ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warren Equity Partners (“Warren Equity”), a lower middle market private equity fund, is pleased to announce the acquisitions of Gunnison Tree Services, LLC (“Gunnison Tree Services”, “Gunnison Tree Specialists”, or “Gunnison”) and New Urban Forestry, LLC (“NUF”) (together, the “Company”). Gunnison, based in Atlanta, GA, is a leading provider of comprehensive tree and vegetation management services to utility, government, residential, and commercial customers in the Southeastern United States. NUF, based in Athens, GA, is a leading local provider of residential and commercial tree removal, arborist, and management services. Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Warren Equity recapitalized Gunnison in partnership with Matt Cathell, who founded the Company in 1999 as a residential provider of tree removal services within the greater Atlanta area. Mr. Cathell will maintain a significant equity ownership alongside Warren Equity in the transaction and will remain Chief Executive Officer of the Company going forward. NUF will run as a separate subsidiary within the Company.
“We are excited to partner with Matt and the Gunnison team. Our firm has conducted in-depth research on the vegetation management industry over the last few years and identified Gunnison as a high value target due to its strong reputation for technical expertise, safety, and reliability,” said Michael Zhang, Vice President at Warren Equity. “Gunnison provides critical services to maintain aging electric infrastructure, and we believe we are well-positioned to help the Company grow both organically and through accretive acquisitions.”
Gunnison provides comprehensive tree management services, with a specialization in highly technical tree removals. After starting over 20 years ago with a used truck and trailer, Mr. Cathell has quickly grown Gunnison’s service offerings and customer base across multiple states due to its reputation for reliability and quality service. Today, Gunnison is a critical vendor for numerous utilities and government entities, including Georgia Power, SCANA Energy, and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“We chose to partner with Warren Equity because of their knowledge of the utility services industry and experience in building and scaling similar types of businesses,” said Matt Cathell, CEO of Gunnison. “We are excited to bring in a partner who understands our business and who will provide valuable stewardship during our next phase of growth.”
This transaction is Warren Equity Partners’ tenth platform investment since its formation in mid-2015. In addition to Gunnison, Warren Equity has completed five other platform investments in Warren Equity Partners Fund II and its affiliates: Meridian Waste, a non-hazardous provider of solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services; SIMCO, a provider of corrosion protection services; StormTrap, a leading designer and engineer of stormwater management systems; M&D Distributors, an aftermarket distributor and rebuilder of diesel engine parts and components; and a utility services business that provides overhead power line maintenance, substation maintenance, and storm response services for electric utilities.
About Warren Equity Partners
Warren Equity Partners is a private equity firm that invests in small and middle market operating companies primarily in North America. The firm invests in established companies where additional capital and operating resources can accelerate growth, targeting companies in the industrial services, industrial products, business services, and distribution sectors. Warren Equity invests in the form of buyouts, growth equity, and recapitalizations. For more information, please visit www.warrenequity.com.
About Gunnison Tree Services
Since 1999, Gunnison Tree Services has been providing prompt and professional tree care services to the greater Atlanta area. We pride ourselves in providing old fashioned customer service by listening to the needs of our clients and providing services that work best for their needs and their budget. From low impact tree removal to selective pruning, Gunnison Tree Services will work hard until the customer is happy. For more information, please visit www.gunnisontree.com.
About New Urban Forestry
New Urban Forestry is owned and managed by International Society of Arboriculture (I.S.A.) Certified Arborists. New Urban Forestry is Athens' only tree service qualified to perform tree risk assessments (TRAQ Certified) and our arborist technicians are skilled, trained, safe, and efficient. Our staff receives rigorous industry specific training and work according to all industry standards, which means New Urban Forestry provides cost-effective tree management solutions and a no-worry approach to caring for our customer's trees. In addition, we help prioritize our work to meet our customer tree management needs, budget, and schedule. For more information, please visit http://www.newurbanforestry.com.
