Kian Capital Makes Platform Investment in Leading Forensic Engineering Firm Sdii Global

Kian Capital Partners (“Kian”), a middle-market focused private investment firm, announced today that in partnership with management, it has completed a strategic investment in Sdii Global Corporation (“Sdii Global”), a forensic engineering and earth sciences firm specializing in claim resolution support for the property and casualty insurance industry. Kian’s approach of working alongside management to execute growth strategies will enable Sdii Global to scale its platform and solidify its leadership position in the market by furthering the company’s industry-leading, niche expertise and market expansion vertically and geographically. Kian first invested in Sdii Global in 2016 to support management’s purchase of the business from the company’s founder.

Sdii Global, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, has established itself as a leader in the forensic engineering industry known for its technical expertise, high-quality reports and attentive customer service. Sdii Global’s deep bench of experts offers a full suite of services including geophysical and geological assessments, forensic and environmental engineering analyses, complete field and laboratory testing capabilities, as well as expert litigation support. These expert capabilities are used by insurance carriers, third-party administrators and attorneys to resolve property and casualty insurance claims predominantly in the Southeastern U.S.

The team at Kian will work with management to expand the company’s market-leading services, introduce new service offerings and grow its geographic coverage. In addition to bringing operational resources to bear, Kian will support Sdii Global’s ongoing initiatives, continuing to build a world-class team of renowned specialists and pursuing complementary acquisitions to enable the company to deepen its existing customer relationships and win business from new customers.

“We are excited to be partnering with Kian again,” said Catherine Carty, President of Sdii Global. “Sdii Global is at a critical inflection point in its growth story. We’ve built a strong foundation and we’re looking for the resources and know-how to continue our expansion, bolster our team and more aggressively capture market share. Kian was a logical choice given their knowledge of our business, commitment to our people and successful history of driving growth in lower middle-market companies.” 

Chris Casagrande, CFO of Sdii Global, added, “We have known Kian for over six years and are confident they have the skills necessary to help us achieve our long-term growth objectives. Their relationship-first approach and our alignment of values made the decision to partner with them again an easy one. With Kian’s support, we will continue building our resources and capabilities to uphold our commitment to customer responsiveness and attract top talent.”

Kian is Sdii Global’s lead investor and has partnered on the transaction with RF Investment Partners and Everside Capital Partners. This second investment expands Kian’s platform growth momentum and underscores the firm’s commitment to partnering with management teams to deploy carefully executed buy-and-build strategies that are hyper-specialized. 

“Catherine, Chris and Sdii Global’s talented experts have done a tremendous job growing their company and establishing themselves as market leaders known for their expertise, quality reporting and commitment to customer responsiveness,” said Scott Buschmann, Partner at Kian. “Our team has enjoyed working with management over the past six years. We look forward to preserving Sdii Global’s rich history while backing the team in future growth initiatives that include strategic acquisitions to complement the company’s culture, service capabilities, niche expertise and customer value proposition.”

Buschmann added, “Sdii Global is a great example of our continued focus on partnering with specialized firms within the professional services sector and evolution of Kian’s broader thesis around these attractive market dynamics. The growth and consolidation within the forensic engineering services space will present ample opportunities for Kian and management to expand this platform and capitalize on industry tailwinds.”

Sdii Global is actively seeking partnerships with like-minded founders in the forensic engineering services space. Business owners interested in learning more should contact David Duke, Partner, Business Development at Kian, at dduke@kiancapital.com.

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. acted as Kian’s legal advisor.