Firm Overview
Compass Group Successfully Exits EPIC Systems
Compass Group recently completed the successful exit of EPIC Systems, a national provider of industrial and process automation solutions. The transaction marks a new chapter for EPIC Systems as it joins VINCI Energies, a global player in energy, transportation, and communications infrastructure, and a subsidiary of VINCI Group.
Compass Group partnered with EPIC Systems in 2018, launching a transformative journey that drove significant growth and professionalization across the business. Over the course of the partnership, EPIC Systems achieved a significant increase in revenue and EBITDA through a series of strategic initiatives.
“Over the course of the investment, we experienced transformation and growth of the overall business,” said Ryan Roepke, Director. “A key driver of this success was partnering with talented leadership and utilizing a strong engineering team to achieve sales growth and commercial success.”
The appointment of Mike Higgins as CEO in early 2020 proved to have a positive impact. Under his leadership, the company sharpened its focus on sales and marketing, broadened its service offerings, and strengthened its position in the industrial automation sector. This shift allowed EPIC to explore new end markets, new geographic markets, as well as grow within existing customer accounts.
“Compass Group was a terrific partner for EPIC Systems; they brought a thesis-driven approach to industrial automation combined with in-house functional expertise through their Compass Guides program,” said Mike Higgins, CEO of EPIC Systems. “That expertise proved invaluable as we worked together with the Compass investment team to scale and grow EPIC Systems.”
Throughout the partnership, the Compass Guides, Compass Group’s team of senior-level subject matter experts, played a pivotal role in enabling EPIC’s success. Their hands-on support in the areas of Digital Transformation, Marketing, People Strategy, and Legal helped lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth. Some of the key projects supported by the Compass Guides included AI enablement, website optimization, legal counsel, and organizational design for the Machine Vision team.
In 2022, EPIC Systems demonstrated its commitment to innovation by launching a robotics product line, complementing its existing capabilities in industrial automation, process systems, fabrication, and engineering design services. This expansion further cemented the company’s reputation as a forward-thinking automation solutions provider.
“Now under the ownership of VINCI Energies, EPIC Systems is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory,” said John Huhn, Compass Group’s Managing Partner. “We're confident that EPIC's expanded capabilities and professionalized operations will thrive within VINCI’s global platform.”
The Compass Group deal team included John Huhn, Ryan Roepke, Kevin Pavlacic, and Jonah Ulane, whose strategic guidance and leadership were instrumental throughout the investment lifecycle.
Bundy Group served as the investment banking advisor, while Armanino provided tax due diligence services, and Wipfli assisted with financial due diligence. Polsinelli provided legal counsel on the transaction.
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