CertaSite announced today that it has acquired Great Lakes Fire & Safety Equipment, a family-owned business in Alpena, Mich. This is CertaSite’s sixth acquisition in Michigan and expands CertaSite’s service territory into the Upper Peninsula. 

CertaSite is a commercial fire protection and life safety company that provides solutions to managing fire protection and life safety systems in commercial buildings.

CertaSite is led by CEO Jeff Wyatt, who has more than 30 years of experience in the fire protection and life safety industry. He most recently served as president of Koorsen Fire & Security, one of the largest privately owned life safety companies in the industry. He started his career in the profession as an installation technician and is a veteran of the United States Navy. Wyatt was recruited to lead CertaSite by The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm that is CertaSite’s primary investor.

For more than 30 years, Great Lakes Fire & Safety Equipment has offered their customers a variety of services and products, including fire extinguishers, restaurant hood systems, fire alarms, emergency lights, first aid and related safety products, and fire department gear. Great Lakes Fire & Safety Equipment’s reputation in the region will allow the company to grow its customer base and expand into new markets under CertaSite.

“CertaSite is a company that we trust because they share our values and code of ethics for saving lives and protecting property,” said Tammy Buvia of Great Lakes Fire & Safety Equipment. “We are proud of the team we built, and the reputation we earned over the last 30 years. We fully believe that under CertaSite, our customers will continue to experience excellent customer service and will benefit from advancements like online customer portals, inspection management and reporting, expanded service areas, life safety maintenance programs, and multi-location support with a certified expanded life safety technician workforce.”

All of Great Lakes Fire & Safety Equipment’s nine employees are joining CertaSite. The company will immediately assume the CertaSite brand.

“We are grateful to Mick and Tammy and the Great Lakes family for their continued partnership throughout this process,” said Jeff Wyatt, CEO of CertaSite. “We are committed to preserving the legacy that these dedicated professionals built, and we recognize and respect their strong local presence. Our team will provide our new employees with development and career advancement, and expanded services and support to customers. We are thrilled to be expanding our unique brand of customer service, and look forward to serving this new market.”

CertaSite already has acquired 11 fire protection and life safety companies, and is actively engaged in bringing new businesses under the CertaSite umbrella.