Leo Expands National Reach with Bevara and Blackfin Merger

PEWAUKEE, WI – February 19, 2026 – In a significant move set to reshape the competitive landscape of facilities management, Leo, a network of expert service providers, has announced major investments in Bevara Building Services and Blackfin. The partnership effectively merges the two leading providers of on-site building engineers into Leo’s expanding national platform, immediately integrating a combined force of nearly 300 skilled field professionals.

This strategic consolidation underscores Leo’s aggressive growth strategy and its ambition to build a dominant, single-source facilities service business across North America. By bringing Pewaukee-based Bevara and Kansas City-based Blackfin into its fold, Leo not only broadens its geographic footprint but also significantly deepens its technical expertise in the critical area of building engineering.

A Strategic Play for National Scale

Backed by the commercial and industrial field services holding company Orion Group, Leo is executing a deliberate “buy-and-build” strategy. This approach targets successful, founder-owned regional companies and provides them with the capital and resources needed for accelerated growth. The goal is to weave a network of specialized local experts into a cohesive national entity capable of competing with industry giants like ABM Industries and JLL.

This latest move is not an isolated event but part of a consistent pattern of acquisition and integration. It follows previous investments, such as the partnership with RSM Facility Solutions in July 2024, which marked Leo's tenth investment in the sector. This continued expansion is a direct response to a major trend in the facilities management industry: large, multi-site clients are increasingly seeking single-source providers who can deliver consistent, high-quality service across a diverse portfolio of properties. By consolidating specialized firms, Leo aims to offer the best of both worlds—the accountability and regional knowledge of a local partner combined with the scale, resources, and comprehensive capabilities of a national corporation.

“John and Cory have built outstanding organizations with strong cultures and deep technical credibility, and we’re excited to support them in their next chapter of growth,” said Cecil Moore, Leo CEO, in the official announcement. “Welcoming nearly 300 field professionals from Bevara and Blackfin further accelerates Leo’s expansion in enterprise service capabilities and enables us to be an even better partner to our customers.”

Bolstering Service with Specialized Expertise

The union of Bevara Building Services and Blackfin creates a powerhouse of on-site engineering talent. Bevara, founded in 1996, has built a reputation for its team of over 200 skilled engineers providing 24/7 support for facilities nationwide. Blackfin, established in 2006, brings its own team of over 80 expert engineers who specialize in serving commercial and industrial property managers. Both companies are known for their high standards of customer satisfaction and technical proficiency.

For clients, this merger translates into tangible benefits. The combined entity offers a significantly larger and more geographically dispersed team of engineers, ensuring faster response times and reliable local coverage across the United States. This enhanced capacity is crucial for property managers overseeing office buildings, retail centers, and industrial facilities who require immediate and expert technical support to maintain operations and protect asset value.

John Pauley, the former owner of Blackfin, highlighted this customer-centric advantage. “Our merger with Bevara and Leo offers clients the best of both worlds: a deeper bench of engineers for reliable local coverage across the U.S. and access to a much broader range of facility services,” he stated. This expansion moves Leo beyond basic maintenance, positioning it as a provider of complex, technical, and integrated facility solutions.

Riding the Wave of Industry Consolidation

The facilities management market, valued at over $1.6 trillion globally, is undergoing a period of intense consolidation. The sector has historically been highly fragmented, composed of thousands of small and mid-sized regional players. This fragmentation has made it a prime target for private equity firms like Orion Group, which see an opportunity to create value by rolling up strong local businesses into national platforms.

This trend is fueled by evolving customer demands. As businesses increasingly outsource non-core functions to cut costs and improve efficiency, they require facility partners who can manage everything from HVAC and electrical systems to landscaping and janitorial services across a national portfolio. Furthermore, the growing emphasis on sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance requires a level of sophistication and data analysis that larger, technologically advanced providers are better equipped to deliver.

Leo’s strategy directly taps into these market dynamics. By acquiring specialized technical expertise and expanding its geographic reach, the company is positioning itself to capture a larger share of the outsourced facilities management market, which accounts for over 70% of the industry's revenue. This move strengthens its ability to serve enterprise-level clients who demand integrated, data-driven, and sustainable facility solutions.

A 'People First' Approach to Integration

In an industry where service quality is directly tied to the skill and motivation of its workforce, successful integration is about more than just combining balance sheets. Leo's leadership has emphasized a “people first” philosophy as a cornerstone of its merger and acquisition strategy. The goal is to preserve the strong company cultures and employee-centric values that made companies like Bevara and Blackfin successful in the first place.

This cultural alignment was a key factor for the acquired companies. “The Leo team was very fair and equitable throughout the partnership process, always approaching discussions with consideration for all parties,” noted Cory Pederson, President of Bevara. “Leo’s mentality of putting people first gave us confidence that we were building a partnership in alignment with Bevara’s culture.”

By prioritizing talent retention and offering expanded career opportunities within the larger organization, Leo aims to avoid the disruption that often accompanies corporate mergers. This approach not only secures the technical expertise it has acquired but also ensures that clients continue to receive the high level of service they have come to expect. This focus on human capital is a critical differentiator in a competitive market, fostering a stable and expert workforce that is essential for long-term growth and customer loyalty.