Comvest-Backed Bland Landscaping Bolsters Florida Presence with CSS Acquisition

Bland Landscaping, an established commercial and estate landscaping firm backed by Comvest Private Equity, has acquired C.S.S. Landscaping, a Jacksonville, Florida-based company focused on HOAs, multifamily communities, and office properties. The transaction marks a strategic expansion into a key Florida submarket while integrating a seasoned team and aligning core business values.

Deal Summary

• Acquirer: Bland Landscaping, headquartered in Apex, NC, and backed by Comvest Private Equity.
• Target: C.S.S. Landscaping, founded in 1996 by Scott Soltau, operating in Northeast Florida.
• Geographic Reach: The acquisition extends Bland’s Southeast presence into the Jacksonville market, reinforcing its North Florida coverage.
• Service Offering: C.S.S. provides full-service commercial landscaping, including maintenance, irrigation, seasonal enhancements, mulch, and landscape installation.
• Leadership & Integration: Scott Soltau, CSS’s founder, will join Bland as Regional Director, leading the North Florida operations under Bland’s broader platform.
• Strategic Rationale: Bland sees strong cultural alignment and complementary service capability with CSS, enabling shared growth and better service for regional clients.

Industry Context

This acquisition reflects broader consolidation momentum in the commercial landscaping sector. Landscape platforms like Bland are leveraging private equity funding to stitch together regional service providers, thereby gaining both geographic scale and service breadth. The Southeast, including Florida, represents a growing battleground for these platform players due to strong demand from HOAs, multifamily developments, and corporate clients.

For Bland, adding CSS not only grows its branch network but also brings a well-run, founder-led business into its fold - reinforcing its strategy of combining local expertise with institutional capital.

Lower-Middle-Market Roll-Up Perspective

From a roll-up lens, the Bland-CSS deal highlights several key dynamics:

1. Platform-Driven Roll-Up: Bland, under Comvest’s sponsorship, continues to build scale via acquisition of regional players with strong client relationships.
2. Founder Preservation: By elevating CSS’s founder into a leadership role, Bland ensures continuity, preserving culture while integrating operations.
3. Strategic Geography: Entering Northeast Florida strengthens Bland’s presence in a high-growth market adjacent to its existing Southeast operations.
4. Service Synergy: CSS’s contractual maintenance and installation business complements Bland’s existing estate and commercial landscaping offering.
5. Capital Efficiency: Backed by private equity, Bland can execute growth through M&A rather than relying solely on organic expansion, allowing for faster network density.

Why This Sector Is Attractive for Roll-Ups

• Fragmented Landscape: Many independent landscaping firms remain localized, presenting consolidation opportunities.
• Recurring Revenue Streams: Maintenance contracts, irrigation, and enhancement services provide predictable cash flow.
• Scalable Platform: Adding bolt-ons like CSS helps build a multi-state business without the need for greenfield expansion.
• Operational Leverage: Platforms can deliver operational improvements (training, procurement, technology) across the network.
• PE-Friendly Model: Landscaping has moderate capital intensity but benefits significantly from scale, making it well-suited for private equity roll-ups.

Conclusion

The deal between Bland Landscaping and C.S.S. Landscaping exemplifies a well-executed roll-up in a fragmented but growing service vertical. With Comvest’s support, Bland gains a strong foothold in Northeast Florida, strengthens its service offering, and brings on a proven local operator.

For existing landscaping businesses, this development is a signal: alignment with a platform like Bland can provide growth capital, operational scale, and leadership continuity. For investors and operators, it reaffirms the viability of building a regional landscaping champion through disciplined M&A strategy underpinned by PE backing.