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Grasshopper Lawns acquired by HCI Equity Partners

Grasshopper Lawns (the “Company”), a lawn care services company headquartered in Larksville, Pennsylvania, has been acquired by HCI Equity Partners.  HCI is a lower middle market private equity firm focused on partnering with family and founder owned companies.  The transaction closed on June 30, 2023.

Grasshopper is a fourth-generation, family-owned provider of lawn care treatment services to residential customers across Eastern Pennsylvania.  The Company has built a strong reputation for delivering a wide range of high-quality services, including lawn treatment and fertilization, aeration, mosquito and pest control and tree and shrub services.  The Company was founded in 1964.

“We are excited about this new chapter in the history of Grasshopper,” said Michael Kravitsky IV, Grasshopper’s owner and president.  “We’ve enjoyed our time getting to know the HCI team and firmly believe partnering with them will provide us with the resources and support needed to provide increased opportunities to our family of employees, accelerate our growth initiatives, expand our service offerings and ultimately deliver an even better experience to our valued customers.”

Michael Kravitsky IV will remain with Grasshopper in a consulting and board role, and the day-to-day operations will transition to Michael Kravitsky V, which continues a trend of family leadership that has spanned for decades.

“The investment thesis HCI has developed for the lawn care treatment market is highly favorable. It has a route-based, recurring service model with growing, resilient customer demand for services, in a large and very fragmented market, making it a strong candidate for aggressive M&A consolidation,” said HCI Principal Nate Novak.  “We believe Grasshopper is an ideal starting point for us to build a leading player in the industry that offers best-in-class service to customers.”

LR Tullius represented and acted as exclusive financial advisor to Grasshopper Lawns on the transaction.         

Testimonials

  • LR Tullius was invaluable in making the process go so smoothly from start to finish.  We wanted our employees and family members to continue to have a career at our 59 year old company.  LR Tullius knew the best companies that would be a fit for our culture and provide the most value for us.  I don’t feel we would have made the decision to move on to the next chapter in our lives if LR Tullius was not involved in the process.

    Michael Kravitsky IV Former Owner, Grasshopper Lawns
  • LR Tullius as our advisor and facilitator through the entire process was exceptional.  The process was seamless and incredibly smooth from start to finish.

    Tony Bowers Principal, PestNow
  • Lance Tullius and I first connected in 2004. Over the years, we communicated on a regular basis exchanging thoughts and ideas within the pest control industry. When the time came to sell our family business, it only made sense to engage LR Tullius in that endeavor. They were extremely professional and guided us through a challenging process to get us the best outcome possible.

    Bert Snyder Former Owner, Palmetto Exterminators
  • Selling our family business while celebrating its 68th year was one of the most momentous times in our family’s life. The high point was my complete trust and confidence in LR Tullius. They represented our company in an extremely professional manner. Their industry knowledge was key as well as their strong sense of integrity, respect, and resourcefulness.

    Carolyn Richardson Former President, Peninsular Pest Control Service
  • When I decided it was time to sell our business, I reached out to Lance Tullius.  His non-pressure “let me know when you’re ready” attitude went a long way.  My business was my family and my baby.  LR Tullius handled the transaction from start to finish.  They aligned us with the right fit in terms of the buyer, and were mindful that my associates well being was a top priority with me.  LR Tullius made a heart wrenching process smooth, they were supportive and really on my team.  I would without hesitation recommend them.  If you are thinking about selling, it’s worth a call, even if today is not the right time, that day will come and you will want to have a trusted contact.

    Kevin Etheridge Former Owner, Contractors Termite & Pest Control
  • “Having worked with other advisors in the pest control industry, I can say that LR Tullius is the best in the business.  Their dedication to clients is unmatched, and their ability to achieve superior outcomes in any environment sets them apart from others in the industry.  We are delighted that we chose them, and any pest control firm will be fortunate to work with them.”

    Jason Meyer Former Investor, Hawx Services, LLC
  • “Beyond achieving a terrific economic outcome for EPS, I appreciated the sensitivity of LR Tullius to find the best partner for our management and employees. LR Tullius possesses industry knowledge and credibility that is second to none, and we could not be more pleased.”

    Ken Hooten Partner, Concentric Equity Partners
  • "LR Tullius fully understood what was important to each of our principals and executed a deal that addressed each of our needs and overall exceeded expectations. Knowing the firm’s reputation and historical success made it easy to put 100% trust in LR Tullius and their process. The true value of their team was the sophisticated navigation in communications, people, tasks, and strategy. Their assessments were always honest and their recommendations on-point.”

    Mary Vongas Former President, ChemTec Pest Control
  • “I have always been impressed with Lance’s ability to listen to our goals, objectives, and concerns. He really took the time to understand our operation and what was important to me and my two brothers. Once the buyer was identified, Lance did an excellent job negotiating the deal. He is a highly skilled negotiator with a fantastic business sense. I strongly recommend LR Tullius if you are looking to sell your business. Knowing what I know now, I would never go it alone. It pays to have a true professional like Lance on your team.”

    Jim Clark Jr. Former Owner, Clark Pest Control
  • "In all the decisions I have had to make in my lifetime as a family business owner and partner, the most crucial one I truly believe was selecting LR Tullius as the advisor to sell our business.  LR Tullius had been our go to person for valuations for many years.  The firm also handled the sale of Copesan in 2018, of which I was a board member.  We were well served.  If and when you make the decision to sell your business, I would give LR Tullius my strongest professional recommendation."

    J. Bryan Cooksey Former CEO, McCall Service
  • "The Concentric team is very pleased to have selected LR Tullius to represent the owners in the sale of Environmental Pest Service. LR Tullius’s knowledge of industry practices and key leaders is comprehensive and the firm acts with high integrity in all aspects of a transaction."

    Rob Swartz Operating Partner, Concentric Equity Partners
  • "After meeting Lance several years ago, he has always portrayed a sense of calm and interjected valuable insights into what was needed to build value into a growing company. It was quite clear after doing some research that this type of transaction requires a strong understanding and sophisticated attention to detail. LR Tullius was able to execute flawlessly.”

    Bruce Head Former President, Pioneer Pest Management
  • “LR Tullius helped us navigate the many phases of the process, including the LOI, due diligence, and closing. When there were hurdles, the LR Tullius team cleared the path. Once we entered due diligence, the importance of having LR Tullius by our side became abundantly clear. I know for a fact that we would not have ended up where we did without LR Tullius. They continue to check in with us following the deal to make sure it was everything we wanted it to be and that all parties are staying true to their word.”

    Phil Cooper Former Owner, Cooper Pest Solutions
  • “LR Tullius’ support through the entire process was huge and proved invaluable to our transaction. They were very straightforward regarding expectations and then delivered on those expectations.”

    Robert Baker President, Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Inc.
  • “Thank you for helping us make one of the most important decisions in our lives. We appreciate your wisdom and guidance. We are eternally grateful.”

    Dayton & Sheila Hylton Former Owners, Dayton's Pest Control
  • "In LR Tullius, I felt very comfortable that I was working with the best resource in the industry. They had a grasp of all the angles and were wickedly smart in strategizing and negotiating my transaction.”

    Chris McCloud Former President, McCloud Services
  • “It would have been impossible for us to have completed the sale of our business without the assistance of LR Tullius.”

    Donnie Blake Former President, OPC Services
  • “Selling your business can be life changing and overwhelming. LR Tullius has the experience to navigate the process, make the right connections, and offer sound advice to bring about the best solution for you and your family.”

    Chuck Tindol Former Shareholder, Allgood Pest Solutions
  • “It’s been almost five years since I sold my business and as I reflect on that decision I continue to be impressed with the process, consideration and care Lance Tullius took in helping me. I don’t have any regrets because Lance helped me consider everything from the valuation, the impact on my employees and the transition. I talk to peers in the industry today and Lance Tullius continues to be the leader in the M&A space because of his reputation and professionalism and proven track record.”

    Brent Boles Former President, Schendel Pest Services
  • “Tullius provided excellent representation throughout the process of selling our company. We cannot imagine having gone through this process without them.”

    Grant Capelouto Former Principal, Capelouto Termite & Pest Control
  • “To be honest with you, I did not envision the results could be as good as they were.  But to your credit, everything you told us we could achieve with your help was realized and more…Beyond the obvious positives to the transaction (i.e. price, terms, employee opportunities), I want to comment on a subtler and less expected benefit that you and your team delivered.  And I speak from the context of valuing closely held businesses for years before entering the pest management industry and having made several acquisitions myself in the past.  The support, guidance, and attention to detail that Tullius provided throughout the process, specifically relating to the preparation phase, preparing a credible presentation deck, and conscientiously facilitating the due diligence process, was simply not a consideration when retaining you.  The resources your team put forth in organizing this transaction went beyond the call and exceeded our expectations.  Now with the benefit of hindsight, these attributes that you provided us were huge in closing this transaction, and in a manner that was not disruptive to our business.”

    Mark O’Hara Former President, Anderson Pest Solutions
  • “I chose Lance Tullius to help advise me on the sale of my company.  I had developed a long term relationship with Lance and we had discussed a potential sale for some years.  When I was ready to move forward we had a strong relationship and there was no question in my mind that Lance was the right person to partner with.  Lance knows the pest control industry and has incredible experience getting deals done. I’m very happy with the outcome.  I feel like the entire process was handled highly professionally and Lance got me the outcome that I requested.  Trust me when I say that selling your business is a stressful thing.  Having a professional like Lance in your corner was essential.”

    Matt Nixon Former President, American Pest
  • “Lance Tullius and his firm’s involvement on our behalf was truly exceptional. Our family is in a better place now as a result of their work.”

    Jimmy Allgood Former Principal, Allgood Services of Georgia
  • “Lance Tullius’ knowledge of the past, current and future market conditions demonstrated to us that he was the professional that we needed to maximize the value of our business.”

    Kevin & Mary Beth Kordek Former Principals, A-Active Termite & Pest Control Company
  • “We relied heavily on LR Tullius due to their extensive industry specific knowledge and overall investment banking expertise. Selling your family business is time consuming, complex and emotional. Tullius effectively guided us through the acquisition process resulting in both a great price and smooth transition of ownership, that will benefit our employees and clients for many years to come."

    JT Barnard Former Principal, Anderson Pest Solutions
  • "Tullius employs a very specific and detailed system to position a company properly for sale.  The exhaustive time, effort and careful approach to detail would prove to be extremely valuable and help us to secure the best possible value for our business."

    Chuck Russell President, Eradico Services, Inc.
  • “Because of the trust I have in Lance Tullius, the decision to partner with his firm to assist in selling Action Pest Control was an easy one for me.”

    Kevin Pass Former President, Action Pest Control, Inc.
  • "Tullius did an excellent job facilitating all aspects of our transaction. It has been two years since our deal was completed and I’m very happy with the decision we made, and the role Tullius played in the process and outcome. They are the best of the best!"

    Garry Tank Former President, Buffalo Exterminating
  • “Selling your business is complex and comprehensive.  Lance Tullius and his team paved the road for what became a very successful transaction.  They guided us through every step with candid and sound counsel.  I’m happy to say that in addition to having become a trusted confidante of mine, I’m happy to call Lance a friend as well.”

    Stuart Aust President, Bug Doctor, Inc.
  • “Especially in today’s market, selling your business can be a life changing event.  Choosing a winning team to represent your company in this important event is key to receiving the best possible outcome.  Lance and his team far exceeded my expectations by achieving a multiple that was 25% higher than my best expectation.  It was a pleasure to work with Lance’s high performance and attentive team throughout the entire process. I cannot recommend Tullius more highly.”

    Michael Botha Former President, Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions.

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