Environmental Services Acquisitions in 2020

HeartLand, a Sterling Investment Partners portfolio company, acquired three commercial landscape and facilities services providers: Roark Landscaping Corporation, VerdeGo Landscape and Inside Out Services. The add-on deals expand HeartLand's footprint into Tulsa, Oklahoma; Palm Coast/Jacksonville, Florida; and broaden its presence in the Washington, D.C. metro area as part of a buildout of a national commercial landscape platform.

Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) has acquired Redwing Ecological Services Inc., a Louisville-based ecological services firm that provides wetland, stream, and endangered species permitting and mitigation support. The Redwing team will continue operating from its Louisville office as RES expands its turnkey restoration, mitigation banking, and long-term stewardship capabilities across Kentucky and neighboring states.

Trinity Hunt Partners acquired a majority stake in Dayspring Restoration, a Missoula, Montana-based provider of restoration, mitigation and renovation services. Trinity Hunt will partner with Dayspring management (with President Mark Springer remaining a significant shareholder) to scale the business as the first investment in a broader Restoration Services platform focused on regional expansion and add-on M&A.

Ambipar Response, part of Ambipar Group, has acquired IntraCoastal Environmental, LLC (ICE), a southeastern U.S. marine, industrial and emergency-response services provider with offices in Jacksonville and Savannah. The deal expands Ambipar Response's North American footprint and will integrate ICE into Ambipar's network of global emergency response and environmental services offices.

J.F. Lehman & Company (via an investment affiliate) has acquired ENTACT, LLC, a national provider of environmental remediation and geotechnical services headquartered in Westmont, Illinois. ENTACT's management will remain meaningful shareholders and the company — which employs ~600 people — will join JFLCO's portfolio to support further growth and capability expansion in environmental and technical services.

American Landscaping Partners LLC (a portfolio company of Cold Bore Capital) acquired Nashville-based Color Burst Landscapes from the Frank F. Chalfont Trust and co-owner Brian Edwards. The deal is an add-on acquisition to ALP’s landscaping platform; Brian Edwards will remain as Sales Manager and retain an equity interest.

Hawaiian Cool Water, LLC (HCW), a Honolulu-based provider of water filtration and purification systems, has acquired AAA BestWater Co., Oahu's oldest and largest residential water filtration and softener company. The acquisition expands HCW's business into whole-home residential water treatment as the sellers, Dennis and Suzy Betsinger, retire.

CenterOak Partners’ portfolio company Shamrock Environmental has acquired Virginia American Industries (VAI), a regional provider of non-hazardous wastewater treatment operating under the Aqua Clean and Reco trade names in Florida and Virginia. The add-on expands Shamrock’s permitted treatment capacity and roughly doubles its regional presence, strengthening its footprint across the Southeast U.S.; terms were not disclosed.

Sweeping Corporation of America (SCA), a Warburg Pincus‑backed platform and the largest power sweeping company in the U.S., announced the acquisitions of Total Asphalt Services, Clean Sweep, Buckeye Sweeping and US Sweeping to expand its national footprint and service capabilities. The add‑on deals broaden SCA’s presence in Florida, Tennessee and Ohio and follow a recent strategic investment from Warburg Pincus; terms were not disclosed.

In-Situ Inc., a Fort Collins-based designer and manufacturer of water monitoring instrumentation, has acquired Ajax Environmental & Safety Supply, a Houston-based environmental equipment rental and supply business. The deal adds Ajax’s Texas rental footprint and customer relationships to In-Situ’s rental capabilities, enhancing service and equipment availability in Texas and nationwide.

Arcapita Group’s portfolio company Waste Harmonics has acquired Talismark, a waste solutions management company that specializes in custom-designed waste management programs. The add-on aims to expand Waste Harmonics’ service capabilities and strengthen its market presence across North America.

HES Facilities LLC, backed by private equity firm Nautic Partners, has acquired WFF Facility Services and Clean‑Tech Company in a deal that consolidates regional janitorial, groundskeeping, and facility management capabilities under HES. The transaction positions HES as a national leader in education‑focused facilities management and will keep WFF and Clean‑Tech management (including Jonathan Campbell and the Fiala family) as shareholders and operators while Nautic and HES drive further add‑on growth.

VLS Recovery, a portfolio company of Aurora Capital Partners, has acquired Spartanburg-based JBR Environmental Services. The add-on expands VLS's waste management and industrial cleaning capabilities in the Southeastern United States and the JBR facility will operate within VLS's Waste division with Rex Russell continuing to run the business.

Warburg Pincus has agreed to acquire Sweeping Corporation of America (SCA) from prior investor Soundcore Capital Partners; financial terms were not disclosed. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, SCA is the largest power sweeping company in the U.S. with more than 1,000 employees across 35 locations and the investment will be used to accelerate sales and marketing, expand service capacity, and pursue strategic acquisitions.

Shenandoah Industrial Services, a KLH Capital-backed provider of storm drainage and pipeline rehabilitation services, has acquired Bay Area Environmental Services, a Gibsonton, Florida-based water and sewer pipeline cleaning, testing, and restoration specialist. The add-on expands Shenandoah’s footprint into Tampa Bay and West Central Florida, adds experienced staff and new municipal, industrial and government customers, and broadens its service capabilities in pipeline inspection and rehabilitation.

TRC Companies Inc. has acquired Shoener Environmental, a Pennsylvania-based environmental consulting firm that supports permitting and development for renewable energy and greenfield projects. The deal brings roughly 20 environmental and engineering experts into TRC and bolsters TRC's renewable energy, ecological, and permitting capabilities across multiple U.S. markets.

GenNx360 Capital Partners’ portfolio company Miller Environmental Group (MEG) has acquired Monarch Environmental Services, Inc., a New Jersey-based waste and disposal services provider with two TSDF facilities. The deal expands MEG’s footprint by three locations (including TSDFs in Woodstown, NJ and Tampa, FL), increasing the combined company’s presence across the Northeast, Mid‑Atlantic and Southeast as part of MEG’s rollup strategy since GenNx360’s 2019 investment.

Sortera Group has acquired Vaihtolava, a Finnish logistics and construction-materials sorting company, establishing a substantial platform in Finland. Vaihtolava operates two sorting facilities in the Helsinki region, employs ~100 people, generates roughly €18m in annual revenue and sorts over 100,000 tonnes of waste per year; management will remain in place.

ALL4, a portfolio company of JMH Capital Partners, has acquired Environmental Strategy Consultants, Inc. (ESC), a Philadelphia-based environmental consulting firm founded in 1986. The acquisition expands ALL4's Philadelphia-region capabilities in air permitting, monitoring and EHS compliance and strengthens its regional environmental program management offering.

Chemtron Corporation, a Kinderhook Industries portfolio company, acquired the assets of Tonawanda Environmental Corporation (TEC), a Buffalo-based hazardous and non-hazardous waste management provider. The add-on expands Chemtron's regional footprint into Western New York and brings TEC employees and waste-brokering capabilities into Chemtron's suite of services; financial terms were not disclosed.

GI Partners, a San Francisco-based private investment firm, has acquired Valet Living, the Tampa-based, full-service amenities and doorstep waste provider to the multifamily housing industry, from funds managed by Ares Management's Private Equity Group and Harvest Partners. The investment will support Valet Living's continued innovation and nationwide expansion, including organic growth and acquisitions of local operators, and build on the company's app-enabled resident services and proprietary technology.

An affiliate of Sun European Partners has agreed to acquire Adler & Allan, a leading UK environmental risk reduction specialist, from funds managed by LDC for an undisclosed sum. The buyout gives Sun European a platform to pursue organic growth and further acquisitions in the environmental services market, leveraging Adler & Allan's national network, emergency-response contracts and 630 employees.

Ambipar Response (part of Ambipar Group) has acquired Fort Worth-based Allied International Emergency (AIE), establishing a permanent North American presence for its emergency and environmental services. AIE will operate under the Ambipar Response brand and Ambipar will leverage AIE's local operations, with founder Ty McKee remaining as chair.

Canstar Restorations LP has acquired ABK Restoration Services Ltd. and NorHaz Solutions Inc., expanding its platform with four new branches in Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton and Summerland, British Columbia. The acquisitions add property restoration and hazardous materials remediation capabilities to Canstar's footprint in Interior British Columbia and strengthen its service offering to residential, commercial and insurance clients.

BP Energy Partners (BPEP), a Dallas-based private equity firm, has acquired Encino Environmental Services, LLC, an environmental consulting and emissions testing company headquartered in Katy, Texas. The acquisition expands BPEP's portfolio of environmental services and testing capabilities—covering emissions performance testing, LDAR, CEMS and environmental data/reporting—to support regulatory compliance and corporate ESG initiatives.

American AllWaste LLC, a NewHold Enterprises platform, acquired Austin-based Walker Aero Enterprises LLC and its affiliated companies (JV Dirt & Loam, Daisy Works and Sheridan Environmental). The deal adds composting and brown-grease-recovery capabilities and strengthens AllWaste's position in the Texas municipal and non-hazardous liquid waste markets; Walker Aero's co-founder Phillip S. McCammon will continue with the combined company.

TRC Companies, a Windsor, Connecticut–based engineering and environmental consulting firm, has acquired 1Source Safety and Health, a specialized industrial hygiene and safety management consultancy based in Exton, Pennsylvania. The acquisition brings ~25 certified industrial hygienists and safety professionals into TRC, expanding its building sciences, industrial hygiene and environmental health & safety capabilities and strengthening its presence in Pennsylvania.

Alliance Holdings, the environmental services platform backed by Align Capital Partners, has acquired Blue Mountain Environmental Management Corporation. The deal expands Alliance’s air emissions (stack) testing and LDAR capabilities in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States as part of its ongoing add-on buildout to create a national emissions testing platform.

IK Investment Partners' IK Small Cap II Fund has agreed to acquire a majority stake in ALBA Baving Group from the founding Baving family. ALBA is a German provider of municipal infrastructure cleaning and maintenance services (street sweeping, sink-box cleaning, highway maintenance, winter and greenspace services); IK will support management to accelerate organic growth and expand the company's service offering. Financial terms were not disclosed and the transaction remains subject to regulatory approval.

Authority Brands, a PE-backed home‑services franchisor based in Columbia, Maryland, has purchased Service Team of Professionals ("STOP Restoration"), a Bloomington, Indiana‑based restoration franchisor operating in 31 U.S. territories. Terms were not disclosed; Boxwood Partners advised STOP Restoration and Apax Partners (Authority Brands' investor) commented on the strategic fit as an expansion of Authority Brands' home‑service portfolio.

Chart Industries (NASDAQ: GTLS) completed the acquisition of BlueInGreen, LLC, a water cleantech company specializing in dissolved-gas solutions for water treatment, for $20 million in cash plus a potential earn-out. The purchase expands Chart’s water-treatment and service capabilities by combining Chart’s cryogenic and gas delivery equipment with BlueInGreen’s gas-dissolution technology and TaaS/service offerings to serve municipal and industrial end markets.

BrightView Holdings, Inc. has acquired WLE LLC, a commercial landscape maintenance and development company headquartered in Austin, Texas. WLE's approximately 250-member team and core leadership will join BrightView; transaction terms were not disclosed. The seller is Kade Thomas of Davenforth Capital Management LLC.

LP First Capital and Centre Partners (through their new platform United Land Services) acquired O'Hara Management, LLC, a Orlando-based landscaping services provider; the transaction closed on October 9, 2020 and terms were not disclosed. O'Hara — which provides hardscape, irrigation, landscape installation and maintenance services and employed 73 full-time and 3 part-time staff — is one of five initial acquisitions forming the United Land Services platform as part of a Southeast roll-up.

Frontenac Company has acquired Newterra Group Ltd., a global designer, engineer, manufacturer and servicer of modular water and wastewater treatment systems, from existing shareholders including XPV Water Partners and Angeleno Group. Financial terms were not disclosed; Newterra's CEO Tom Vossman and the executive team will remain in place and Jim McGivern will join the board as Frontenac supports the company's continued organic and inorganic growth.

Recycle Track Systems (RTS) acquired Industrial Organic PBC (dba Ambrosia), adding Ambrosia’s closed-loop manufacturing capabilities, patents and the Veles consumer cleaning product to RTS’s sustainability and materials-management platform. The deal includes Ambrosia’s 12,000 sq ft production facility in Newark, New Jersey and will enable RTS to scale circular processing and product offerings across its client base.

Trash Butler, a Tampa-based doorstep trash and recycling valet provider, acquired WellKept, a multifamily property services firm, to strengthen its position as the second-largest doorstep waste provider in the U.S. The prior owners of WellKept retain a material ownership stake in Trash Butler and will support business development and operations; terms were not disclosed.

DYPER, the Scottsdale-based eco-friendly diaper delivery and compost-by-mail service, acquired Earth Baby, a San Francisco Bay Area diaper-composting pioneer, to add local pickup/delivery and in-house composting capabilities. The acquisition follows a $20 million investment in DYPER from The Craftory and will support REDYPER expansion into additional U.S. markets while Earth Baby's founders remain on the executive team.

Susquehanna Private Capital (SPC) announced an investment in Authority Franchise Systems (Mosquito Authority), a Hickory, North Carolina-based franchisor of mosquito, pest and tick control services. Terms were not disclosed; SPC said it will support growth by building a multi-branded franchisor and expanding services and geographic reach across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Liverpool-headquartered Future Industrial Services, backed by private equity firm NorthEdge, has acquired the trade and assets of Neston Environmental Services (NES). The asset purchase — including two DISAB tankers, specialist industrial equipment and a depot in Kirkby — expands Future's industrial cleaning, hazardous waste treatment and energy-from-waste capabilities as a bolt-on to its North West operations.

BrightView Holdings, Inc. acquired Commercial Tree Care, Inc. (CTC), a full-service tree care provider based in San Jose, California, to strengthen its maintenance operations in Northern California. The deal follows BrightView's sale of its tree nursery division and is intended to expand BrightView's tree care capabilities and presence in the San Francisco Bay Area; terms were not disclosed.

Farragut Capital Partners provided unitranche debt to Clean Water Environmental, LLC (CWE), an Ohio-based processor of hazardous and non-hazardous wastewater that operates facilities in Dayton and Mansfield, Ohio. The financing refinanced the balance sheet and supplies growth capital to fund a new biological treatment plant at CWE's Dayton location and expand overall capacity; CWE is a portfolio company of Hunting Dog Capital and is led by CEO John Staton.

ALL4, a portfolio company of JMH Capital Partners, has acquired Smith Management Group (SMG), a Kentucky-based environmental consulting firm founded in 1989. The deal expands ALL4's geographic footprint into Kentucky and strengthens its air quality and multimedia EHS capabilities to better serve clients across heavily regulated industries.

West Street Infrastructure Partners III, an infrastructure fund managed by Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, has agreed to acquire Synagro Technologies, Inc., the largest provider of wastewater biosolids solutions in North America, from EQT Infrastructure II. The transaction, expected to close in December 2020, transfers a platform that manages over 14 million tons of biosolids annually across 24 facilities and serves roughly 1,000 municipal and industrial customers across 35 states.

Terracon has acquired Environmental Planning Group (EPG), a Phoenix-based environmental and landscape architecture consulting firm. The addition of EPG's ~50 employees and regional offices strengthens Terracon's environmental planning, permitting, GIS, and related capabilities across the Southwest and Western United States.

Carousel Capital has recapitalized Landscape Workshop, partnering with the company's management team and McKinney Capital to provide growth capital and support continued platform expansion. Landscape Workshop is a route-based commercial landscaping services provider headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, serving over 2,800 commercial properties across nine locations in the Southeastern United States.

Argonne Capital Group made a controlling investment in Schill Grounds Management, a commercial landscaping platform based in Cleveland, Ohio, providing shareholder liquidity while Jerry Schill remains CEO with a meaningful ownership stake. Proceeds also funded Schill's acquisition of McCoy Landscape Services in Marion, Ohio as the company's first tuck-in; Argonne and Schill plan further add-on acquisitions in the fragmented commercial landscaping market.

Authority Brands, a Columbia, Maryland-based franchising platform, acquired Monster Tree Service, a leading U.S. residential tree care franchisor. The deal expands Authority Brands' home-services portfolio and brings Monster Tree Service's network of more than 200 territories into the platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

Valicor Environmental Services, a provider of non-hazardous wastewater treatment services and a platform backed by Pritzker Private Capital, has acquired Water Depot’s centralized wastewater treatment facility in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland. The acquisition expands Valicor’s network of CWT facilities and strengthens its service offering in the Mid-Atlantic for both government and private-sector clients.

Evoqua Water Technologies (NYSE: AQUA) has acquired privately held Aquapure Technologies, a Hamilton, Ohio–based water service and equipment company. The deal expands Evoqua’s service capabilities and regional presence in Cincinnati and the surrounding region; terms were not disclosed.

Liquid Environmental Solutions (LES) has acquired the assets of FloHawks Plumbing + Septic, a Puyallup, Washington-based provider of septic pumping, inspections, repair and plumbing/drain cleaning for residential and commercial customers. The acquisition expands LES's non-hazardous wastewater customer base and service footprint in the Pacific Northwest; terms were not disclosed. LES is backed by Audax Private Equity.