The Rise of Dark Stores – Share Your Experience with New Fulfillment Options

The recent article featured in Connex Weekly, “The Rise of Dark Stores,” reported, “More retailers are accommodating the shift of shopping from in-store to online by turning their physical locations into so-called “dark stores”-miniature warehouse-like spaces where online orders can be packed for pickup or delivery. Retail experts say this is just the start of a major trend.” The article described two different methods: 

– Dark Stores – only for Fulfillment 
– Semidark or Hybrid Approach – shoppers submit most of their order online but shoppers can still choose their own produce or deli items

Have you converted part or all of a store for fulfillment? What challenges have you found in this process? Share your experience on the Connex Community

National Dispatch Services is Now a Certified Woman-Owned Business

The owner and president of National Dispatch Services, Marissa Sidel, is proud to announce that the company has been officially certified as a Women Business Enterprise by WBE Canada.

 

“As a business leader, it’s important for me to own my place as an entrepreneur and to help other women become leaders as well. I have a deep belief that businesses have a duty to encourage and promote women, and by getting certified, we are staking our position as a proudly woman-owned-and-operated company,” Marissa Sidel said.

 

About National Dispatch Services
As Canada’s premier facilities maintenance company, National Dispatch Services covers retail, office, and general facilities maintenance in every city and town in Canada, coast-to-coast-to-coast. NDS offers one national rate per trade and never charges extra for overtime.

 

About WBE
WBE Canada (Women Business Enterprises Canada Council) is a Canadian non-profit organization whose mandate is to build connections between Canadian women-owned businesses and corporate/government buyers across North America.

BrandPoint Services Named an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company

BrandPoint Services, a leading provider of facility services and solutions to multi-site commercial clients across North America, proudly announces its inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

 

“Our tremendous growth has been the direct result of deepening our client relationships,” Steve Hearon, President of BrandPoint Services said. “Rather than simply being a supplier, we pride ourselves on being a true business partner for our clients.”

 

Prior to 2019 BrandPoint Services were separated into three main divisions: Maintenance, Refresh and Remodel. Through a merger with Legacy Retail Services in April 2019 and recent diversification, BrandPoint has expanded its services to include Construction, digital signage installation and maintenance, as well as merchandising offerings.

 

“The BrandPoint team really came together and rallied around our core values and commitment to customer satisfaction,” commented Mike Hersh, CEO of BrandPoint Services. “It’s because of our employees and our great vendor network that we can deliver a great experience and high-quality work for our clients,”
BrandPoint provides custom facility solutions, acting as an extension of our clients, bringing consistency and a high-level of quality to brands that span North America. Learn more at www.brandpointservices.com.

 

About Inc. Media
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

 

About Brand Point Services
BrandPoint Services provides Facility Maintenance & Repair, Refresh & Remodeling Project and Construction Services across the US and Canada. BrandPoint works with over a third of the Top 100 National Retailers, as well as restaurant, healthcare and banking brands to improve their spaces and experiences. Its vast vendor network allows BrandPoint to get qualified trades out to client locations across North America to address their facility needs and deliver solutions quickly.

For Third Year, Branded Group Appears on Inc. 5000

Inc. magazine revealed that Branded Group is No. 1054 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. 

 

“Branded Group is honored to be named to the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies,” Michael Kurland, Branded Group CEO, said. “We are grateful to our valued team, loyal customers, and long-standing vendor partners, all of whom have made possible our inclusion on this esteemed list.”  

Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.   

 

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are also being featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 12. 

 

“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism.” 

 

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring the companies on the list will be held virtually from October 23 to 27, 2020. As always, speakers will include some of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our generation. 

 

About Branded Group 

Branded Group is an award-winning facility maintenance and construction management company servicing multi-site commercial properties. Through its “Be Better” experience, Branded Group provides clients with peace of mind and preserves their brand standards. Services include on-demand facility maintenance, construction management, and special project implementation for retail locations, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions, among other industry verticals. With its One-for-One Program, each completed service call is transformed into volunteer time with local non-profit organizations. The company is a certified Great Place to Work and has ranked on the Inc. 5000 for two consecutive years. https://www.branded-group.com 

 

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 

 

Methodology 

The 2020 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2019. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2019 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. 

 

About Inc. Media 

The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/.  

 

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Protos Security Hires Nathaniel Shaw as Chief Executive Officer

Security Services Holdings, LLC (dba Protos Security), the leading tech-enabled security services company in North America, announced that it has hired Nathaniel Shaw as Chief Executive Officer.

 

Protos Security, a portfolio company of Southfield Capital, has more than doubled since Southfield’s investment in February 2019. The CEO addition reflects Southfield’s commitment to bringing talent and resources to build upon the success of Protos’ founders and management partners.

 

Andy Cook, Partner at Southfield Capital, stated, “Protos Security is an exciting investment for Southfield and we are enthusiastic to have Nat onboard to continue Protos’ strong growth trajectory. The team has developed a platform with a unique approach and technology in the security services industry and it is resonating with customers. With the founders moving into different roles within the organization, we are excited to bring in Nat Shaw as CEO to lead the company. His proven track record of building and growing service companies on a national scale is a great fit for Protos.”

 

Mr. Shaw said, “I’m excited to join the team at Protos Security as Chief Executive Officer. In partnering with Southfield, we are building the leading tech-enabled security services company in North America. Already the industry leader in grocery, drugstores, and other sectors, we will grow aggressively into additional sectors and end-markets, and pursue continued growth through accretive acquisitions. It’s my privilege to join the talented team at Protos and to partner with Southfield Capital.”

 

Prior to joining Protos Security, Nat served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Kellermeyer Bergensons Services, LLC, one of the fastest growing and largest privately held providers of facility services in North America. Mr. Shaw has over 25 years of experience in the facilities services industry, working in private equity backed and publicly traded companies, across various functions including executive management, growth, marketing, business development and entrepreneurship.

 

About Protos Security
Protos Security is a technology enabled security services company offering managed, monitored, and direct guard security program solutions for a wide spectrum of customers across North America. Protos Security prides itself on delivering a high touch service, actionable insights, transparency and program flexibility for its clients. For more information on customized solutions to protect your business, please visit www.protossecurity.com.

 

About Southfield Capital
Southfield Capital is a private equity firm that invests in exceptional, growing companies in the lower middle market outsourced business services sector. Southfield targets companies with $4 – $12 million in EBITDA and partners with owners and management teams that are enthusiastic about scaling their operations through a combination of organic and acquisition growth strategies. For more information on Southfield Capital, please visit www.southfieldcapital.com.

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AQUALIS Acquires Innovative Vacuum Services

AQUALIS, a portfolio company of DFW Capital Partners and the leading national provider in comprehensive water management services, today announced it has acquired the assets of Innovative Vacuum Services (Innovac), an experienced stormwater and emergency response organization offering vactor and jetting, CCTV inspections and commercial HVAC air duct cleaning.

 

The acquisition of Innovac strengthens AQUALIS’ strategy to provide comprehensive water management services nationwide, furthering its geographic support across the United States. AQUALIS currently services the entire continental United States and Puerto Rico. This acquirement deepens AQUALIS’ service delivery assets of vactor, jetting and CCTV inspections.

 

Richard Matero, CEO of AQUALIS, said, “This acquisition was an ideal fit for AQUALIS. Innovac is a steadfast and innovative organization providing focused services in the stormwater and construction industries. We have a strong presence in the Pacific Northwest, and the Innovac acquisition allows AQUALIS to further expand our services and capabilities in the market.”

 

“Through this acquisition, we are positioning Innovac on a broader growth path for years to come,” said Larry Prein, President of Innovac. “Innovac brings a deep level of operating expertise and a successful track record of customer satisfaction. AQUALIS is the ideal partner to enable us to best serve our customers and accelerate growth of the business.”

 

“We are excited about this acquisition for AQUALIS,” DeVer Warner of DFW Capital Partners stated. “Our growth over the last year has greatly deepened our reach and we remain focused on broadening AQUALIS’ services in critical watershed areas throughout the U.S.”

 

About AQUALIS

AQUALIS is a leading nationwide provider of commercial, retail, industrial and governmental post-construction stormwater management and lift station services through consulting, inspection, maintenance and repair. AQUALIS caters to national retailers, logistics providers, engineering firms, hospitals, military and industrial facilities, real estate management companies, distribution centers, national and multi-state organizations, individual and commercial property owners, airports and universities. For more information, visit www.aqualisco.com.

CoolSys Acquires Richmond Refrigeration Service

BREA, Calif., June 29, 2020 – CoolSys™, a parent of market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services companies nationwide, has acquired Richmond Refrigeration Service, an established commercial refrigeration and air conditioning business serving Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia.  This is the second acquisition made by CoolSys in the Mid-Atlantic region in the past seven months, and the second acquisition the company has made during the month of June as it continues its M&A growth strategy backed by its private equity investor, Ares Management.  

 

“The acquisition of Richmond Refrigeration complements our acquisition of BRR Refrigeration seven months ago, giving us coverage across the entire state of Virginia while strengthening our presence in Maryland, West Virginia and North Carolina as well,” comments Adam Coffey, CEO of CoolSys.  “The Richmond Refrigeration team has a long history and excellent reputation in their region and we are excited to welcome them into the CoolSys family. This is another key step in becoming a true national solutions provider.”  

 

Based in Ashland, Virginia, Richmond Refrigeration Services specializes in the service and installation of a wide range of supermarket refrigeration systems and applications.  Its convenience store division provides a full-service team of plumbers, electricians, food service technicians, HVAC/R technicians and maintenance personnel.  Both of its service divisions are highly ranked by their major customers who use scoring systems with top key performance indicators (KPIs) that rank them among the highest-performing contractors across the United States.  

 

“We know some of the folks at CoolSys and some of their recent acquisitions, and are very excited to join their growing team,” comments John Lollar, president of Richmond Refrigeration Service. “The combination of Richmond’s heritage and reputation with CoolSys’ broad spectrum of solutions will allow us to bring even greater value to our customers and growth opportunities for our employees.”

 

About CoolSys 

CoolSys is the market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services company, specializing in a full spectrum of best-in-class service experiences and solutions for customers in the retail, food service, commercial and industrial market segments. CoolSys and its operating businesses cover every stage of mission-critical systems from engineering and design, to installation, service and maintenance, and energy optimization. Headquartered in Southern California, CoolSys has more than 1,900 highly trained, field-based service and installation experts serving the daily needs of more than 4,000 customers across North America. For additional information, please visit www.coolsys.com.

 

About Richmond Refrigeration Service

Established in 1954, Richmond Refrigeration Service is one of Virginia’s oldest commercial refrigeration, air conditioning service, and installation companies.  The company provides routine service and maintenance, 24/7 emergency service, and installation work in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, bars, cafes, and distribution centers across the state of Virginia as well as parts of Maryland, North Carolina, and West Virginia. 

CoolSys Acquires Eastern Refrigeration

BREA, Calif., June 22, 2020 – CoolSys™, the parent of market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services companies nationwide, announced that it has acquired Eastern Refrigeration, a leading commercial refrigeration and HVAC solutions provider serving Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  With this acquisition, CoolSys further expands its growing market presence in the Northeast region and resumes its nationwide expansion in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with the backing of its private equity investor, Ares Management.  

 

“CoolSys is excited to relaunch our M&A growth strategy with the acquisition of Eastern Refrigeration.  This acquisition is another key step in fulfilling our vision of becoming a national service provider that offers a full-spectrum of best-in-class solutions for mission-critical refrigeration and HVAC systems in light commercial, commercial and industrial markets,” comments Adam Coffey, CEO of CoolSys. “This strategic acquisition strengthens our market position in the Northeast by providing density in some existing markets and opening up new states for CoolSys.”

 

Founded in 1975 by company president Pierre “Pete” Belisle, Eastern Refrigeration has expanded over the past four decades to install and service commercial refrigeration and HVAC equipment throughout its region. It specializes in all aspects of supermarket refrigeration, including direct expansion, carbon dioxide and glycol systems, as well as HVAC.  Eastern’s comprehensive installation capabilities range from ground-up construction and remodels to control systems and energy management systems.   

 

“We are very excited to become the newest members of the CoolSys family,” comments Stan Shumbo, Vice President of Eastern Refrigeration.  “The employee-focused culture of CoolSys is a great fit for the Eastern team, and we look forward to providing our customers with expanded solutions to help them manage their businesses even better.”

 

About CoolSys 

CoolSys is the market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services company, specializing in a full spectrum of best-in-class service experiences and solutions for customers in the retail, food service, commercial and industrial market segments. CoolSys and its operating businesses cover every stage of mission-critical systems from engineering and design, to installation, service and maintenance, and energy optimization. Headquartered in Southern California, CoolSys has more than 1,900 highly trained, field-based service and installation experts serving the daily needs of more than 4,000 customers across North America. For additional information, please visit www.coolsys.com.

 

About Eastern Refrigeration

Based in Colchester, Connecticut, Eastern Refrigeration provides commercial refrigeration services 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  Its technicians are trained in every aspect of commercial refrigeration and HVAC.  They focus on addressing sales, service and installation needs as efficiently as possible while identifying measures that can be taken to prevent future maintenance issues.   Eastern Refrigeration serves customers ranging from local markets to big box stores, including Sam’s Club, Costco, Walmart and Whole Foods among many others.

Life Safety Engineered Systems, Inc. Welcomes Three New Team Members

Life Safety is pleased to announce the addition of three industry veterans to our Business Development team.

ED ROSENBAUM joins Life Safety as Director, Business Development. Ed successfully served the facilities maintenance industry for over twenty years. He is a past Board member of Connex (formerly PRSM). The following words were used to describe Ed at a recent national conference: Industry knowledgeable, Experienced, Passionate. Ed Knows how to “walk the walk and talk the talk.” He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and formerly served as an officer in the Air Force.

MATTHEW STRUSIENSKI, an experienced facility safety professional, joins Life Safety as Business Development Executive. Matthew most recently worked in a National Business Development role with DiVal Safety, where he focused on facility compliance services, inspections, and products for industrial manufacturing and other types of facilities. He also has previous experience in retail and facility management. Matthew was born and raised in Western New York where he still resides and is a proud alumnus of St. Bonaventure University.


MARK COLELLO joins Life Safety as Business Development Executive. His professional career has been highlighted with successes in sales, sales management, and executive management. After earning a B.S. in Business from the University at Buffalo with honors, he went to work for Dial Corporation. After 14 successful years, Mark moved on to roles at fire safety consumer product companies First Alert/BRK Brands and Innovalarm. Leveraging his fire safety expertise, Mark then opened his own company, Naperville Fire Safety.


Life Safety Engineered Systems, Inc. is a national fire & life safety company, serving multi-site clients in retail, restaurant, and healthcare markets. Their industry exclusive ONE Plan is an all-inclusive maintenance program, simplifying operations while providing their clients with peace of mind.

Harrison Contracting Company Celebrates 25 Years, Launches New Website

Harrison Contracting Company, LLC celebrates 25 years in business and launches an updated company website dedicated to sharing the company’s heart, expertise and philosophy.

In February 1995Deryl Harrison started Harrison Contracting Company with a very simple idea — doing what he said he would do! That principle has been the cornerstone of everything Harrison Contracting Company (HCC) stands for. In fact, it’s the basis of its “Measures of Success”, reputation, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction, teamwork, achieving goals, quality growth and profitability.

“Reputation is at the top of that list for a reason,” current President and third-generation painter Bill Harrison said. “It’s real simple; we get up every day and focus on doing what we say we’ll do for our customers. There’s nothing fancy about that, but our customers rely on us to deliver. We’re very intentional about how we represent ourselves. My dad would always say, ‘We may be a bunch of painters, but we don’t have to look like it.'”

As a commercial painting contractor, HCC’s business is divided into new construction painting, repainting and reimage and facility maintenance. From a new construction perspective, the company is focused on the southeastern U.S. Repainting is a significant part of the company’s portfolio and includes both localized direct-to-owner projects and national painting programs with retailers including, The Home Depot, Walmart, Sam’s, Kohl’s, Advance Auto Parts, Publix, Lowe’s, Auto Zone, O’Reilly Auto Parts and more.

Lastly, HCC has a facility maintenance division that is solely dedicated to supporting the reactive maintenance needs of firms with multiple sites nationwide.

Within the industry, HCC is known for the color red. Its vehicles and equipment are bright red, clothing is bright red, even its parking lot is striped bright red at their corporate offices in Villa Rica, Ga. But more than just the color, HCC is relentless about presenting a clean, professional image in a trade where the perception can be the exact opposite.

Crews are required to show up to job sites with clean red HCC shirts, white painters pants, work boots and proper PPE for the day. Additionally, all HCC equipment is red and cleaned weekly to ensure a professional appearance. This is how the company distinguishes itself. For HCC, red is more than just the company color — it’s the company culture. At HCC, “RED” stands for Reliable, Experienced and Diligent, and it permeates every aspect of the company.

As part of the company’s 25th-year celebration, HCC has updated its corporate website (www.harrisoncontracting.com) to reflect its capability and intentionality. The new website emphasizes RED, includes a short video that speaks to HCC’s past 25 years, features information about company history, services, logistics to work as a national provider, details about its work and information about its close ties to auto racing.

For 25 years, HCC has focused on building lasting relationships by relentlessly delivering value. In many cases, this leads to a more consultative relationship, where customers see HCC as more than just their painter, but as their partner!

About HCC

Harrison Contracting Company (HCC) is a commercial painting and facility maintenance contracting company headquartered just outside of Atlanta. HCC provides repainting and reimaging, as well as facility maintenance services nationwide, and new construction painting across the southeastern U.S. At HCC, red is more than the company color — its the company culture. RED stands for Reliable, Experienced and Diligent. We are more than just your painter, we are your partner.

Media Contact:

Farra Lanzer

240570@email4pr.com 

970-541-3284

SOURCE Harrison Contracting Company

Related Links

https://www.harrisoncontracting.com