Harris Williams Advises Technical Safety Services on its Sale to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it advised Technical Safety Services (TSS), a portfolio company of The Edgewater Funds (Edgewater) and JZ Partners (JZ), on its sale to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP). TSS is a leading provider of testing, inspection, certification, and calibration (TICC) services to customers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, and other life sciences end markets. The transaction was led by Luke Semple, Brian Lucas, Paul Hepper, Taylor Morris, Sean Bielawski and Keith Zukowski of Harris Williams.

“It has been a pleasure working with the TSS team on this transaction,” said Luke Semple, a managing director in the Harris Williams Energy, Power & Infrastructure (EPI) Group. “Their ability to deliver critical, highly technical services has enabled them to become a vital partner for customers operating essential life sciences and healthcare facilities, and it has positioned TSS as a premier platform in its industry.”

“We are seeing strong interest in premium companies like TSS that provide regulatory-driven TICC services, as investors continue to seek resilient businesses providing non-deferrable services,” said Brian Lucas, a managing director in the Harris Williams Business Services Group. “We look forward to following TSS’s evolution as it executes on its many organic and inorganic growth initiatives with its new partner.”

“TSS represents another successful outcome for Harris Williams and exemplifies the firm’s ability to work seamlessly across industry groups, bringing together the necessary deal team knowledge and experience to drive a premium outcome,” said Paul Hepper, a managing director in the Harris Williams Healthcare & Life Sciences (HCLS) Group.

Founded in 1970, TSS is a leading provider of TICC services to customers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare and other life sciences end markets. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, TSS provides on-site technical services mandated to occur at regular intervals to ensure all clients remain in compliance with regulatory standards. TSS’s services are performed across the lifecycle of a customer facility and ensure the compliant operation of controlled environments such as clean rooms, bio-safety cabinets, medical gas systems, high-purity water systems, laboratory equipment, and more.

Edgewater is a private equity firm with over $2.8 billion of capital commitments raised since 2001. Through Edgewater Growth Capital Partners, the firm partners with management to help accelerate growth in their businesses. Edgewater is headquartered in Chicago.

JZ has an established track record of investing alongside the owners and management teams of privately held businesses to build successful companies and create long-term value. The principals of JZ have made more than 300 investments, representing an aggregate of over $4 billion, since 1986. JZ is headquartered in Chicago and New York.

LLCP is a middle market private equity firm with a 39-year track record of investing across various targeted sectors, including franchising, business services, education, and engineered products. LLCP utilizes a differentiated Structured Private Equity investment strategy, combining debt and equity capital investments in portfolio companies. This unique structure provides a less dilutive solution for management teams and entrepreneurs, while delivering growth and income with a significantly lower risk profile.

LLCP’s global team of dedicated investment professionals is led by nine partners who have worked at LLCP for an average of 19 years. Since inception, LLCP has managed approximately $12.9 billion of institutional capital across 15 investment funds and has invested in over 100 portfolio companies. LLCP currently manages $9.0 billion of assets and has offices in Los Angeles; New York; Chicago; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; London; Stockholm; The Hague; and Frankfurt, Germany.

Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: [e-mail]). Geschäftsführer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.