Triton Makes a Play for ACRE

Updated: Interview with Joe Grillo and Kim Loy

Management, New Owner See a Brighter Future

Triton Makes a Play for ACRE

Catching up with Joe Grillo and Kim Loy is no easy task. I was anxious to hear comments about the recent acquisition, and the state of the industry, ACRE style.

The investment by Triton means that ACRE companies, Vanderbilt, Comnet and Razberi, now have a new owner, but with a new owner comes new and additional opportunities. The back story goes something like this. Joe Grillo founded ACRE in 2012, and after starting the group, there were eight acquisitions that evolved into the new company.

“This acquisition means that Triton will invest alongside the current management team at ACRE,” said Grillo, who serves at the CEO. “The partnership will allow us to continue to invest in innovation and bring our market-leading solutions to our customers.

“This was the right thing to do at this time because our previous investor, LLR Partners was coming to the end of their investment.”

A European company, Triton Funds invest in and support positive development of medium-size businesses. Triton was established in 1997.

“We expect to continue to grow, maybe faster because this is a bigger group,” Grillo said. “Triton spent time with us; to get to know us, our brands, customer base and our interest in the electronic access control vertical.”

The state of the industry, according to ACRE saw revenue off about 5% in 2020, but the future seems strong, and because of the diverse nature of ACRE’s business, Grillo said they will be able to service the pent up demands the end user will have, specifically in products such as visitor management, and other verticals. Any downturn in the market allowed management to learn how to operate safely.

Because the company is an essential business, they have been open during the pandemic, and see the future as strong and steady. The goal was to keep the doors open for business and keep people safe.

Tradeshows, well that might be anyone’s guess, and Loy offered a few well thought-out answers

Loy, who is the chief product officer at ACRE, said face-to-face events will pause a little longer, but will likely come back on a smaller scale. ISC West plans on a July event, which will hopefully happen, but Loy said, “Tradeshows will come back but on a smaller scale.

“Tradeshows are expensive, considering travel and entertainment costs. I think we see fewer tradeshows overall and perhaps more vertical shows,” Loy said.

Funds advised by Triton has signed an agreement to acquire Acre, an end-to-end security solutions provider based in Dallas and Dublin, Ireland. This agreement means that ACRE brands like Vanderbilt, Comnet, and Razberi have a new owner.

The Triton funds invest in and support the positive development of medium-sized businesses with a strong European heritage. Since its establishment in 1997, Triton has sponsored nine funds, focusing on businesses in the industrial, business services, consumer and health sectors.

“This partnership will allow us to continue to invest in innovation and bring our market-leading solutions to customers,” said Joseph Grillo, CEO of ACRE.

Triton will invest alongside the current management team of ACRE. Acre’s previous majority investor, LLR Partners, who has partnered with the company since 2013, will exit the business. Houlihan Lokey acted as exclusive financial advisor to Acre and LLR Partners. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Strong security industry brands
ACRE delivers security systems for access control and intrusion detection as well as innovative video solutions with a communication networking and intelligent appliance portfolio. The software and solutions provided by ACRE’s family of companies (Vanderbilt, Open Options, RS2 Technologies, Comnet and Razberi) help secure the highest valued assets of large and small customers operating in the private and public sectors. Triton will bring industry expertise and additional capital to support ACRE’s continued innovation and proven buy and build strategy.

“We look forward to actively supporting the management and employees of Acre as a stable owner by investing in the growth and development of the company,” said Peder Prahl, director of the general partner for the Triton funds. “Our industry expertise and international network will further strengthen Acre’s position as a leading global provider of intelligent electronic security solutions.”

Grillo said as ACRE reaches its next stage of growth, hitting new milestones, welcoming Triton as that partner to help expand the company’s presence and capabilities organically and new acquisitions.

“This partnership will allow us to continue to invest in innovation and bring our market-leading solutions to customers,” Grillo said.

“ACRE operates in the structurally growing, fragmented and resilient electronic security market, with an attractive product portfolio and strong market position in the geographies it operates in,” said Sachin Jivanji, Investment Advisory Professional and advisor to the Triton Funds. “We look forward to partnering with Joe and the team as ACRE embarks on the next phase of its journey.”

325 employees in 25 countries
Since its formation in 2012, ACRE has played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of security technology initiatives on a global scale. Its’ Vanderbilt, RS2, Open Options, Comnet, and Razberi brands deliver advanced solutions to thousands of customers around the world. Today, Acre employs approximately 325 employees in more than 25 countries.

Triton – a €18 ($21.48 billion) billion business
Triton and its executives wish to be agents of positive change towards sustainable operational improvements and growth. The 45 companies currently in Triton’s portfolio have combined sales of around €18, 2 billion and around 100,800 employees.

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Hanwha QNO-7012R

    Hanwha QNO-7012R

    The Q Series cameras are equipped with an Open Platform chipset for easy and seamless integration with third-party systems and solutions, and analog video output (CVBS) support for easy camera positioning during installation. A suite of on-board intelligent video analytics covers tampering, directional/virtual line detection, defocus detection, enter/exit, and motion detection.