Sentinel | Midmarket | Private Equity | Luminaires Group

Sentinel Capital Partners sells The Luminaires Group

Successful Investment in Leading Lighting Manufacturer

NEW YORK, September 10, 2019 – Sentinel Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in promising companies in the lower midmarket, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell The Luminaires Group, a leading North American manufacturer of specification-grade and architectural lighting fixtures, to Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Luminaires' management team, under the leadership of Christian Fabi, built a world-class business with an incredible culture and a deep commitment to serving its customers with innovative lighting solutions," said Marc Buan, a Sentinel Principal. "During our partnership, Luminaires has successfully completed a complex consolidation of three separate divisions and has integrated two add-on acquisitions, which enabled the company to centralize management, streamline operations, and expand its product offerings. We are thrilled to have worked with this team and see a very bright future for Luminaires as part of Acuity Brands."

Luminaires President, Christian Fabi, commented, "Throughout our partnership, Sentinel has offered a strong and guiding hand during a formative and highly successful period in our company's history."

Luminaires' strategy is to acquire companies that bring specific competences to the group and support and accelerate their growth initiatives. Luminaires also leverages the combined knowledge and expertise of its group to improve process and product design, deliver the best possible combination of cutting edge lighting, and provide unsurpassed support. Each division in the group retains its autonomy and brand identity, which facilitates an organizational culture that is nimble and able to quickly react to its own market needs.

The past year has been highly productive for Sentinel. Besides selling Luminaires, Sentinel sold CINgroup, a workflow solutions provider to the consumer bankruptcy market, and made five new platform investments—Apex Companies, an environmental services firm; Holley Performance Products, a manufacturer of branded performance products for automotive enthusiasts; MCA, a communications solutions and services provider; New You Bariatric Group, an administrative support service provider to a network of bariatric surgery offices; and Pet Supplies Plus, a franchisor and operator of local neighborhood pet stores.