PE-backed integration company Pavion has a new CEO.

Andy Bierer takes the helm at the Chantilly, Va.-based security and life safety integrator effective Sept. 14, stepping into a role vacated by Joe Oliveri, who built the company from a $100 million Mid-Atlantic operation into a billion-dollar enterprise with more than 70 branches and 2,500 employees worldwide. Oliveri moves to an advisory role supporting Bierer and the board.

The succession has been in the works for some time. "This is a planned leadership succession that's been thoughtfully worked over time by Joe and the board," CMO Alan Rosenkoff told SIW in an exclusive interview.

Bierer comes from Automated Logic, a Carrier company, where he served as President. He also held senior roles at Carrier and Otis, where he built a reputation for scaling businesses, driving both organic and inorganic growth, and leading large field organizations across North America and Europe. His background in building systems and large-scale field service operations maps directly onto what Pavion does. Company officials say he's ready to run without a long ramp-up period, though Oliveri remains available as an advisor.

"I am honored to join Pavion and build on what Joe and the team have accomplished," Bierer said in a press release. "I was immediately struck by the caliber of the people here, the strength of the customer-first culture, and the trust the company has earned."

Oliveri, for his part, expressed confidence in the handoff. "Andy is an outstanding executive whose industry perspective, global experience, proven judgment, and commitment to people make him the right person to guide Pavion through its next stage of growth," he said in the same release.

The M&A Engine Is Back On

At ISC West earlier this year, Oliveri explained why Pavion had slowed its deal-making pace. After completing 24 acquisitions, the company pulled back to focus on integration – getting systems unified, data clean, and operations running as one entity.

"If you start taking on too many national accounts and the systems don't work together, you can have poor customer service," Oliveri said.

That work is done. The M&A activity has already resumed. Earlier this month, Pavion closed on Communication Company, a Midwest-based technology solutions provider founded in 1976 that has spent five decades designing, installing, and servicing systems for healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and commercial facilities. Dan Schmidtendoff, Communication Company's President and CEO, will continue with the business as part of Pavion.

The deal fits the geographic strategy Oliveri outlined at ISC West – the Midwest, along with Texas, is where Pavion has been targeting acquisitions to add technician depth and technical capabilities. The acquisition also strengthens Pavion's healthcare vertical, where Communication Company brings experience in nurse call, RTLS, critical communications, and integrated systems.

Rosenkoff confirmed additional deals are in the pipeline, with more expected before the end of the fiscal year. Announcements typically come after closing.

Organic Growth Mattered Too

Rosenkoff noted that Pavion hasn't just been buying growth. The company posted solid organic numbers during the integration period, which matters to its private equity backers.

Data centers have been a focus vertical. Oliveri's take: take on a data center job in a market where you don't have solid presence and you lose the customer when execution falls short. Pavion's approach has been to be straight with customers about where it can and can't perform.

On the technology side, Pavion has been rolling out OnX, a proactive monitoring platform built on capabilities from ION 247, an IT managed services provider it acquired. The tool monitors system health across a customer's security infrastructure – cameras, access control and beyond – and gives enterprise clients with hundreds of locations visibility into what's installed and whether it's working. The problem it solves came up directly in customer feedback: most organizations don't know a camera is down until they need the footage.

What Comes Next

Pavion serves 58 of the Fortune 100 and seven of the world's 10 largest hyperscalers, and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for six consecutive years. The PE cycle is getting long – Oliveri acknowledged as much at ISC West – but the company says it's performing well and the strategy under Bierer stays the same.