Better Protection, a full-service fire protection company, has acquired Dallas-based DFS Fire Systems. 

DFS is a leading provider of fire protection services in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and throughout Texas. This highly accretive partnership establishes a Better Protection platform to support its growing national reach, according to an announcement. 

DFS, expected to quickly grow throughout the Southwest, was founded in 2010 by Jeremy Davis. Davis will continue to lead the DFS team and will be an integral part of the Better Protection management team. 

“This partnership represents a significant step forward for both companies as we combine our strengths, resources, and expertise,” Davis stated. “By joining forces, we aim to create a more robust service-based entity that will deliver superior customer service while fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence.”

Better Protection is led by CEO Don Mershon, who has more than 35 years of fire protection and life safety industry experience. Mershon commented, “We are extremely excited to welcome DFS, our largest acquisition to date, into the Better Protection, Deliberately Better family of companies. DFS represents the rapid expansion of our model around the country. We believe that the DFS growth model and culture will lead to a dominant position in the Southwestern United States.”

Eric Davis, president of DFS, stated, “With DFS' innovative approach to the fire protection market, Better Protection’s deliberately better mission, and a robust team of highly trained and long-tenured executive leaders, Better Protection and its assets are poised for the future. Don and the Better Protection team share a vision of a recession-proof operation that provides top-tier services to its clients and life safety systems.”

With an investment by Abry Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, Better Protection was launched in 2022 as a new company formed by the combination of Chicago-based Assurant Fire Protection, Complete Fire Pump Service and Xtreme Fire Protection. Offering a full range of inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, retrofit, installation and design capabilities, the company has grown rapidly across the Chicagoland area, and servicing the Midwest and Southeast regions.