Dallas and Cleveland, December 3, 2025 | Align Collaborate is pleased to announce it has completed an equity co-investment with Right Angle Partners (“RAP”) in Fire Protection Team (“FPT” or the “Company”). FPT has been a family-owned and operated fire and life safety business for over thirty years. The Company will continue under the leadership of second-generation owner Ned Nichols and remain committed to serving as an acquisition partner for family-owned businesses that want to preserve their legacy while accessing growth capital.
Headquartered in Cheshire, Connecticut, FPT provides fire and life safety services to over 4,000 commercial and industrial customers across New England. The partnership with RAP is designed to support both organic growth and strategic acquisitions throughout the Northeast, with FPT well positioned as a buyer of choice for family-owned businesses that may be uncomfortable with other consolidation approaches.
Preserving What Family Owners Built
“For years, I’ve watched good family businesses in our industry get approached by large consolidators,” said Ned Nichols, CEO of Fire Protection Team. “Those owners worked their entire lives to build something special — a reputation, a team, relationships with customers — and too often they’re choosing between options that don’t respect what they’ve created. We’re striving to build the alternative I always wished existed. Our family-owned heritage makes partnering with FPT a natural choice for businesses that value tradition and trust.”
FPT has successfully acquired and integrated six family-owned fire and life safety companies in the region, with a track record of retaining management teams, preserving company cultures and maintaining customer relationships.
The Right Partner Makes All the Difference
“What drew us to Right Angle Partners wasn’t just capital — it was their philosophy,” said Ned Nichols. “Mohammad and Isaac understand that family businesses aren’t just financial assets. They’re legacies. Our partnership gives us the resources to expand while staying true to our roots as a family business that values employees, serves customers with integrity and respects the entrepreneurs who built this industry.”
Mohammad Imran, Managing Partner at Right Angle Partners, stated, “Ned has built a company with strong values and deep customer relationships, and he’s committed to offering other family owners a true alternative — the ability to sell to a partner that will honor their legacy, employees, and customers with the same care they always have.”
Isaac Apea, Managing Partner at Right Angle Partners, added, “Ned receives calls every week from interested strategic and financial buyers. None of them felt right to him, so he decided to build his own solution with RAP. Together, we found common ground as a growth investor that supports the Company’s family-owned culture while positioning the business for continued growth.”
Supporting Differentiated Platforms
Grant Kornman, Partner at Align Collaborate, stated, “This is exactly the type of partnership we look for. Right Angle Partners and Ned identified a real gap in the market — family business owners who want a different path forward. FPT isn’t just another platform; it’s a differentiated buyer in a crowded market, and we’re excited to support their growth across the Northeast.”
Michael Kornman, Partner at Align Collaborate, added, “The fire and life safety industry has seen tremendous consolidation and many owners aren’t sure who they can trust with their life’s work. We believe FPT has earned a reputation for integrity over three decades, and now has the resources to back it up.”
Vice President Bob Grebenc and Senior Associate Scott Weiss rounded out the investment team for Align Collaborate.
Active Acquisition Strategy — A Different Kind of Buyer
FPT is actively seeking to acquire fire and life safety companies with strategic and cultural alignment in the Northeast and neighboring regions. The Company is particularly focused on businesses looking for a succession solution that preserves their values, retains their employees and maintains their customer relationships. FPT strives to offer technical service excellence, employee training, and advancement programs and operational stability — without the disruption often associated with corporate consolidations.
About Fire Protection Team
Founded in 1992, FPT provides comprehensive fire protection inspection, testing, maintenance, 24/7 emergency response and installation services to commercial and institutional clients across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New York. The Company is operated by a second-generation leader with a reputation built on technical excellence, reliability and a deep commitment to life safety. For more information, visit www.fpteam.com.
About Right Angle Partners
Right Angle Partners is a thematic investment firm focused on partnering with founder-led and family-owned technology and services companies across the United States. Based in New York, RAP provides strategic capital and operational expertise to companies looking to scale while preserving their legacy. The firm’s investment philosophy is rooted in transparency, flexibility, and authentic partnership — working closely with owners and management teams to build alignment around a shared long-term vision. For more information, visit rightanglepartners.com.
About Align Collaborate
Align Collaborate is an equity investor that exclusively invests in independent sponsor-led transactions, or alongside lower-middle market sponsors closing a transaction pre-fund or while between funds. The team’s strategy is purpose-built to support the unique needs of investors that capitalize their investments on a deal-by-deal basis by moving quickly and providing value beyond capital. Align Collaborate is an affiliate of Align Capital Partners (“ACP”). ACP is a lower-middle market private equity firm, and, together with Align Collaborate, manages $1.8 billion in committed capital with investment teams in Cleveland and Dallas. For more information, visit aligncollaborate.com.
Disclosures: This press release is not an offer to sell securities or interests in any fund managed by Align Collaborate or ACP.