Coltala Holdings has made its fourth strategic platform investment in an all-local deal.

The Fort Worth-based holding company announced closing on its investment in Frisco’s Pond Robinson & Associates, L.P., an equity-level due diligence firm focused on providing engineering and architectural services. Terms were not disclosed.

“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to invest in the team that runs the number-one firm in their industry segment,” Ralph Manning, co-founder and co-CEO of Coltala, said in a statement, “and we’re very excited about the next chapter of this storied business.” 

Pond Robinson has 42 employees across multiple offices

Edward Crawford, Coltala’s co-founder and co-CEO, told Dallas Innovates that the move made sense now, given Pond Robinson’s strong recurring revenue and management team. Crawford, who was appointed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Product Development and Small Business Incubator Board last fall, adds that the multifamily construction industry continues to remain strong.

Formed in 1998, Pond Robinson works with institutional property owners that are acquiring or developing commercial real estate in the U.S. With 42 employees and offices in the Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Tampa areas, Pond Robinson specializes in construction and architectural consulting, with services including property condition assessments, pre-development document and design reviews, and construction monitoring services.

“I look forward to continuing our growth while maintaining the highest quality in our industry, as we continue to serve and build our long-term client relationships,” Mark Petersen, principal at Pond Robinson, said in a statement.

New members join Pond Robinson board

While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Coltala says it focuses on majority-control investments with transaction sizes between $30 million and $100 million. According to its website, the holding firm targets businesses with EBITDA between $5 million and $12 million that are operating in non-cyclical and fragmented industries and that have gross margins of 25% or more.

Coltala said it partnered with Chris Schmaltz of Aldine Capital Fund IV and Connor Haley of Alta Fox Opportunities Fund LP on the investment. Following the closing of the deal, Pond Robinson will continue to be led by Michael Raybon, the firm’s president and managing principal, with founding member Alan Pond remaining as an advisor and investor. Pond Robinson’s board is made up of Manning and Crawford, in addition to Haley and Schmaltz.  

Coltala plans to add another platform to its portfolio

Pond Robinson will join Coltala’s portfolio, which includes fitness equipment dealer MyFitnessStore.com, health care services company Choice Health at Home, and home services and repair firm Trüdela Partners. The Coltala spokesperson said the firm is already working to organically grow Pond Robinson, focusing on hiring engineers nationally to meet what it says is a growing demand in the industrial and multifamily spaces.

Coltala, which was formed in 2018 to focus on family-owned and privately held businesses, is now looking to add another platform in the next 12 months, Crawford said.

“Pond Robinson’s reputation as the top brand in the industry was earned by delivering quality through the brightest engineers in the market,” Crawford said in a statement, adding that Coltala is excited to continue to “build upon this culture of excellence.”

This article was updated to show Pond Robinson & Associates is based in Frisco.

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