Alliance Group, LLC, a commercial HVAC services provider across New England, announced on July 16, 2026 the acquisition of Nolin Control Systems, LLC, an industrial automation and controls provider based in Georgia, Vermont. Alliance is a partner company of NexCore, a commercial HVAC services platform backed by Dallas-based private equity firm Trinity Hunt Partners.
What Nolin Control Systems Brings to the Deal
Founded in 2017, Nolin Control Systems specializes in industrial automation and controls for the food and beverage and water and wastewater sectors, including fabricating and programming UL-listed control panels for industrial customers throughout New England. The company built its reputation on factory programming work and long-standing customer relationships developed under founder Matt Nolin, who has emphasized niche, complex automation services as Nolin Control's competitive differentiator in the region.
Leadership Continuity at Nolin Control Systems After the Acquisition
As part of the transaction, Matt Nolin will remain with the business and continue to lead day-to-day operations under Alliance's ownership. "Partnering with Alliance and NexCore positions Nolin Control for its next chapter of growth," Nolin said, adding that the company expects to maintain its existing service quality while gaining access to Alliance's expanded purchasing power and resources. Tyler Johnson, president of Alliance, said the deal broadens Alliance's controls service offering while bringing additional recruiting support, technical resources, and IT systems to Nolin Control's customers and employees.
How the Deal Fits NexCore's Platform Strategy
Steve Knowles, chief executive of NexCore, said Nolin Control Systems fits the platform's long-term acquisition criteria, citing its steady recurring revenue base, attractive margins, and deep customer relationships. NexCore's partner companies now include Alliance Group, Pratt & Smith, Sylvester & Cockrum, Kennedy Mechanical, Ryan Plumbing & Heating, Avonda Air Systems, DWC Mechanical, Action Air Systems, Accutemp Engineering, Lowry Mechanical, Air Comfort, and Mechanical Systems Technology, spanning operations from Vermont to Florida.
Integration Plans for Nolin Control's Customers
As part of the integration, Nolin Control will draw on Alliance's established infrastructure, including recruiting support, expanded technical resources, enhanced IT systems, and broader purchasing capabilities. Customers can expect continuity in day-to-day operations, with the same engineers, technicians, and service teams they rely on today remaining in place under the new ownership structure.
Trinity Hunt Partners' Role Behind NexCore
Trinity Hunt Partners, the Dallas-based private equity firm backing NexCore, describes itself as a growth-oriented firm with more than $2 billion of assets under management focused on building leading B2B and B2C services companies. The firm was ranked tenth among all firms worldwide on the HEC-Dow Jones' most recent Top Small-Cap Buyout Firms List, a ranking based on performance for investors across funds raised over a ten-year period, underscoring the scale of capital behind NexCore's continued acquisition strategy in the commercial HVAC services space.
NexCore's Footprint Across the Northeast and Southeast
NexCore's partner companies operate across Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida, reflecting a platform strategy built through a series of regional acquisitions rather than a single national rollout. Adding an automation and controls specialist like Nolin Control gives the platform a service line that sits alongside its existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing offerings rather than duplicating them.
Why the Nolin Control Acquisition Matters to HVAC M&A
The deal is a tuck-in acquisition rather than a platform deal, illustrating how private equity-backed HVAC service platforms continue to expand into adjacent, higher-margin specialties such as industrial controls and automation rather than only adding traditional mechanical service capacity. Bolt-on transactions like this one, where a founder-owner stays on to run daily operations, remain a common structure for private equity-backed HVAC platforms working to broaden service lines without disrupting existing customer relationships. The deal also underscores continued appetite among HVAC-focused private equity platforms for smaller, founder-led businesses in adjacent trades, a pattern distributors and competing service providers in New England are likely to watch closely as NexCore continues adding partner companies to its regional footprint. For independent controls and automation shops elsewhere in New England, the transaction is also a reminder that private equity-backed HVAC platforms are actively looking beyond traditional mechanical and plumbing targets, expanding the pool of potential acquirers that a founder-owned specialty contractor might realistically consider when weighing a sale. Deals structured around recurring, contract-based revenue, like Nolin Control's factory programming and controls service work, have generally commanded strong interest from private equity buyers relative to project-based installation work, since predictable revenue is easier to underwrite and finance at acquisition. Alliance's willingness to retain Nolin's existing leadership and branding through the transition also reflects a broader trend among platform acquirers of preserving a target's local market identity rather than folding it immediately into a single corporate brand.
