Jensen Hughes acquires security risk management market leader Hillard Heintze

April 22, 2019
The acquisition provides clients with a holistic, integrated approach to managing risk across the spectrum from fire and life safety to emergency management and security

BALTIMORE - Jensen Hughes, a global leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting, announced its acquisition of Hillard Heintze, a market leader in strategic security risk management and investigation services for Fortune-ranked enterprises, professional sports leagues and law enforcement agencies as well as many of the world’s most affluent families.

Over the last four years, Jensen Hughes, a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, has made eight strategic acquisitions. These have been specifically focused on both expanding the company’s global presence and also strengthening its expertise in emergency management and security to better serve clients and their most complex challenges by addressing their risk from an increasingly sophisticated, integrated and holistic perspective.

Hillard Heintze has earned accolades as an industry leader in setting new world-class service standards for customized solutions that help organizations identify and manage risk to their people, property, performance and reputations. Since its formation in 2004, more than 85 Fortune-ranked enterprises, 575 U.S. and international brands and 150 of the world’s most affluent families have gained insight, assurance and confidence through its services – and are better managing their security risk.

“Our success stems from a consistent focus on providing our clients with exceptional specialty engineering and consulting services and through expanding our capabilities to meet their growing needs,” explains Paul Orzeske, CEO, Jensen Hughes. “In our Security practice, we have been able to provide clients the highest quality of security design engineering, however, we recognized that we could help them solve their security challenges more holistically with a broader portfolio of capabilities. Hillard Heintze’s services complement our work exceptionally well, and, like ours, their team is passionate about its commitment to providing outstanding client service. Together we can improve our ability to partner with clients and help them manage their operations across an end-to-end spectrum of risk – from fire and life safety to emergency management and security. Arnette and team have built a best-in-class organization and we are honored to welcome them to the Jensen Hughes family.”

“This is a very exciting day for us,” says Hillard Heintze founder and CEO Arnette Heintze. “The rapid growth of our two companies, respectively, has been driven by a comparable and complementary commitment to service excellence, exceptional talent, and an internal culture of teaming and collaboration. Joining Jensen Hughes is the most powerful and promising way to continue to meet our vision to be trusted around the world to protect what matters. As part of Jensen Hughes, we strengthen our ability to scale and adapt as our clients’ needs expand to areas such as fire and life safety, emergency management and forensics, and as their operations expand worldwide to new countries and markets – and new risks.”

Livingstone acted as exclusive financial advisor to Hillard Heintze. XMS Capital Partners advised Gryphon Investors and Jensen Hughes on this transaction.

About Jensen Hughes

Jensen Hughes is a global leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting. A team of 1,250 engineers, consultants and scientists develop and deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions to a global client base involving fire protection systems design and analysis, code consulting, emergency management services, security consulting, forensic engineering, fire research, risk-informed applications, probabilistic risk assessments, development and testing, commissioning and construction services. Operating from offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Jensen Hughes consulting teams participate on projects in all markets across industries. Jensen Hughes is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management teams. For more information, visit www.jensenhughes.com. 

About Hillard Heintze 

Hillard Heintze is one of the leading security risk management firms in the world. The firm is trusted around the globe to deliver innovative, prevention-oriented advisory solutions that help its clients improve performance and outcomes in protecting what matters their people, performance, interests and reputation. Based in the United States with corporate headquarters in Chicago, Hillard Heintze supports clients across the globe through five practices: Security Risk Management, Threat and Violence Risk Management, Investigations, Law Enforcement Consulting, and Private Client and Family Office Services. For more information, visit www.hillardheintze.com.

About Gryphon Investors

Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management teams. The firm has managed over $4.5 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $200 million in portfolio companies with sales ranging from approximately $100 million to $500 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise. For more information, visit www.gryphon-inv.com.