories, and been honored to carry on the legacy of fire protection owners across the country.

Growing through the Pandemic

Though the pandemic hit hard last year, Pye-Barker Fire grew through the difficulty. Since the start of 2020, the company has expanded into seven new states and added over 20 locations.  The team fit in two acquisitions before the pandemic hit, with its entrance into Nevada and its expansion in Doral, FL.

The beginning of the pandemic did not deter the company from completing its expansion into Burlington, Washington. Acquisition Team members flew out as the guidelines and scope of danger were still unfolding, bringing Alpine Fire into the family before the country shut down and restricted travel.

That acquisition was quickly followed by Pye-Barker’s first addition in Virginia. After that, things slowed down as the restrictions and cautions were heightened.  Later that summer, the Acquisition team was able to hit the road again.  Not only did the company add new states Mississippi and Alabama to the map, but also it completed its largest acquisition at the time with the addition of Mitec, original home of BuildingReports.

Expanding Capabilities

With the acquisition of Mitec, the company strengthened its presence and capabilities in a couple existing markets while adding new cities to existing states.  Through Mitec, Pye-Barker added a branch in Dallas, Texas and expanded resources in its Atlanta and Charlotte markets.

The company also completed three new acquisitions in the state of Kentucky, adding a new location and expanding in Louisville.  Its rapid expansion across Florida continued with two acquisitions towards the end of the year.  Then, 2020 closed with a final acquisition to strengthen the company’s presence in Utah.

In addition to expanding its footprint, the company has also worked to expand its offerings over the past year and a half. With the establishment of the National Accounts Division, Pye-Barker showed it was ready to handle the biggest customers.  Paired with 2021’s larger acquisitions of dominate fire protection companies with industry-recognized names, the company proved it was here to establish itself as the country’s preferred national provider of fire and life safety services.

Taking Big Strides in 2021

The past three years Pye-Barker has expanded its reach across the country, entering new territories and embracing different markets.  But in 2021, the company started to welcome even bigger companies into its family.  Prefaced by the acquisition of Mitec the previous year, Pye-Barker Fire began reaching out to larger fire protection companies with established presences across multiple states.

The company announced the acquisition of Nardini Fire Equipment Co. at the beginning of January.  The respected family business launched Pye-Barker into the northern Midwest, establishing four new branches in two new states with services across the Five State Area.  The remainder of Q1 saw the acquisition of Fire Alarm Services, Inc. in Arvada, Colorado, United Fire Protection across Florida and Georgia, and LPS Fire on either side of Dallas, Texas.  These large acquisitions helped Pye-Barker expand its dominant presence in existing states while adding branches in key metropolitans in those territories.

A cluster of additional acquisitions between January and April also added stability and resources to some of Pye-Barker’s early markets while reinforcing new ones.  The existing markets that welcomed new team members were Greenville, South Carolina and Greensboro, North Carolina.  The new markets that added support from additional acquisitions were St. Paul, MN, Orlando, FL, and Fort Pierce, FL with the nearby acquisition of Total Lifesafety in Jensen Beach.  The company also added its second Virginia location in Martinsville, Virginia through family company Commercial Fyr-Fytr.

Continuing the Legacy

Looking into the second half of 2021, Pye-Barker has no intentions of slowing its growth!  The company hopes to continue reinforcing its presence in existing territories while expanding into new ones.  As the national interest in the company grows, Pye-Barker is preparing to meet the demand that follows.

With a few new states in it sites and hope on the horizon as the country starts to reopen, Pye-Barker is looking forward to a historic six months before the year ends.  As the company works internally to expand its sales department, grow its National Accounts efforts, and put the right leadership in place, there will be little that could slow down its upward trajectory.

Pye-Barker Fire has come a far way since its early decades as a southeastern fire protection company. But, its original commitment to offering innovative fire and life safety services with integrity the customer can count on remains the same. It is the company’s honor to expand its own legacy along with that of the business owners who have entrusted their companies to Pye-Barker’s care.  It will be exciting to see how the company expands before the year’s end.

If you are ready to plan your exit strategy or advance your business to the next level, contact our VP of Business Development Chuck Reimel to find out more about what the Pye-Barker Acquisition Option could do for you.