Victory Fire

In 2019, Noverra was introduced to Mike and Gaylene Slocum, founders of Victory Fire Protection in Antioch, California. After nearly twenty years of building the business, Mike and Gaylene were ready to transition to the next phase of life, with more time for family and greater financial certainty.

Victory Fire represented a compelling opportunity for Noverra. The company had a strong team, a solid track record, and operated in a market with high demand for fire protection services. As a competitor of Thorpe Design, the acquisition also created a strategic opportunity to strengthen market leadership in Northern California.

Before moving forward, Noverra and the Slocums spent several months aligning on the principles that would guide the transaction and any future integration. That shared vision focused on creating long-term value for employees, customers, and owners.

As part of the deal structure, Victory Fire continued to operate independently for one year after closing. This gave both teams time to build trust, better understand the organization, and prepare for a successful integration.

In January 2021, Victory Fire merged with Thorpe Design. Mike and Gaylene remained involved for six months after the merger to support the transition before moving on to their next chapter.

The transaction was structured to support the Slocums’ goals while positioning the combined business for long-term success, including:

• a transition period with continued independent operations
• strong career opportunities for employees in the merged company
• uninterrupted, high-quality service for customers
• financial confidence for Mike and Gaylene as they entered their next phase of life

The deal closed in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges that followed, Victory Fire achieved its milestones and merged with Thorpe Design exactly one year later.

Today, Thorpe Design is a market leader in residential fire protection in Northern California.