NH Firm Buys Sewall Division
CAI Technologies (CAI), a municipal mapping and GIS services company located in Littleton, NH, has acquired the tax mapping, web hosting and specialty natural resource mapping divisions of the James W. Sewall Company (Sewall), located in Old Town, ME.
The two firms had worked together in the past and in the 4th quarter of 2013, Sewall partnered with CAI to provide map maintenance and municipal GIS related services to many of Sewall’s clients. This latest transaction finalizes a complete transition of those services and personnel and allows the two companies to better focus on their respective areas of expertise.
Business Transition Strategies (BTS), provided full transaction advisory services to CAI Technologies in seeking the acquisition and completing the transaction.
Under the terms of the formal engagement, advisor Mark Lagasse of BTS provided the following services:
- Generated target lists that met the geographic and operational requirements of the buyer
- Made contact with targets
- Performed financial and synergistic analysis of target operations
- Purchase price evaluation and input
- Assistance with financial due diligence and review
- Senior debt analysis and presentation along with Bill Bedor, the company’s Financial Advisor
- Closing resources
The Sewall transaction was a “carve out” of the GIS segment of the larger operation, with the current owners – private investment group Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Capital LLC - retaining the substantial engineering, forestry and planning portions of the company.
Originally founded in 1985, CAI has grown to serve nearly 400 local, regional and state governments throughout New England and New York. CAI and Sewall are both Silver Tier Esri Business Partners. Through its acquisition of the Sewall divisions, CAI will add significant municipal and county government clients. This strategic acquisition further cements CAI as the northeast’s leader in municipal mapping and GIS services, and also serves to expand CAI’s footprint well into southern states.
“We’re very excited about this acquisition, as well as the commitment that Sewall and CAI have made to provide complementary services in tandem going forward, with Sewall focusing on its engineering, survey, geospatial, utilities, and natural resources consulting work, and CAI on its mapping, GIS development and hosting services” said Franco Rossi, President of CAI. “We’re proud to partner with such an iconic brand in the municipal services space.”
George Campbell, Sewall’s President, remarked, “Given our long-term commitment to our valued clients and associates, we entered into this partnership knowing that both will become part of an industry-leading company focused on growth, as well as top quality, innovative services. We are confident that this transition will be a smooth one for Sewall’s mapping clients and the outstanding staff members that are moving to CAI with their projects. Through our ongoing partnership with CAI, both CAI and Sewall clients will have the opportunity to access a broader range of infrastructure and mapping services. We look forward to the next phase of our journey together.”
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