Consolidating the security and fire safety market with Fortus

Founder-led distributor of security and fire products Fortus joins the P Capital Partners portfolio, supporting the next phase of its growth across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Founded by Brian Honan in 2017, Fortus has grown into a leading distributor of security and fire protection solutions, serving more than 5,000 SME installers and system integrators. Today it is the No. 1 player in Ireland and No. 3 in the UK, with a branch network spanning three countries.

Fortus sits at a critical point in the value chain. For the manufacturers whose solutions it carries - across CCTV, access control, fire safety, intruder, and gate automation - it offers an efficient route to a large and fragmented customer base. For the installers it serves, it is a one-stop shop combining broad solution availability, deep local stock, in-house technical support, and trade credit. It is this value-add model, rather than price alone, that has allowed Fortus to build lasting customer relationships and a defensible market position.

The business has scaled through a disciplined combination of organic growth and acquisition, completing 10+ acquisitions since 2017 and growing revenue more than tenfold. Alongside its core distribution business, Fortus has also built a growing security monitoring offering through the RE:SURE brand.

With our financing, Fortus refinances its existing facilities and gains an acquisition facility to fund its continued buy-and-build strategy - supporting the team as they consolidate a fragmented market and deepen their position in segments such as fire safety. The financing has funded two acquisitions completed alongside the partnership. Fortus has acquired Acorn Fire & Security, a long-established fire and security distributor serving customers across more than 100 countries, with strength in fire detection, marine and offshore, and special-hazards systems and Acorn will be complimented shortly with a second acquisition. Both acquisitions will deepen Fortus's position in fire safety which is a priority growth segment.

"We back founders with conviction and a clear plan. Brian, Mark and the Fortus team have combined close customer relationships with a disciplined growth strategy to build a market leader, and we're proud to support the next chapter" says Petter Björklén, Managing Director at P Capital Partners.

“P Capital Partners were the perfect fit for us, they’re ambition matches ours. We can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.” Says Brian Honan, Chief Executive Officer, Fortus.

The security sector has grown steadily and proven resilient through downturns, underpinned by the mission-critical nature of the products it supplies and favourable regulatory tailwinds. As the industry evolves with software, cloud and AI, the physical layer remains essential - and distributors like Fortus remain the link that gets it specified, supported and installed.

To learn more about the partnership, contact Petter Björklén, pb@pcapital.se or Philipp Probst phpr@pcapital.se