Altus Fire & Life Safety, a full-service fire/life-safety platform, has acquired BK Systems, a provider of installation, monitoring and repair services for fire alarm, fire suppression and security systems across New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. 

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BK Systems Founder Karl Klardie and his daughter, Beth Mortell, will maintain a minority stake in the company. 

Established in May 2021, Brooklyn-based Altus is owned by AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services and specialty industrial markets. The platform currently consists of seven brands including Adcock, Alarm & Suppression, BK Systems, Croker, Cross-Fire & Security Co., FSI and NISCO. 

Based in Pembroke, N.H., BK Systems has been a family-owned and operated business serving commercial and industrial customers across the Northern New England region since 1988. As a Honeywell Premier NOTIFIER Engineered System Distributor, the company specializes in the installation, test & inspection, and service & maintenance of a range of fire alarm, suppression, security and access control systems. 

"Karl and his daughter Beth have built BK Systems into a leading player in the fire and safety market, and we are pleased to welcome them and the entire team to Altus," commented John Adams, Altus CEO. "Adding another Premier NOTIFIER ESD to the platform will be a competitive advantage as we look to secure large, significant projects in the Northeast." 

Altus has partnered with key industry executives, including Board Chair Kelly Romano, an AEI operating partner with deep sector experience in fire and security and commercial building industries including over 30 years at United Technologies Corporation (UTC), and Board Member Ed Cettina, a senior construction management executive previously working with AECOM and Tishman Construction.