Kian Portfolio Exit Announcement — Westcoast Gate

Kian Capital Partners, a middle-market focused private investment firm, announced today it has exited its investment in Westcoast Gate & Entry Systems (“Westcoast Gate”) through a sale to Aurora Capital Partners (“Aurora”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Westcoast Gate is a premier regional provider of mission critical gate automation services to high-end residential, HOA and commercial customers across Southern California. Recognizing a void in the market for high-quality automated gate services, the company opened for business in 1998. In addition to one-stop gate automation solutions including design, fabrication, installation, maintenance and repair, Westcoast Gate has expanded its offerings to include a full set of market-leading commercial capabilities, including anti-terrorism solutions for high-security commercial, industrial and municipal clients. The company differentiates itself via 24/7 white-glove service, technical expertise and best-in-class safety qualifications required by its sophisticated accounts.

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,” said Bob Flecken, CEO of Westcoast Gate. “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.”

Together, Kian and Westcoast Gate’s management achieved significant results by leveraging the firm’s Blueprint for Enduring Value™, a systemized framework for value creation and accountability focused on growth, operations and talent. Hiring key leaders, including CEO Bob Flecken and CFO Blake Jackson, created an institutional quality executive management team to drive future growth. Under their leadership, Westcoast Gate expanded into a considerably 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 transformative acquisition of Automated Gate Services, which significantly 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,” added Kevin McCarthy, Co-Founder and Partner at Kian. “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,” said Andrew Wilson, Partner at Aurora. “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 as legal advisor to Westcoast Gate.