Stratus, the leading facilities services and brand implementation services firm, has acquired Comet Signs, based in San Antonio, Texas. The combined organization now consists of over 1,100 employees throughout the United States.
With the acquisition of Comet Signs, Stratus will accelerate its growth in the Southwest and Western United States, leveraging Comet’s substantial presence in key Texas areas including Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Tyler. Comet’s expanded production capabilities and self-perform installation fleet will begin to serve Stratus’ roster of blue-chip, nationwide brands in the region, and will help the company grow its overall business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Comet acquisition represents Stratus’ third major acquisition since late 2019.
“Our teams immediately melded with each other – we have a shared value system and strong beliefs in nurturing customer relationships and growth over time,” noted Tim Eippert, CEO, Stratus. “Comet’s reputation is stellar, and they’ve been careful and purposeful about growth, including hiring practices and employee satisfaction and retention.”
Founded in 1958, Comet Signs, has expanded over time through organic growth and a series of mergers and acquisitions, and has become known as a leading exterior branding resource in the region. The company occupies a 180,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility at its San Antonio headquarters, with an additional 70,000+ square feet of operations in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Tyler, Texas.
“When Tim and I were getting to know each other, I could immediately picture myself and my team working side-by-side with Stratus,” said Pete Sitterle, CEO, Comet Signs. “At Comet, we have grown by taking very good care of our customers. Tim and Stratus share that approach, the customer is always at the center of their minds. That’s why this is such a great fit. We look forward to our customers taking advantage of everything Stratus has to offer, and we look forward to personally servicing Stratus’ customers all across Texas.”
Headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, Stratus has operations centers in Illinois, Ohio, Florida and New Jersey, and production facilities in Illinois and South Carolina. Stratus is a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners.