Unlocking New Opportunities: How AWP Safety Expanded its M&A Reach with Finquest

AWP Safety partnered with Finquest to build a broader acquisition pipeline and drive targeted engagement across a specialized sector. Through a collaborative, data-driven process, the project expanded AWP Safety’s opportunity set, enhanced market visibility, and provided a valuable platform for future dealmaking.

“The additional companies and net new names Finquest identified provided immense value for us in the context of M&A.”
— Kevin Meehan, Corporate Development Associate, AWP Safety

AWP Safety is North America’s leading provider of traffic control and worksite safety services, ensuring safe and efficient project execution for utility, broadband, and infrastructure sectors.

Operating within a specialized and relationship-driven sector, AWP Safety recognized the opportunity to broaden its M&A reach by partnering with an external expert. The corporate development team needed a partner who could act as an extension of their internal resources—ensuring deal flow continued while active acquisitions were also being finalized.

Timing was critical: AWP Safety initiated the engagement at a moment when their team was simultaneously managing multiple live transactions.

“It was about keeping the pipeline going while we were pushing several deals across the finish line,” said Kevin.

Maintaining strategic momentum and ensuring future pipeline strength were the driving priorities.

Finquest delivered a tailored, high-touch program designed around AWP Safety’s objectives:

Strategic Scoping and Alignment
From the outset, Finquest and AWP Safety worked closely to define the target profile. This structured scoping earned the team a 10/10 rating for clarity and responsiveness.

“The team really understood what we needed and was very involved in the process.”

Comprehensive Market Mapping
Leveraging proprietary data and research capabilities, Finquest surfaced a significant number of previously unidentified companies.

“It was surprising to see how many net new names came up—showing just how much more reach Finquest could deliver beyond conventional searches.”

Targeted Outreach Execution
Finquest executed a structured, well-coordinated outreach program targeting aligned opportunities. Regular progress updates and transparent communication ensured the team stayed closely aligned throughout the engagement.

“The communication was excellent. Sally and the team were very responsive and clear.”

While some outreach challenges were observed, they were recognized as reflective of the industry’s unique characteristics rather than the approach itself—highlighting Finquest’s adaptability in sectors where traditional outreach can be more complex.

• Expanded Market Visibility: Finquest identified a broader and deeper set of acquisition opportunities across AWP Safety’s target sectors.
• Enhanced Strategic Asset Base: The expanded long list provided a critical foundation for ongoing deal sourcing efforts.
• Seamless Extension of Resources: Finquest supported AWP Safety’s corporate development efforts at a time of high internal deal activity, maintaining pipeline momentum without overstretching internal bandwidth.
• Strengthened Partnership Model: “The process with Sally and the team was very collaborative. We worked hand-in-glove throughout.” Through this partnership, AWP Safety strengthened its future M&A positioning and ensured continuity in its growth strategy.

AWP Safety’s collaboration with Finquest demonstrated the impact of combining proprietary market intelligence with hands-on partnership. By extending reach, uncovering new opportunities, and supporting internal teams through periods of high transaction volume, Finquest helped position AWP Safety for continued acquisition success.