Environmental Services Acquisitions in Kentucky
Kentucky Environmental M&A Themes
Environmental services deals in Kentucky, United States from 2020–2025 highlight a mix of buy-and-build strategies and tuck-in expansions—often focused on scaling local delivery while adding specialized capabilities.
Recurring acquirers include SER Capital Partners, Visterra Landscape Group, Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), Rockbridge Growth Equity, Caltius Equity Partners, HEPACO, LLC, Gryphon Investors, Valicor Environmental Services, and Gauge Capital. Across these transactions, targets range from commercial landscaping and wastewater operations to environmental consulting, remediation, and permitting/mitsigation services.
A common pattern is platform scaling through integration: examples include Protect Environmental being integrated into Rockbridge’s national platform, and RES expanding turnkey restoration and stewardship. The page also includes select investments framed around growth in maintenance revenue and regional footprint expansion, alongside full acquisitions where terms and outcomes are described.
What Stands Out
- Private equity and platform investors appear repeatedly, including SER Capital Partners, Caltius Equity Partners, Rockbridge Growth Equity, Gryphon Investors, and Valicor Environmental Services (with Pritzker Private Capital’s backing).
- Buyers often expand within environmental services subsectors such as remediation/consulting (e.g., Charah Solutions, Protect Environmental, Smith Management Group) and compliance/mitigation (e.g., Redwing Ecological Services).
- Deal activity includes both acquisitions and growth-platform investments in adjacent services like commercial landscaping (e.g., APHIX, Cru Cutters).
- Several transactions emphasize geographic strengthening inside Kentucky, including Louisville-area and northern Kentucky expansions.
| Buyer | Kentucky-focused theme (as described) |
|---|---|
| Visterra Landscape Group | Tuck-in add-on to expand northern Kentucky operations |
| Valicor Environmental Services | Expands Midwest wastewater and leachate processing/reclamation capabilities |
| SER Capital Partners | Takes a Louisville remediation/business recycling services provider private |
| Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) | Builds turnkey restoration, mitigation banking, and stewardship |
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September 19, 2025
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Divestiture
The supplied article is a SpringGreen franchise announcement about new franchise owners in Richmond, Kentucky, and does not describe an M&A transaction (no buyers, targets, sellers, or deal terms are mentioned). Please confirm whether you want extraction of franchise/franchisee details or provide the M&A transaction article(s) you want analyzed — I can also search for a specific M&A deal if you’d like.
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August 21, 2025
- Buyer
- Gauge Capital
- Target
- Aphix, LLC
- Seller
- Caltius Equity Partners
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Gauge Capital has acquired Aphix, LLC, a commercial landscape services provider in the southeastern United States, from Caltius Equity Partners. The transaction represents an exit for Caltius and positions Gauge to continue scaling Aphix's regional footprint and recurring service platform.
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- Buyer
- Valicor Environmental Services, Pritzker Private Capital
- Target
- Affordable Waste Management, Inc.
- Seller
- Grasslands Environmental Services
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Addon
Valicor Environmental Services, a Pritzker Private Capital‑backed provider of centralized wastewater treatment, has acquired the Louisville-area wastewater and sludge-hauling operations known as Affordable Waste Management from Grasslands Environmental Services. The acquisition expands Valicor's Midwest footprint and enhances its leachate processing and reclamation capabilities.
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January 8, 2025
- Buyer
- Visterra Landscape Group
- Target
- Cru Cutters
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Addon
Visterra Landscape Group has acquired Florence, Kentucky-based Cru Cutters in a tuck-in add-on to expand its northern Kentucky footprint; financial terms were not disclosed and the transaction is effective immediately. The acquisition provides a strategic branch for Visterra partner companies GroundsPRO and Oberson's to expand commercial landscaping and snow & ice removal services in the region.
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July 13, 2023
- Buyer
- SER Capital Partners
- Target
- Charah Solutions, Inc.
- Seller
- Bernhard Capital Partners
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Funds managed by SER Capital Partners completed the acquisition of Charah Solutions, Inc., a Louisville-based provider of environmental remediation, ash management and byproduct recycling services to the power generation industry, for $6.00 per share. The transaction (approved July 12, 2023) takes Charah private from Bernhard Capital Partners and other shareholders; Charah's outstanding 8.50% Senior Notes remain obligations of the company and the business will continue operating under SER with its existing management and nearly 600 employees.
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November 15, 2022
- Buyer
- Caltius Equity Partners
- Target
- APHIX
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Growth capital
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.
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October 14, 2021
- Buyer
- Rockbridge Growth Equity
- Target
- Protect Environmental
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Addon
Rockbridge Growth Equity has acquired Louisville-based Protect Environmental and will integrate it into its national environmental services platform currently operating as RB Home Services, retiring the RB Home Services name in favor of the Protect Environmental brand. Protect Environmental — a leader in radon and chemical vapor intrusion consulting and mitigation — will serve as the cornerstone of the platform's expanded commercial capabilities and will relocate its headquarters to Louisville, Kentucky, with CEO Kyle Hoylman remaining in leadership.
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- Buyer
- Resource Environmental Solutions (RES)
- Target
- Redwing Ecological Services Inc.
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Buyout
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.
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September 29, 2020
- Buyer
- ALL4, JMH Capital Partners
- Target
- Smith Management Group
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Addon
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.
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February 4, 2020
- Buyer
- HEPACO, LLC, Gryphon Investors
- Target
- Evergreen AES Environmental Services
- Seller
- Jerry McCandless, Kendrick McCandless, Jennifer Lanham
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Location
- Kentucky, United States
- Type
- Addon
HEPACO, a Gryphon Investors–backed provider of emergency response and environmental services, has acquired Evergreen AES Environmental Services from Jerry McCandless, Kendrick McCandless, and Jennifer Lanham. The acquisition adds Evergreen AES's four regional locations and capabilities (remediation, emergency response and waste management), expanding HEPACO's footprint across the Mid-Central and Midwest and bringing the combined company to nearly 850 employees and 49 locations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which acquirers are most frequently represented in Kentucky environmental services deals?
Recurring names include SER Capital Partners, Visterra Landscape Group, Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), Rockbridge Growth Equity, Caltius Equity Partners, HEPACO, LLC, Gryphon Investors, Valicor Environmental Services, and Gauge Capital.
What types of environmental services are involved in these Kentucky transactions?
The deals cover multiple subsectors, including environmental remediation and ash/byproduct recycling, radon and chemical vapor intrusion mitigation, environmental consulting (air quality and multimedia EHS), ecological permitting/mitigation, wastewater and sludge hauling, and commercial landscaping services.
Do the deals include both acquisitions and investments?
Yes. The page includes both acquisitions (e.g., Gauge Capital → Aphix, Valicor Environmental Services → Affordable Waste Management) and a growth investment (e.g., Caltius Equity Partners → APHIX).
Is there a deal in 2025 that is not an M&A transaction?
Yes. One 2025 entry notes that no M&A transaction was found in the provided source, describing a SpringGreen franchise announcement about new franchise owners in Richmond, Kentucky rather than an environmental M&A deal.