The Kaiser Enterprise in Troy today announced it has acquired a majority interest in Ferndale-based Rival Insulation. Rival’s existing ownership will remain in place. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Rival, which opened in 2011, specializes in mechanical insulation for a variety of industries including health care, automotive, education, commercial, government, and heavy industrial.
“We continue to search for opportunities to grow our vertically integrated enterprise,” says Robert Kaiser II, owner and CEO of Kaiser Enterprise. “Rival Insulation is a natural complement as they fit into our core businesses.
“By expanding our in-house expertise, not only does our entire enterprise become more successful, but our customers are provided with higher quality products, better pricing, and an improved ability to meet aggressive schedules.”
The investment in Rival comes shortly after Kaiser Enterprises’ acquisition of Commerce Controls Inc. (CCI) and an investment in Ventcon Inc. The Kaiser Enterprise now includes Gallagher-Kaiser (GK), GK de Mexico, GK Canada, Universal Piping Industries (UPI), Kais-AIR, Tann Corp., Commerce Controls Inc. (CCI), Ventcon Inc., and Rival Insulation.
“The decision to join the Kaiser Enterprise was strategic for us,” says Chris Tremberth, president of Rival Insulation. “We have the benefit of seeing what joining this team can do for a company. When we look at how much UPI, CCI, and Ventcon have each grown since joining the enterprise, it’s exciting to think about what this will do for our customers and our employees. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
Rival Insulation, located at 840 Hilton Rd., now has access to in-house expertise and expansive square footage within the enterprise.
“As with all of our acquisitions and start-ups, we will immediately increase Rival’s revenue,” says Tracy Robert, president and COO of Kaiser Enterprise. “They’re a great company, with a talented team and an impressive customer base. By adding them to our organization and putting our resources behind them, we can take their operations to new levels. I think there’s no question that they’ll be the leader in their industry in a short time.”
The recent investment brings together a unique collection of capabilities between each of the business units within the Kaiser Enterprise. Overall, the nine companies have more than 1,400 employees.
“It’s clear that Rival Insulation offers a distinct advantage to our operations,” says Kaiser. “Ultimately, we want to be the strongest solution for our customers across multiple markets. As we determine where to invest, we consider the self-perform capabilities of each business unit and how they work together. We can now bring Rival’s expertise into the project process sooner, providing a considerable advantage to our customers.”
Rival will maintain at its Ferndale location, with offices at the new Kaiser Enterprise headquarters at 5555 New King Drive in Troy.
For more information, visit GK at gkcorp.com/ or Rival Insulation at rivalinsulation.com/.
