Key Takeaways
- • ICS, a ClearLight Partners portfolio company and Northeast IT managed services provider, acquired Unified Networking Solutions (UNS), a Raynham, MA-based IT services firm founded in 2010, in a deal announced March 17, 2022.
- • UNS serves local government, education, and commercial clients across Southeastern Massachusetts and New England, offering managed IT services, hardware/software procurement, and implementation services.
- • The acquisition expands ICS's geographic footprint in the Northeast and adds complementary service capabilities, positioning the combined entity to serve mid-market clients with enhanced product and service depth.
- • ClearLight Partners remains bullish on IT managed services sector tailwinds and views UNS as a strategic bolt-on acquisition that strengthens the ICS platform for future growth through continued M&A.
- • ICS, founded in 1986, operates across the Northeastern US with specializations in cybersecurity, cloud migration, and remote workforce support under CEO Kevin Blake, a 20+ year industry veteran.
Summary
ICS, a portfolio company of growth equity firm ClearLight Partners and a leading IT managed services provider in the Northeast, announced the acquisition of Unified Networking Solutions on March 17, 2022. UNS, headquartered in Raynham, Massachusetts, was founded in 2010 and has established a client base spanning local government, education, and commercial sectors throughout New England. The acquired company provides managed IT services, hardware and software procurement, and implementation services to mid-market customers in Southeastern Massachusetts.
The transaction reflects strategic consolidation within the fragmented IT managed services sector. Kevin Blake, CEO of ICS, emphasized cultural alignment between the two organizations, stating: "We are thrilled to have the Unified staff join the ICS Family. It was clear that Unified's culture and core values fit right in with ours. We are looking forward to growing our Northeastern footprint through future acquisitions." This language signals management's intent to pursue additional bolt-on acquisitions to scale the ICS platform regionally.
Brian McDonald, representing UNS's leadership, characterized the partnership as enabling expanded service delivery, noting that ICS offered "expanded products, services and resources" to existing UNS clients while meeting evolving customer needs. Kyle Burke, a Partner at ClearLight, reinforced the sponsor's confidence in the sector thesis, observing: "Our partnership with Kevin Blake and ICS has been excellent. We remain enthusiastic about continued tailwinds in the IT managed services space and believe UNS is a terrific complement to ICS."
ICS itself is a established platform founded in 1986 and specializes in managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud migration, and implementation services for small to medium-sized businesses across the Northeastern United States, with particular focus on risk management and remote workforce infrastructure. The acquisition positions the combined entity to serve a broader customer base with enhanced capabilities and geographic density in a region characterized by dispersed mid-market demand for outsourced IT infrastructure support.
The transaction reflects strategic consolidation within the fragmented IT managed services sector. Kevin Blake, CEO of ICS, emphasized cultural alignment between the two organizations, stating: "We are thrilled to have the Unified staff join the ICS Family. It was clear that Unified's culture and core values fit right in with ours. We are looking forward to growing our Northeastern footprint through future acquisitions." This language signals management's intent to pursue additional bolt-on acquisitions to scale the ICS platform regionally.
Brian McDonald, representing UNS's leadership, characterized the partnership as enabling expanded service delivery, noting that ICS offered "expanded products, services and resources" to existing UNS clients while meeting evolving customer needs. Kyle Burke, a Partner at ClearLight, reinforced the sponsor's confidence in the sector thesis, observing: "Our partnership with Kevin Blake and ICS has been excellent. We remain enthusiastic about continued tailwinds in the IT managed services space and believe UNS is a terrific complement to ICS."
ICS itself is a established platform founded in 1986 and specializes in managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud migration, and implementation services for small to medium-sized businesses across the Northeastern United States, with particular focus on risk management and remote workforce infrastructure. The acquisition positions the combined entity to serve a broader customer base with enhanced capabilities and geographic density in a region characterized by dispersed mid-market demand for outsourced IT infrastructure support.
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