ISR Solutions Acquires The COMM Group and Receives $11 Million in Funding Led by Carlyle Venture Partners and Fairfax Partners

Chantilly, VA - ISR Solutions, one of the nation’s leading independent electronic security systems integrators, announced today that it has acquired The COMM Group, a leading electronic systems integrator in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Terms were not disclosed. In conjunction with the acquisition, ISR announced an $11 million equity investment led by existing investors, Carlyle Venture Partners, the venture arm of The Carlyle Group, and Fairfax Partners. The equity investment will be used to fund the acquisition and future growth initiatives for the company.

The COMM Group, formed in 1997 by consolidating three Pittsburgh-area technology services companies, designs and integrates building systems and facilities networks. The COMM Group provides turnkey design, engineering, installation, maintenance and support services and is in frequent demand to architects, engineers, schools, universities, government and corporate entities. The COMM Group’s blue-chip customer base includes the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Mellon Arena, the University of Pittsburgh, the Frick Fine Arts Museum and the Pittsburgh Public School System.

ISR Solutions CEO Joe Costa said, “The COMM Group has a great reputation in the industry, a proven management team and an excellent customer base. By acquiring The COMM Group, ISR expands its geographical reach and extends its product line and service offerings to better serve new and existing customers in the Pittsburgh region and across the country.”

The COMM Group’s Joe Hieronimus said, “We are excited to join the growing ISR Solutions platform. ISR’s commitment to professional engineering and superior project management is unequaled in the security space. We look forward to providing ISR’s customers with our expertise in sound, voice, data and life safety systems.”

John Mack, CEO of USBX Advisory Services said, “With this acquisition, ISR once again demonstrates their leadership in the security systems integration space. You add on top of it the additional investment from Carlyle and Fairfax and ISR is a company to watch in 2004.”

Brian Hayhurst, a Managing Director at Carlyle Venture Partners said, “We are enthusiastic about the security systems integration business and ISR’s leading role in the market. The COMM Group is an excellent partner to bring onto our growing platform.”

ISR Solutions CFO Kevin Thimjon said, “With this financing and acquisition, ISR continues to build a best-of-breed security systems integration company that can work with the largest Commercial and Government clients in the United States.”

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