Private investment platform Zello has acquired lighting and grip rental firm Cinelease, the company announced Friday. Cinelease had previously been run by Herc Rentals (NYSE: HRI). As part of the deal, Cinelease will operate as a standalone, privately-held company and continue to be run by industry veterans Mark Lamberton, Chris Rogers and Gannon Murphy.
“Cinelease marks a foundational acquisition for Zello,” said Zello founder/CEO Louis Dargenzio. “We’ve quietly built one of the most strategic platforms in the entertainment space—and we’re just getting started.”
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Zello noted that the deal puts Cinelease inside a company focused on the entertainment industry; the company said the transaction “marks a defining move in Zello’s strategy to support the infrastructure behind content creation — and power the future of global film and television production.”
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Besides its lighting and grip equipment business, Cinelease is also the professional manager of studio facilities across the U.S. and Canada. Zello plans to use its knowledge of studio management, equipment logistics and production infrastructure to look at potential expansion.
“Cinelease is built on trust—and a team that studios, crews, and producers have relied on for decades,” Dargenzio added. “This acquisition is about honoring that legacy while leaning into the future. We believe in this team, we believe in this brand, and we believe in the entertainment industry. We’re excited to drive innovation and growth for our studio and production partners.”
Lamberton, the president of Cinelease, said in a statement, “This marks an exciting new chapter for Cinelease. We’re a company built on service, relationships, and delivering when it counts—led by people with a deep understanding of what it takes to make it happen. Zello brings deep respect for our foundation and the operational scale to help us go even further for the entertainment community. Together, we’ll keep raising the bar for production support across North America.”
Zello was advised by Proskauer Rose LLP as legal counsel, EY as accounting advisor, and American Discovery Capital as financial advisor. MidCap Financial provided funding; Herc was advised by Sidley Austin LLP on legal matters and Goldman Sachs on financial matters. MidCap Financial was advised by Paul Hastings LLP on legal matters.
