UK
Ireland
S&W leads the sale of Absolute Fire & Security to Wtech Fire Group
S&W’s Corporate Finance team in the Dublin office, led by Con Casey and supported by Siddharth Patel, provided sell-side lead advisory services to Absolute Fire & Security Limited in its sale to Wtech.
Located in Collon, Co. Louth, Absolute Fire & Security Ltd was established in 2018 by directors Steven Owens and Kieran Coyle. The founders had previous experience in the sector and Owens is staying with the business.
Absolute Fire & Security provides fire protection and security services to commercial customers in Louth, Meath and Dublin. Its products span fire detection, emergency lighting, extinguishers and security systems.
Wtech announced the Absolute acquisition and two others in Europe last month in tandem with the opening of the company’s new headquarters in Mullingar.
In 2021 Dutch private equity investor Waterland bought into family business Wtech and funded chief executive Ted Wright for a sector consolidation play. To date Wright has acquired 13 businesses, grown turnover to €150m, and expanded the workforce to 860 people.
When Wtech approached Absolute Fire & Security in August 2025, the principals were unsure about who to turn to for advice. Ted Wright recommended S&W, who had advised Ideal Fire in its sale to Wtech in 2023.
“When selling a company it makes absolute sense for the vendors to be advised by somebody who knows what they’re doing,” said Con Casey. “Otherwise the whole process can take twice as long and become extremely costly.”
The Wtech/Absolute transaction closed in four months. “Because we knew the sector it made the process more streamlined and less costly for the vendor,” Casey added. “A vendor typically gets one chance to do this in their lifetime. If they elongate the process through inexperience it can cost them a lot of money or cause the purchaser to walk away.
“We are delighted to have worked with Steven Owens in successfully completing the transaction. The deal highlights our unrivalled expertise in selling mid-size businesses in the Fire and Safety industry.”
Waterland recently agreed to exit Wtech Fire Group by selling the business to NYSE-listed APi Group Corporation. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.