January 18, 2021 – Renovo Capital, LLC (“Renovo”) is pleased to announce the merger of its portfolio company Global HR Research (“GHRR”) with Employment Screening Services (“ESS”), a provider of background screening and drug testing solutions based in Birmingham, Alabama. This transaction represents Renovo’s 6th acquisition in the background screening space since 2017, and creates a combined platform with meaningful scale and unique capabilities in the industry.
GHRR and ESS are leading providers of employment screening services, including advanced data- and health-related services such as background checks, drug testing, driving record checks, employment and education verifications, electronic employee eligibility verifications, and various industry-specific compliance and screening solutions.
The combined company serves more than 5,000 clients and delivers industry-leading technology solutions across key sectors, including healthcare, transportation, energy, education, manufacturing, restaurant, and staffing. The merger accelerates a unified strategy of investing in differentiated technology and products to meet increasingly complex and regulated client needs. The combined company remains dedicated to providing the highest quality of service in the industry.
“This is an incredible opportunity to blend the unique strengths of both companies to increase value for our customers and continue to bring advanced products and technology to deserving clients,” said Brandon Phillips, founder and President of GHRR. “We believe GHRR’s investments in delivering industry-leading technology combined with the consistently award-winning customer service culture at both ESS and GHRR will resonate strongly with clients and prospects.”
Don Jungerman, Managing Partner of Renovo, commented, “We believe GHRR and ESS represent an ideal strategic fit, with complementary strengths and a shared emphasis on quality and customer service. With the addition of ESS’s capabilities and expertise, we look forward to accelerating GHRR’s revenue growth and product innovation.”
About Global HR Research
Global HR Research has earned the trust of Fortune’s Top 50, Forbes’ Largest Private Companies, and Inc’s Top 5000 companies across the U.S., by leveraging our proprietary employment screening platform and a team of expert consultants. That trust has been consistently recognized and awarded for over a decade by the industry’s most influential associations and news publications. Our advanced proprietary platform provides our customers with a set of employment screening, compliance, and risk management solutions, and a comprehensive set of tools that helps them make better hiring decisions faster.
About Employment Screening Services
Employment Screening Services (ESS) helps companies hire and retain safe and productive workforces by providing a broad range of background screening and drug-testing solutions—from standard criminal searches and drug testing to more sophisticated intelligence solutions that validate credentials, monitor ongoing compliance, and analyze social media activity. The company’s 26-year history and compliance focus have earned it a solid reputation for helping organizations implement, manage, and control effective background screening programs.
About Renovo
Renovo Capital is a Dallas, TX-based private equity investment firm that invests in lower middle market specialty manufacturing and business services companies. Since its founding in 2009, Renovo has expanded from three founding members to 15 operating and investing professionals, raised over $400 million in committed capital and completed over 25 transactions. The firm targets investments in complex situations, seeking to build strategically valuable business platforms.
For more information, please visit www.renovocapital.com.
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