Riverarch Equity Partners is pleased to announce the formation of Fortress Pest Brands following Riverarch’s investments to support the merger of Senate Termite & Pest Control and The Neuse Termite and Pest Control.

Fortress, through its operating brands, provides residential and commercial pest prevention and control services in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Fortress is seeking to partner with other leading pest control brands throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.

As part of the formation of Fortress, Rob Weddle joined the platform as CEO. Rob was previously the CEO of Authority Brands, a successful former Riverarch investment. Rob led the evolution of Authority Brands into a leading multi-brand residential services franchisor and oversaw multiple organic growth initiatives and eleven brand acquisitions. Rob commented, “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Riverarch again and to partner with the Senate and Neuse teams to build Fortress into a leading pest control platform through greenfield openings, strategic M&A, and investments in company technology and infrastructure”.

Josh Stuart has also joined Fortress as CFO. Josh was previously the Director of Finance at DiversiTech Corporation where he built the company’s FP&A function and led finance transformation and integration efforts across multiple acquisitions.

Sam Bass, Director at Riverarch, commented, “The Senate and Neuse businesses have decades of commitment to best-in-class customer service which has positioned these brands as trusted leaders in their respective markets. We look forward to working with Rob, Josh, and the balance of the Fortress team to rapidly expand the platform while preserving the great legacy of these brands”.

The transactions for Riverarch were led by Andrew Wiechkoske, Managing Director; Sam Bass, Director; Peter Heerdt, Senior Associate; and Benjamin Solomich, Associate. Wiechkoske, Bass, and Heerdt will represent Riverarch on the Board of Directors. PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists advised Senate and Potomac Mergers & Acquisitions advised Neuse. Senior debt financing was provided by NXT Capital.

Riverarch Equity Partners is a middle market private equity firm that invests in market-leading companies where it can partner with management to support accelerated growth. Riverarch is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.