ASHLAND, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KiddeFenwal, a world leader in designing and manufacturing industrial and commercial fire suppression systems and safety controls, has appointed Rekha Agrawal to serve as the firm’s CEO. The move further positions the company to achieve significant scale and expand its market share both domestically and overseas.
Ms. Agrawal brings to KiddeFenwal a wealth of experience in the fire suppression business and the industrial space at large. She has held leadership roles at Tyco and Johnson Controls, where she led both product and service businesses generating more than $1B in revenue, overseeing teams focused on engineering, supply chain, sales and product management, as well as M&A initiatives. She joins the company from Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and holds a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Waterloo and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Ms. Agrawal succeeds Rachid Quenniche who successfully guided KiddeFenwal through numerous evolutions, including its July 2024 acquisition by Pacific Avenue Capital Partners, a middle market-focused private equity firm specializing in carve-outs and complex situations.
“KiddeFenwal has enjoyed incredible momentum as it accelerates its growth trajectory and further enhances its value proposition to industrial, commercial and marine customers and OEM end users,” said James Oh, Partner at Pacific Avenue. “We are enormously grateful to Rachid for his steadfast leadership as we embark on this exciting new chapter and look forward to Rekha championing this next defining era of growth.”
“I am thrilled to be partnering with Pacific Avenue in returning to the Fire industry, and grateful for the opportunity to lead the team responsible for the KiddeFenwal brand, one I have long respected,” said Ms. Agrawal.
About KiddeFenwal
KiddeFenwal is the global market leader in designing and manufacturing innovative industrial and commercial fire suppression systems and safety controls with proprietary, fully certified offerings that save lives, protect property and minimize business interruption. The company’s Kidde Fire Systems and Kidde Fire Protection brands produce highly engineered fire suppression, detection and control systems for the industrial, commercial and marine end markets, while Fenwal Controls serves OEMs in diverse end markets with products for gas ignition, temperature control, and fire and overheat detection. KiddeFenwal is headquartered in Ashland, Massachusetts and has facilities in the U.S., United Kingdom and India. Learn more at www.kiddefenwal.com.
About Pacific Avenue Capital Partners
Pacific Avenue Capital Partners is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on corporate divestitures and other complex situations in the middle market. Pacific Avenue has extensive M&A and operations experience, allowing the firm to navigate complex transactions and unlock value through operational improvement, capital investment, and accelerated growth. The members of the Pacific Avenue team have closed over 105 transactions, including over 40 corporate divestitures, across a multitude of industries throughout their combined careers. Pacific Avenue takes a collaborative approach in partnering with strong management teams to drive lasting and strategic change while assisting businesses in reaching their full potential. Pacific Avenue has more than $1.8B Assets Under Management (AUM) as of June 30, 2024. For more information, please visit www.pacificavenuecapital.com.
