# Authority Brands

Authority Brands is an Asset Manager based in Columbia, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Columbia, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Columbia, MD, United States
- **Founded:** 2017
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** authoritybrands.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/authority-brands

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Authority Brands is a franchisor based in Columbia, United States, established in 1996. The company operates 12 home-service franchise brands. It has secured no external funding.

## Sectors

- Consumer Services
- Franchising

## People

- Rob Weddle — CEO

## Questions

### Who controls Authority Brands and how is it capitalized?

Apax Partners acquired the initial six franchisor brands in 2017 and remains the controlling shareholder. In 2021, the firm sold a minority interest in a transaction valuing the platform at approximately $1.4 billion (per Bloomberg, 2021). Authority Brands operates as a standalone portfolio company rather than a fund structure, with Apax exercising governance through the board.

### How does Authority Brands differ from a traditional home-services operator?

Authority Brands owns the franchisor entities — the intellectual property, brand names, and franchise agreements — not the individual service locations. Its franchisees are independent business owners who pay royalties and fees. This asset-light model generates revenue from royalty streams across hundreds of territories without directly employing service technicians.

### What is Authority Brands' acquisition strategy?

The company pursues add-on acquisitions of franchisors in the residential and light-commercial services space, favoring essential, non-discretionary categories like plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and pest control. After acquisition, brands retain their consumer-facing identity while integrating into Authority's shared-operations platform for centralized marketing, procurement, and franchisee support.

### Which franchise brands operate under Authority Brands?

The portfolio includes Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, The Cleaning Authority, Mosquito Squad, DoodyCalls, STOP Restoration, Monster Tree Service, America's Swimming Pool Company, and Woofie's, among others. The firm disclosed 13 total brands and approximately 850 territories as of 2023.

### What is the firm's relationship to Apax Partners' broader franchise strategy?

Authority Brands is Apax's dedicated platform for residential-service franchisor consolidation. Apax has experience in franchising through prior and concurrent investments, but Authority Brands operates independently with its own management team under CEO Rob Weddle, who joined at formation in 2017.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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