Environmental Services Acquisitions in 2022

EQT Infrastructure has entered exclusive negotiations to sell 50% of its stake in Saur to a consortium composed of DIF Capital Partners and PGGM. The deal will broaden Saur's shareholder base to support continued geographic expansion, accelerate growth of its Industrial Water division, and back the company's 2030 strategic agenda.

Mid-market private equity firm LDC has made a growth investment in Stonbury, the UK water and environmental sustainability specialist headquartered in Bedfordshire. The capital will support Stonbury's management team to expand its water, wastewater and nature-based low‑carbon services — including organic growth, acquisitions and a push into clean energy — while LDC takes board seats to support the company’s expansion plans.

Ringbeck, a portfolio company of AURELIUS Growth Investments, has acquired Klaus Hildebrandt AG, a Berlin-based gardening and landscaping contractor specialising in complex green roofing installations. The deal is an add-on to the Ringbeck-Group (its fifth in under two years), expands the group's presence in northern and eastern Germany, and keeps the target's management team as minority shareholders.

Geocycle LLC, a subsidiary of Holcim (US) Inc., has acquired CM Rubber Technologies, Inc. in Coleman, Michigan. The acquisition (13 employees, 21 acres, processing equipment and trucks) will enable Geocycle to process used tires into tire-derived fuel for Holcim's Alpena cement plant and expand sustainable waste management services in Northern Michigan.

Senske Services, a regional provider of subscription-based residential lawn, tree, and pest services, has acquired DesertGreen, a lawn, tree, and pest control company headquartered in Richland, Washington. The acquisition, led by Senske, adds density to its Tri-Cities presence and brings DesertGreen's customers and employees into the Senske platform.

Agathos has completed a majority investment in Simply Sustainable, a London-headquartered ESG and sustainability consultancy founded in 2010. The deal is the third platform investment from Agathos Fund II and will support a strategic growth plan combining organic expansion and acquisitions to scale Simply Sustainable across the UK and Europe.

GTCR made a strategic growth investment in Senske Services, a multi-state provider of recurring residential and commercial lawn care, pest control, and tree services. GTCR is partnering with industry operators Casey Taylor and Nathan Hurst, who are joining as Co-CEOs, to fund acquisitions and organic growth as Senske pursues national expansion.

Authority Brands, a Columbia, Maryland-based franchisor of home service brands, has acquired eco-friendly junk removal franchisor The Junkluggers. The Junkluggers, founded in 2004 and operating across roughly 350 territories with more than 90 locations in the United States, will join Authority Brands' portfolio to accelerate franchise and service expansion; terms were not disclosed.

DTG Recycle announced the acquisition of substantially all assets of 1 Green Planet, an electronics recycling and IT asset disposition provider based in Renton, Washington. The deal expands DTG's service offering into certified electronics recycling and secure data destruction, and DTG said it will integrate 1 Green Planet employees and leverage its facility network to broaden e-waste access across the Puget Sound region.

HighGround Restoration Group, a Trivest Partners portfolio company, has acquired Rocky Mountain Restoration, a Mesa, Arizona-based property damage restoration firm. The transaction expands HighGround’s service footprint in the Phoenix metro area and adds water, mold, fire and trauma/biohazard cleanup capabilities to its national restoration platform.

Certified Waste Solutions, a portfolio company of Broadview Group Holdings and EXI Investment Partners, has acquired FRG Waste Resources, a Northern California provider of waste diversion and recycling solutions. The add-on expands Certified's sustainability-oriented service offerings and geographic presence, enabling enhanced programmatic waste management and reporting capabilities for customers across technology, biotech, healthcare, automotive, restaurants and retail sectors.

Comvest Partners has acquired Duke's Root Control, a national provider of sanitary sewer root control, inspection and remediation services, in a carve-out from Douglas Products following Altamont Capital Partners' ownership. The deal positions Duke's as an infrastructure services platform in Comvest's portfolio and intends to support continued investments in technology and strategic add-on acquisitions to drive growth.

LRS, a Rosemont, Illinois-based waste diversion and recycling services provider, has acquired two regional waste and recycling businesses: Molenhouse Enterprises in northern Illinois and Bulldog Disposal in central Arkansas. The tuck-in acquisitions expand and densify LRS’ service footprint in core Midwest and Arkansas markets; financial terms were not disclosed.

Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE: MEG) acquired Huco Consulting, Inc., a Houston-based consultant specializing in EHS and ESG data management and software implementation. Huco's leadership will join Montrose's Advisory and Specialty Services business; terms were not disclosed.

DTG Recycle has acquired substantially all assets of Randy-Kan, a portable restroom provider based in Poulsbo, Washington, expanding DTG's portable sanitation footprint on the Kitsap Peninsula. The deal is DTG Recycle's first acquisition since the company was purchased by a fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management on December 1, 2022.

Wind River Environmental, a Gryphon Investors–backed environmental services platform headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, has acquired Church View Septic Services, Inc., a longtime septic and wastewater services provider in Urbanna, Virginia. The add-on expands Wind River's footprint into central Virginia and brings Church View's residential, commercial and municipal customer base and local operations into Wind River's network.

Alliance Technical Group, backed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, has acquired GBMc & Associates, a multimedia environmental consulting firm based in Bryant, Arkansas. The acquisition expands Alliance’s environmental consulting capabilities and national resources, adding GBMc’s expertise in watershed and land use management, ecological services, and regulatory compliance for industrial and municipal clients.

PestCo Holdings, a portfolio company of Thompson Street Capital Partners, has acquired Reliable Pest Solutions, a Hannibal, Missouri-based provider of residential and commercial pest control services across Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. The transaction is an add-on acquisition to expand PestCo's footprint in the Midwest; terms were not disclosed.

Covanta Holding Corp. acquired SGS Recovery, Frontier Fibers and Buffalo Fuel Corp., three Niagara Falls, New York–based companies that provide engineered fuels production, biodegradable agricultural bedding, and waste hauling/logistics. The purchases expand Covanta’s sustainable materials management capabilities, geographic footprint in Western New York, and its alternative fuels and waste-to-product offerings while strengthening its ESG and circular-economy services.

VantEdge Partners, a family investment office, completed the strategic acquisition of ServiceMaster by Century and ServiceMaster by Disaster Recon and will operate the combined business under the DBA ServiceMaster CDR. The transaction consolidates roughly 40 franchise/license territories across Texas and Ohio to create a multi-location restoration platform led by Blake Moak, Jillian Moak and Greg Dennison.

Nijhuis Saur Industries (part of Saur Group) has completed the acquisition of Veolia's European Mobile Water Services division, which will be rebranded as NSI Mobile Water Solutions. The deal adds around 500 mobile units, seven depots and more than 80 staff across Europe, expanding NSI's mobile water and wastewater treatment capabilities and geographic footprint.

Knox Lane, a San Francisco-based growth-oriented investment firm, has acquired a majority stake in Ruppert Landscape, Inc., a leading provider of commercial landscape services headquartered in Laytonsville, Maryland. The partnership will support Ruppert's plans to expand its footprint organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions while founder Craig Ruppert and management retain a significant investment and continue to lead the business.

A fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management has completed the acquisition/recapitalization of DTG Recycle from Clairvest and other shareholders. DTG management (CEO Tom Vaughn and Chief Development Officer Dan Guimont) will retain ownership stakes and continue to run the business as MAM supports the company’s next stage of growth and geographic expansion across the Pacific Northwest.

Concentric Equity Partners and Summer Street Capital Partners led a global investment group that purchased a majority stake in Frontier Waste Solutions from Blue Sage Capital. The transaction recapitalizes Frontier to support continued geographic growth across Texas and capability expansion including further vertical integration and materials processing; Frontier's founders and managers remain significant owners.

Global consulting firm J.S. Held has acquired Calgary-based Frostbyte Consulting to expand its Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), ESG and sustainability advisory and technology capabilities. Frostbyte — founded and led by Steven Andersen — brings EHS/ESG advisory, regulatory compliance, and EMIS/software implementation expertise to J.S. Held’s EHS practice.

Rockit Pest has acquired Action Pest Control, a family-run pest management business that has served Chester, Lancaster and York counties for more than 35 years. The transaction expands Rockit's footprint into the greater Charlotte, North Carolina market and strengthens its presence across North and South Carolina.

BrightView Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BV) has acquired Apex Land Group, LLC, a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based commercial landscaping company. Terms were not disclosed; the acquisition expands BrightView's presence in the Myrtle Beach market and adds Apex's maintenance, irrigation, and landscape-installation capabilities.

Caltius Equity Partners has made a significant growth investment in APHIX, a founder-owned commercial landscaping services provider operating in Kentucky and Tennessee. The capital will support APHIX's organic growth and platform build, with Caltius planning to pursue add-on acquisitions to expand maintenance revenue and market footprint.

Authority Brands has acquired DRYmedic Restoration Services; terms were not disclosed. DRYmedic, founded in 2014 and serving the Detroit region with over 40 trucks, will join Authority Brands' portfolio to support national growth and expand the franchisor's restoration service offerings; Greenwich Capital Group served as DRYmedic's exclusive financial advisor.

West Midlands-based HSL Compliance (part of SGI Compliance Group and backed by LDC) has acquired East Anglia-based water compliance specialist Jordan Environmental. The add-on purchase expands HSL Compliance's geographic presence in the East of England and broadens its water compliance capabilities by adding Jordan Environmental's closed water treatment services.

Balance Point Capital Advisors, alongside its affiliated fund Balance Point Capital Partners IV, provided debt capital to Sylmar Group to support Sylmar's buy-and-build strategy and enable the acquisitions of two water- and wastewater-related businesses. Sylmar, a Los Angeles–based platform focused on industrial water treatment and pump/well maintenance, will use the financing to scale its platform and expand services to commercial and utility customers across the Southwest U.S.

Pro-Vac, a Gallant Capital Partners–backed subsurface infrastructure services platform, has acquired Vac-One, a regional hydro-excavation and vacuum services provider headquartered in Deer Park, Texas. The deal, in which Vac-One was sold by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, expands Pro-Vac's geographic footprint across the U.S. Gulf Coast and broadens its service capabilities in utility, municipal and energy end markets.

Hyperion Capital Partners has completed a control acquisition of A Plus Tree, Inc. from Paula Tibbets and family. Debt financing and equity co-investment for the transaction were provided by Source Capital (SCCO IV) and Plexus Capital, with Hyperion positioning the investment to support continued growth and expansion of A Plus's tree care services across the West Coast.

SavATree has merged with West Michigan Tree Services (part of Grand Arbor Group), expanding its branch footprint in Michigan. Owners Dan Klaver and Larry Pfeifer will remain with the business as SavATree integrates the company's residential and commercial tree and shrub care operations.

Concentric Equity Partners (the direct investing arm of Financial Investments Corporation) completed a recapitalization of Aruza Pest Control, a Charlotte-based provider of residential and commercial pest, termite, and mosquito control services. CEP is partnering with Aruza co-founder and CRO Christian Ludwig (who retains a significant stake) and CEO Andrew Beck to scale the company into a super-regional pest control platform across the Southeast.

Ecotone, Inc., a portfolio company of L2 Capital, has acquired Wilkinson Ecological Design (WED) and hired Conor Gillespie as CEO. The acquisition expands Ecotone’s geographic footprint into New England and integrates WED’s shoreline restoration and invasive species management capabilities to build a vertically integrated ecological restoration services provider.

Neighborly, the world's largest home services company, has acquired Junk King, a leading junk removal and hauling franchisor with more than 150 locally owned franchises across North America. The acquisition brings Neighborly into a new service vertical (junk removal/hauling) and strengthens its suite of home services brands while preserving Junk King's franchise leadership and recycling-focused operations.

Datalec Precision Installations (DPI) has acquired Technivo, a UK-based specialist in technical and critical-environment cleaning for data centres across the UK and Europe. The acquisition integrates Technivo’s ISO-compliant technical cleaning capabilities into DPI’s managed services offering to provide an end-to-end data centre solution and improve project timescales and costs.

Wind River Environmental, a PE-backed provider of non-hazardous liquid waste solutions, acquired Drain Innovations, a Westville, New Jersey drain cleaning provider owned by Anthony Canora. The add-on expands Wind River’s service footprint and capabilities in southern New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia market; Wind River is backed by Gryphon Investors.

EIS Holdings, LLC acquired Eagle Environmental Consulting, Inc., a Wheat Ridge, Colorado-based environmental consulting firm, expanding EIS’ remediation and environmental services footprint into the Northwest (Colorado and New Mexico). The deal is EIS’ second strategic acquisition in 2022 as the company continues building a national environmental remediation and infrastructure platform.

Pace Analytical Services, a division of Pace, has acquired Aqua Pro‑Tech Laboratory (APL), an environmental testing laboratory in Fairfield, New Jersey. The APL location will become a primary Pace lab for New Jersey and New York City customers, expanding geographic coverage and testing capabilities (including PFAS and air/stack emissions testing).

Veransa Group, a PE-backed zero-waste organics recycler, acquired MW Horticulture’s Fort Myers composting, recycling and organics production facility (deal closed October 19, 2022), with an option to acquire MW’s LaBelle facility. The acquisition expands Veransa’s product portfolio to include MW’s specialized blended soils and extends the company’s geographic footprint into South Florida; Veransa is an ESG portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners.

InSite, a GEF Capital-backed building intelligence and ESG data management platform, has acquired SOL VISTA, a provider of energy monitoring and optimization solutions for the hospitality sector. The deal expands InSite’s hospitality offerings and combines SOL VISTA’s Skywalk analytics platform with InSite’s SaaS and managed services to enhance energy optimization and ESG reporting for hotel portfolios and other commercial properties.

Jones Fish Hatcheries & Distributors, a Fort Point Capital portfolio company, has acquired Advanced Technical Aquatic Control (A.T.A.C.), a Cincinnati‑area provider of pond and lake management services. The deal deepens Jones Fish's presence in the Ohio Valley and adds recurring lake management programs, fountain/aerator sales and service, and local technical expertise to its platform.

Trailcreek Capital Group and Plexus Capital have made a growth investment in Natural Upcycling alongside Noblehurst Green Energy and Natural Upcycling co‑founder/CEO Harry Cohen; financial terms were not disclosed. The capital will be used to scale the company’s food and organics recycling collection, depackaging and facilities capabilities and to pursue add-on acquisition opportunities across the Northeast and Mid‑Atlantic.

Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT has acquired Accent Property Restoration, a Milwaukee-based restoration, mitigation and reconstruction firm founded in 2008 by Dean Rossey. The acquisition is the ninth in BMS CAT’s strategic roll-up plan and will integrate Accent’s local team and capabilities into BMS CAT’s national disaster recovery and restoration platform.

Rentokil Initial plc completed its acquisition of Terminix Global Holdings, Inc., creating the world’s leading pest control company with approximately 4.9 million customers and ~57,700 employees combined. As part of regulatory/closing steps, Terminix divested its U.K. and Norway pest-management businesses to Norvestor (a Nordic private equity fund) prior to closing; those divested businesses generated ~ $60 million of expected 2022 revenue.

Louisville-based Protect Environmental has acquired Reliant Radon Solutions, expanding its radon testing, mitigation, and monitoring capacity across Colorado and the western United States. The transaction brings Reliant's local expertise into Protect Environmental's national platform and positions the company to better serve Denver-area and statewide customers.

HighGround Restoration Group, a Trivest Partners portfolio company, has acquired Same Day Restoration Inc., a California-based firm providing water, fire, mold, abatement, mitigation, restoration and reconstruction services. The deal is an add-on to HighGround’s restoration platform to extend its geographic reach into Southern California and strengthen its family of restoration brands.

Newterra, a Frontenac-backed environmental and water-treatment platform, has acquired H2O Engineering, Inc., a San Luis Obispo-based provider of tailored water treatment systems, system integration, automation, rentals, and service. The deal expands Newterra’s West Coast engineering, manufacturing and service capabilities and broadens its end-market reach into controlled-environment agriculture, light industrial, remediation and food & beverage sectors.