Austin, Texas-based ABA Connect has doubled its facilities in the last two years by acquiring two other applied behavior analysis (ABA) companies.
The autism therapy provider has now unified its brands, ABA Connect, Bright Behavior and ABA Therapy of Houston, under the name BrightPath Behavior, and is forging a course for organizational growth.
“Brand awareness is who you are and it’s important, especially in our industry, that we’re recognizable and that folks know who we are,” Jessie Smedley, CEO of BrightPath Behavior, told Behavioral Health Business. “When we had three different names it was very confusing. The clarity of messaging is important, and coming together as a brand is part of that.”
Smedley took over as BrightPath’s CEO in January. She previously served as vice president of operations at Nobis Rehabilitation Partners, an inpatient rehabilitation facility and Unit management company.
Private equity firm MBF Healthcare Partners acquired ABA Connect in 2022. Coral Gables, Florida-based MBF previously founded ABA provider Acorn Health and expanded the company to 51 locations before selling Acorn in 2021 to Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board (OTPP).
ABA Connect announced that it acquired ABA Therapy of Houston in July, bringing the provider’s footprint to 12 facilities across Texas and Colorado. The provider first moved into the Colorado market in August 2023 when it acquired Bright Behavior.
The challenge of uniting three separate companies comes down to honoring each brand’s input and opinion, Smedley said. BrightPath interviewed employees across the three brands to aid in the process.
“We are three different companies that came together with different histories, legacies and individual owners,” Smedley said. “A part of it was honoring the legacy of where we started as we came together as one, but also being mindful that we were rooted in all the same things, which is providing care for children through ABA therapy in a playful, positive manner.”
The companies operated separate, active social media accounts. Some social media accounts were retired and updated to BrightPath’s new accounts to ensure continued visibility and brand awareness.
Much of the internal processes necessary to unite brands, such as integrating technology platforms, were completed soon after ABA Connect acquired Bright Behavior and ABA Therapy of Houston. After an acquisition, BrightPath performs an initial assessment, before creating an integration plan that incorporates the acquired company’s existing policies, procedures and trainings into the overall company’s.
The brands unite on the same platforms and training protocols over time. Clinician training has been ongoing since the acquisitions and involves utilizing the best practices from each organization. These unifying practices remove silos in the organization, Smedley said.
BrightPath will continue seeking M&A opportunities under its new name. The provider plans to seek growth in areas currently lacking access to ABA services.
“We’re always looking for those opportunities to partner with owners who want to either grow their business or are looking for a partner,” Smedley said. “We’ll continue to grow through de novo as well.”
