Cobalt Acquires Acme Lock & Door
New York, NY (May 21, 2025) – Cobalt Service Partners today announced that it has acquired Acme Lock & Door. Acme is Cobalt’s 14th acquisition since launching in December of 2023, and its 3rd acquisition of 2025.
Acme, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, provides design, installation, and maintenance services across a variety of commercial lock and door products to the Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana area. Acme was founded in 1933 by Herman and Florence Woods and remained a family-owned business spanning four generations. In 2020, Tom O’Brian (“Tom”) acquired Acme with a group of partners and Acme grew to 70 employees. From 2020 to 2025, Tom and his father, John O’Brian (“John”), grew Acme considerably – both organically and via two small acquisitions.
“In those early days, we made things happen and kept customers happy through sheer force of will,” said Tom. “What stood out immediately was the team’s rare ability to tackle complex access challenges—and their absolute obsession with taking care of customers.”
“Cobalt shared our core belief: if you take care of your people and your customers, the rest takes care of itself.”
In 2024, Tom and John began searching for a partner to support and accelerate Acme’s ambitious growth. After careful due diligence, they determined that Cobalt would be the best partner to honor Acme’s incredible history, while also setting it up for success in the future. “Cobalt is sharp, driven, and has a clear vision for growth,” said Tom. “But what really mattered to me was that they shared our core belief: if you take care of your people and your customers, the rest takes care of itself.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Tom, John, Bradley, and the Acme team,” said Tyler Hoffman, Co-CEO of Cobalt. “Acme is among the most well managed operations we’ve encountered, and we’re excited to support the team as they continue to provide excellent service to their customers.”
Coinciding with the transaction, Tom and John will be gradually transitioning out of the day-to-day operations of the business. Bradley Drury, previously with Acme as COO, will be stepping into the CEO role, working closely with the Cobalt team to enable a smooth transition.
For more information on Acme’s story, click here.