BGL Announces the Sale of Guardian Access Solutions to CenterOak Partners

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce the sale of Guardian Access Solutions (Guardian), an industry leader in complete access control solutions and a portfolio company of Brixey & Meyer Capital (BMC), to CenterOak Partners (CenterOak), a Dallas-based private equity firm. BGL’s Services investment banking team served as lead financial advisor to Guardian in the transaction. The specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Guardian provides complete design, installation, service, and preventative maintenance solutions for all major access control systems, including commercial gates, overhead doors, parking systems, and access control/CCTV. Guardian’s ability to serve its diversified base of commercial and high-net-worth residential customers across the complete access control spectrum, coupled with its reputation for exceptional service quality and reliability, has propelled the company to be a market leader in the Southeastern U.S., with current locations in Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville. Under BMC’s ownership, Guardian experienced rapid growth through key organic initiatives, in addition to executing on an established M&A playbook, including three complementary acquisitions since 2021 within the highly fragmented access control industry.

CenterOak Partners is a private equity firm with a focus on making control-oriented investments in middle-market companies organized or operating in the United States. The firm specializes in three key industry sectors: Industrial Growth, Consumer, and Business Services.

The acquisition marks a transition into Guardian’s next phase of growth under CenterOak, which will support the company through continued investments in both organic and inorganic growth initiatives as Guardian expands its leading presence in the access control industry throughout the Southeast and nationally.

BGL’s Services investment banking professionals have extensive M&A and capital markets experience, with deep knowledge in Commercial & Residential Services, Industrial & Infrastructure Services, Environmental Services, Professional Services, and Supply Chain & Logistics Services. Our Services team is deeply connected across the industries we serve, maintaining strong relationships with strategic and financial buyers around the globe.