KPA Separates Businesses, Launching Novara to Serve High-Risk Industries

Novara will focus on safety and operational risk software, while KPA continues as the authority in automotive compliance.

WESTMINSTER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KPA today announced the separation of its Flex and Risk Management Center (RMC) software businesses into an independent entity named Novara. Establishing Novara as a standalone company reflects the evolution of KPA’s business over time, as its automotive and non-automotive software offerings grew to serve different industries with distinct operational, regulatory, and safety needs.

Novara will focus on AI-embedded safety and operational risk management software for high-risk industries, including manufacturing, construction, utilities, and oil and gas. Novara will build on years of product development and customer growth, supporting organizations with complex, high-risk environments.

Novara will deliver its solutions primarily through Flex, a configurable SaaS platform that supports day-to-day safety workflows while providing leaders with a centralized view of risk across their business. The Flex platform helps organizations identify issues earlier, increase frontline participation, and move from reactive incident tracking to proactive risk management based on real-world conditions.

KPA will maintain a dedicated focus on comprehensive compliance solutions for the automotive industry, continuing to support customers with compliance software, training, consulting services, and recurring audits designed specifically for automotive dealerships, shops, and other automotive-adjacent environments.

As part of the separation, Michael Bruns, formerly CEO of KPA, has been appointed CEO of Novara. Bruns brings more than 30 years of leadership experience advising and leading high-growth software companies.

“Operating Novara independently strengthens our strategic focus for the next phase of growth,” said Bruns, CEO of Novara. “Industries like construction, manufacturing, and energy are modernizing how they manage safety and operational risk, and they need solutions tailored to the realities of these work environments. Launching Novara enables us to move faster and invest more deeply as demand grows.”

Wayne Curtis has been appointed CEO of KPA. Curtis brings more than two decades of experience in compliance and risk management, most recently serving as Vice President of Field Services at KPA, where he oversaw a nationwide team of over 150 field consulting and client success professionals supporting the automotive market.

“KPA has spent decades earning the trust of the automotive community, and that work continues with renewed purpose,” said Curtis, CEO of KPA. “KPA is a thought leader in automotive compliance, and this new chapter allows us to serve the industry with greater clarity and commitment. We’re positioned to deliver the targeted solutions and expertise that help our clients stay ahead of the evolving compliance and regulatory landscape.”

“The launch of Novara reflects the strength and momentum of both businesses,” said William Hughes, Managing Director at Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. “Establishing KPA and Novara as separate, focused companies better positions both to continue leading in their respective markets, make sharper decisions, and deploy capital for growth. We’re highly confident in the leadership teams and opportunities ahead for both organizations.”

KPA has operated for 40 years and built a legacy serving the automotive industry and other organizations managing environmental, health, and safety requirements. As KPA expanded beyond its automotive roots, the business grew into two distinct operating models serving fundamentally different markets. Establishing Novara as a standalone company enables greater specialization, clearer market focus, and faster innovation for organizations managing complex operational risk outside the automotive sector.

For more information, please visit www.novara.com.

About KPA

KPA helps the automotive industry improve safety culture and stay compliant with state and federal regulations. Trusted by more than 10,000 clients, including 8 of the top 10 automotive dealership groups, KPA delivers a comprehensive suite of compliance solutions designed for automotive businesses, collision centers, marine, truck, and RV dealers, and related industries. Through integrated EHS, Cybersecurity, HR, and Sales F&I consulting, software, and training, KPA enables organizations to proactively manage risk, reduce costs, and improve productivity across their operations.

About Novara

Novara provides safety and operational risk management software that empowers organizations to identify and resolve issues before they become incidents. Through the Flex and Risk Management Center platforms, Novara helps organizations address operational risk proactively by unifying data, increasing workforce engagement, and proactively managing risk. Novara’s combination of training, software, and tools puts people and safety first while protecting critical operations.

About Providence Equity Partners L.L.C.

Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. is a specialist private equity investment firm focused on growth-oriented media, communications, education and technology companies across North America and Europe. Providence combines its partnership approach to investing with deep industry expertise to help management teams build exceptional businesses and generate attractive returns. Since its founding in 1989, Providence has invested over $40 billion across more than 180 private equity portfolio companies. With its headquarters in Providence, RI, the firm also has offices in New York, London, Boston and Atlanta. For more information, please visit www.provequity.com.