Altamont Capital Partners (“Altamont”), a private investment firm focused on business services, industrials and financial services, announced that it has made an equity investment in CESO, Inc. (“CESO” or the “Company”), a provider of architecture and engineering services to national, multi-site customers. This partnership with Altamont will enable CESO to better serve clients while continuing to make investments in its people and capabilities. LeadWise, CESO’s current parent company, will remain a significant investor in CESO following the transaction and continue to support the Company’s long-term growth.

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, CESO provides a comprehensive range of architecture, engineering and surveying services to customers throughout the United States. With approximately 600 employees across 16 offices, the Company serves multi-site operators, including leading national brands, in sectors including logistics and distribution, automotive and convenience and grocery. CESO’s broad range of services and national footprint allow it to serve as a single point of contact for customers managing large volumes of projects across multiple locations.

Through the partnership, Altamont plans to support CESO’s existing management team as it builds on the Company’s strong foundation and pursues its next phase of growth. Key areas of focus include investing in talent, expanding capabilities, broadening CESO’s geographic presence and extending its services into additional end markets. Altamont will also draw on its experience supporting professional services companies to help CESO meet growing customer demand while maintaining its commitment to quality and service.

“National customers need a partner who can deliver consistently across hundreds of locations. CESO has earned their trust by combining deep technical expertise with the ability to execute at scale,” said Wandé Olabisi, Managing Director of Altamont Capital Partners. “We’re excited to partner with Steve and the team to deepen existing relationships, bring CESO’s capabilities to new customers and expand the services it can offer.”

“We’ve built CESO around our people, culture and the relationships we’ve developed with our customers over nearly four decades,” said Steve Olson, CEO of CESO. “As we look toward our next phase of growth, it was important to find a partner that understands our business and shares our commitment to what has made CESO successful. Altamont brings the experience and resources to help us expand our capabilities, create new opportunities for our team and continue delivering the level of service our customers expect.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. AEC Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor to Altamont, with Ropes & Gray and Morrison & Foerster serving as legal counsel. Capstone served as exclusive financial advisor to CESO, with Taft serving as legal counsel. Financing for the transaction was provided by BMO and Churchill Asset Management.

About Altamont Capital Partners

Founded in 2010, Altamont Capital Partners (“Altamont”) is a private equity firm focused on transforming and scaling lower-middle-market companies across the Financial Services, Industrials and Business Services sectors through significant business-building and value-creation resources. Altamont makes long-term, control investments and partners closely with management teams to execute proven and repeatable platform-building playbooks in sectors where the firm has deep experience and specialized knowledge. Altamont has invested in over 50 companies and currently manages over $4 billion of capital. Altamont is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in San Francisco and Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.altamontcapital.com

About CESO

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, CESO is an architecture and engineering services firm serving customers nationwide. With approximately 600 employees across 16 offices, CESO provides a broad range of services, including architecture, civil engineering, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, surveying and development services. The Company serves customers in a variety of industries, including logistics and distribution, automotive and convenience and grocery. For more information, visit https://www.cesoinc.com/