Vicinity
When global private equity firm Antin Infrastructure Partners purchased key energy assets from Veolia North America, it established the foundation for building the largest district energy company in North America.
Today’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly, which is why property owners, developers and major institutions are increasingly gravitating toward district energy as a green, cost competitive and super-reliable energy option. District energy systems are networks of pipes that transport thermal energy, such as hot water, steam or chilled water, to heat and cool buildings in a city, neighborhood or campus.
To capitalize on the huge opportunity of district energy, Antin Infrastructure Partners laid out a goal that was as clear as it was ambitious: create the dominant player in the fast-growing district energy segment.
The newly-independent company’s customers told us that while they keenly value sustainability and cost savings, the reliability of their energy supply is most important. Probing deeper, we learned that they see the company’s people, even more than its technology, as the key to ensuring reliability.
This insight led to a brand that emphasized expertise and insights as well as technology. “Vicinity professionals have the unmatched expertise, honed over 50 years of building and managing North America’s largest energy districts, to ensure that you are connected with the critical energy you need to thrive. Because while you can’t eliminate all risks, you can always count on the people of Vicinity for the energy you need to thrive.”
The company’s new name, Vicinity signals the local nature of district energy while suggesting the close intimacy that a partnership with the company offers.
To minimize business disruption and meet contractual and regulatory requirements, the rebranding that resulted in Vicinity, occurred at “deal speed”—a 12-week period following the purchase from Veolia. The Vicinity brand launched with a new positioning, new name, complete messaging platform, new visual identity and a new website. Newly independent, Vicinity is laser-focused on its mission and poised for accelerated growth.
DeSantis Breindel’s team did a great job of really listening and assimiliating everyone’s viewpoints to craft a compelling new brand for our spinoff.
