Investment to Support Growth While Advancing HES’s Mission in Education Services
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HES Facilities Management (“HES” or “the Company”), a leading provider of essential facilities services to education institutions across the United States, today announced the closing of a majority investment by GI Partners, a leading private investment firm. HES was founded in 2020 and scaled under the leadership of Charlie Spencer as President and CEO and Buddy Helton as Chairman of the Board. GI Partners is partnering with the existing management team to support HES’s next phase of growth, with Buddy and Charlie, along with the broader management team, reinvesting and retaining significant ownership in the Company.
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, HES provides janitorial, facilities management, and groundskeeping services to education institutions nationwide, operating in more than 30 states. The Company is known for its high service quality and deep expertise in the education market, enabling schools and universities to maintain safe, clean, and well-managed learning environments.
GI Partners’ investment reflects its strong conviction in the education end market and its desire to partner with experienced, proven management teams providing mission-critical services. “HES has established a high-quality platform in a resilient end market, supported by strong customer relationships and a service-first culture,” said Jeff Sheu, Managing Director and Head of Services Investments at GI Partners. “We’re pleased to partner with the HES leadership team to support the next phase of growth through continued investment in people, processes, and scalable infrastructure.”
“Partnering with GI Partners represents an exciting opportunity for HES,” said Charlie Spencer, Chief Executive Officer. “Their experience in scaling service-driven organizations aligns well with our long-term vision and strengthens our ability to invest in our people, enhance operational excellence, and expand across K-12 and higher education, and selectively into adjacent end markets. We look forward to the growth and value we will create together.”
“HES is proud to announce our new partnership with GI Partners as we enter an exciting new chapter of growth,” added Buddy Helton, Chairman of the Board. “This partnership positions us to accelerate our strategic initiatives and continue building value at scale across our markets. With GI Partners’ support and expertise, we are confident in our ability to expand our reach while maintaining the service excellence that defines HES.”
Rothschild & Co served as financial advisor, and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal advisor to GI Partners.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About HES Facilities Management
HES Facilities Management is a provider of essential facilities services, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with regional locations and partnerships across the country. The company’s leadership has decades of experience providing custodial and facilities management services to educational facilities ranging from K-12 school districts to higher education institutions. For more information, please visit www.hes.com.
About GI Partners
Founded in 2001, GI Partners is a private investment firm with over 180 employees and offices in San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Greenwich, Scottsdale, and London. The firm has raised more than $49 billion and invests on behalf of leading institutional investors around the world through its private equity, real estate, and data infrastructure strategies. The private equity team invests primarily in companies in the healthcare, services, and software sectors. The real estate team focuses primarily on technology and healthcare properties, as well as other specialized types of real estate. The data infrastructure team invests primarily in hard asset infrastructure businesses underpinning the digital economy. For more information, please visit www.gipartners.com.
Media Contacts:
GI Partners
Chris Tofalli
Chris Tofalli Public Relations
+1 (914) 834-4334
[email protected]
Investor Relations
[email protected]
HES Facilities Management
Katie Powell
Vice President
Marketing | Communications
[email protected]
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SOURCE GI Partners
