Knox Lane to Partner with Ruppert Landscape

Positions Ruppert Landscape for Continued Scale and Growth

SAN FRANCISCO and LAYTONSVILLE, Md., Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Knox Lane, a growth-oriented investment firm focused on partnering with businesses in the services and consumer sectors, today announced it has acquired a majority stake in Ruppert Landscape, Inc. ("Ruppert" or the "Company"), a leading provider of commercial landscape services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Ruppert is a family and employee-owned business and a leading provider of commercial landscaping services. The Company is known for its strong culture, dedication to people, and unmatched attention to the customer. Since its founding in 2004, the Company has grown to become a top-10 player in the industry through its dedication to exceptional professionalism and best-in-class operations. Ruppert currently serves over 3,500 customers throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern U.S., employing more than 1,800 professionals across 30 branch locations.

The partnership with Knox Lane will support the Ruppert team's long-term vision to continue growing the Company's footprint within current and adjacent markets, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Ruppert founder and CEO, Craig Ruppert, and the current management team will retain a significant investment in the business and continue to lead the Company. 

"We are incredibly proud of our team and the successful business we have established together over the past two decades," said Craig Ruppert and Phil Key, President of Ruppert Landscape. "Knox Lane's investment is a testament to the strength of our company, outstanding culture, and exceptional employees. We look forward to leveraging Knox Lane's extensive operational expertise and experience building and scaling high-quality businesses as we continue our focus on our team, customers, and innovation across all facets of the Company."

Shamik Patel, Partner at Knox Lane, and David Coghlan, Principal at Knox Lane, added, "The commercial landscape services market is large and growing, underpinned by resilient customer demand. At Knox Lane, we are dedicated to partnering with quality businesses and exceptional teams, and we look forward to working with Craig, Phil, and the Ruppert team to execute on a shared vision and capitalize on new opportunities together."

"We are thrilled to welcome Ruppert Landscape to the Knox Lane family," said John Bailey, Managing Partner at Knox Lane. "Ruppert's phenomenal, longstanding organic growth is a direct result of its best-in-class service, operational discipline, and strong culture. We are excited to partner with yet another exceptional founder-owned business and look forward to building on the strong foundation Craig, Phil, and the Ruppert team have created."

Robert W. Baird & Co. served as the exclusive financial advisor to Ruppert and Fox Rothschild LLP acted as legal counsel. Solomon Partners served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Knox Lane.

About Ruppert Landscape
Founded in 2004 by Craig Ruppert, Ruppert Landscape is a market-leading provider of commercial landscape services. With headquarters in Laytonsville, Maryland, Ruppert Landscape brings almost 50 years of industry expertise to their customers throughout the Eastern United States. Its reputation for commitment to employees, exceptional customer service and giving back to its community have supported Ruppert Landscape's unrivaled organic growth and built the Company into an industry leader. For more information, please visit www.ruppertlandscape.com

About Knox Lane
Based in San Francisco, Knox Lane is a growth-oriented investment firm comprised of a team of accomplished investors and operators with a shared work history and a strong track record of partnering with leading companies to accelerate transformational growth. Knox Lane employs an investor-operator mindset and seeks to provide support across a number of business components, including human capital, brand management, end-to-end digital transformation, sourcing, supply chain and logistics, strategic acquisitions and business development. For more information, please visit www.knoxlane.com

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SOURCE Knox Lane