Blackford Capital Acquires Industrial Electronic Systems, Inc., Marking the Second Add-on Acquisition for its Safety and Fire Solutions Platform

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackford Capital (Blackford), a leading lower middle market private equity firm, today announced the acquisition of Industrial Electronic Systems, Inc. (IES), a top provider of fire alarm, security, and life safety solutions serving commercial, institutional, and government customers across the Western United States. IES is the second add-on acquisition for Blackford Capital's Security Fire Solutions Platform which was established with the acquisition of Security Fire Systems (SFS) in December 2024. Lakeview Security, Fire & Communication (Lakeview) joined the platform in September 2025 as its first add-on acquisition. Dan Stachel, CEO of SFS, will lead the platform, which will operate under the SFS brand.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, IES is a leading engineered fire alarm and low-voltage systems integrator, designing, and installing life safety and building technology networks.

"IES is another fine example of our disciplined buy-and-build strategy in action," said Martin Stein, founder and managing director of Blackford Capital. "We seek exceptional founder-led businesses and help them grow by preserving the strengths that made them successful while providing the resources, operational expertise to reliably and predictably scale."

"IES has always been built around technical excellence, long-term customer relationships, and a commitment to delivering complex life safety systems the right way," said IES founder and president Lutfi Abed. "Blackford's platform offers an opportunity to accelerate our growth, and we are excited about the opportunities it presents for our employees and customers."

Dan Stachel added, "Great companies are built by exceptional people and today marks an important milestone in our journey. We are thrilled to welcome the IES team to SFS, a combination that offers complementary strengths, shared values, and a commitment to excellence."

About IES
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, IES is leading engineered fire alarm and low-voltage systems integrator serving healthcare, aviation, education, commercial, and public-sector clients throughout Northern California. The company specializes in the design, engineering, installation, inspection, monitoring, and maintenance of complex life safety and mission-critical systems, including fire alarm, voice evacuation, public address, access control, and video surveillance solutions.

About Blackford Capital
Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 2010 by Martin Stein, the firm focuses on majority-control investments in lower-middle-market manufacturing, industrial, distribution, and service companies with revenues typically between $20 million and $200 million. For more information, visit www.blackfordcapital.com.

Media Contacts:
Matt Jackson
Jackson Consulting
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Gabrielle Snider
Blackford Capital
[email protected]

SOURCE Blackford Capital