Altus Fire and Life Safety acquires Croker

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Altus Fire and Life Safety, a full-service fire and life safety services platform, announced it has acquired Croker, a provider of fire, life safety, emergency preparedness and business resilience programs in the Northeastern U.S. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Altus, a fire and life safety services platform owned by private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, LP, now consists of five businesses - Cross-Fire & Security, Alarm & Suppression, NISCO, Adcock, and Croker. Croker President Brian L. Weinstein will remain with the company and maintain a minority stake.

Founded in 1911, Croker operates through three subsidiaries, Croker Fire Drill Corporation, Croker Fire Safety Corporation and Croker Fire & Life Safety Institute. The company provides a wide range of fire and life safety services for the workplace, including drills, planning, educating, training, exercising, and consulting services, as well as crisis management and business continuity services. Croker primarily serves commercial properties and institutional facilities, including healthcare, in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

“We are delighted to add Croker and its broad array of services to our growing team,” said John Adams, CEO of Altus. “As we continue to build out our platform, Croker’s unique offerings will add scale and make Altus even more competitive as we address the significant market demand for life-safety services.“

“We are thrilled to be joining the Altus team of like-minded and well-known establishments,” Weinstein noted, “These additional resources and expansive synergies will support Croker’s growth and provide us with the opportunity to continually engage our clients with an all-encompassing customer experience.”

“My son Brian and I are proud to have built this business into the regional industry leader it is today,” added Ray Weinstein, owner of Croker. “We’re confident that the Company will be in a better position to achieve next level growth under the stewardship of Altus and AEI.”

Altus has partnered with key industry executives, including Board Chair Kelly Romano, an AEI Operating Partner with deep sector experience in fire & security and commercial building industries, including over 30 years at United Technologies Corporation (UTC), and Board Member Ed Cettina, a senior construction management executive previously working with AECOM and Tishman Construction.

“We continue to see demand for life-safety services that provide peace of mind to property owners, management, and building occupants,” Cettina said. “In a fragmented industry, Croker’s programs and rigorous certification courses stand out as additive to Altus’ offerings, and we are excited to bring them on board to deepen the platform’s range.”