ECI Software Solutions

Private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners acquired a majority stake in ECI Software Solutions in 2017 from The Carlyle Group. The transaction was reportedly valued at approximately $2.4 billion. Leonard Green's long-duration investment approach supports ECI's permanent-ownership strategy, allowing it to hold portfolio companies indefinitely rather than follow a standard fund-life exit timeline.

ECI targets founder-owned vertical-market software companies in fragmented industries such as manufacturing, field service, and building supply. Because ECI retains acquired brands and gives product leaders operating autonomy, it competes for deals as a long-term strategic home rather than a short-duration financial buyer. This positioning helps the firm access proprietary, non-auction transactions where sellers prioritize legacy and team continuity.

ECI acquires vertical ERP software businesses and holds them permanently, centralizing finance, HR, and go-to-market functions while leaving domain-specific product management in place. Revenue is generated primarily from recurring software subscriptions, maintenance, and integrated payment-processing services. The firm does not operate as a traditional asset manager and does not disclose assets under management; it reports scale through metrics like customer-site count, which exceeds 24,000.

ECI concentrates on small and midsize manufacturing (job shops, make-to-order, discrete manufacturing), field service and construction management, residential building supply and lumber yards, and office technology. Representative brands include JobBOSS for small manufacturers, eSUB for subcontractor project management, and Spruce for building-materials dealers.

ECI uses an indefinite-hold structure to compound returns through organic revenue growth, operating-margin expansion, and cash-flow distribution rather than through discrete sale events. Its parent, Leonard Green & Partners, employs a longer-dated fund vehicle that matches this permanent-capital approach, aligning incentives toward long-term value creation instead of exit-driven multiples arbitrage.

ECI is a software holding company backed by private equity. It operates the businesses it acquires as ongoing concerns, functioning as a permanent parent rather than as a fund manager that buys and flips assets. The firm's revenue comes from software subscriptions and services to end customers, not from management fees on limited-partner capital.

ECI serves over 24,000 customer sites, with major operational presence in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The firm's headquarters is in Westlake, Texas, and it maintains additional offices across its acquired brands in North America, Europe, and Oceania.