Trive Capital, with Sidekick Operators, Forms OWL Services

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Sep 26, 2022, 10:19 ET

Greg Ergenbright Appointed Chief Executive Officer

DALLAS, Sept. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trive Capital, a Dallas, TX-based private equity firm, along with strategic operating partner, SideKick Operators, announces the formation of OWL Services ("OWL" or the "Company"), the leading sales, installation, program management, and service provider to petroleum and clean energy companies across North America.

The Company is the result of the recent acquisition of seven industry leading businesses—including, WildcoPES, CBE, Crompco, e-Structure Solutions, Great Dane Petroleum, JBI Electrical Systems and Oscar W. Larson Company ("Oscar Larson"). Oscar Larson's accomplished management team, skilled staff and technicians, and state-of-the-art technology platform, combined with the expert service offering of these six other leading companies, are the foundation of the OWL Services platform.

OWL Services will be headquartered in the Metro Detroit area, and has 21 offices and more than 1,300 field service professionals located across the U.S. OWL provides integrated solutions for all facets of the petroleum convenience and electric vehicle markets, including security, point-of-sale, environmental compliance, and petroleum convenience and EV charging station design, construction, and maintenance.

Greg Ergenbright, former President of U.S. Operations for Schindler Elevator Group, joins the newly formed company as its Chief Executive Officer. A 30-year equipment, construction, and maintenance veteran, Ergenbright is a strategic and collaborative leader with a demonstrated record of success building business and driving high-performance cultures focused on operational excellence.

"It's an exciting and transformative time—not only for OWL, but also for our industry," says Ergenbright. "By combining the capabilities and strengths of these seven businesses, we have created a turnkey solutions company that will shape and define the future of how we fuel and power our vehicles. I'm thrilled to be a part of this transformation."

Beyond its existing offering, OWL will continue to invest in its already industry-leading eMobility services. The Company is a premier partner for fast-charging original equipment manufacturers and customers looking for a solutions provider that can comprehensively build, operate, and manage the electrical charging infrastructure needed to support the rising number of electric vehicles in the U.S. "OWL is fully equipped to take on the unique demands of electrification safely, efficiently, and sustainably, just as our partner companies have done for decades with petroleum equipment," says Ergenbright.

Blake Bonner, Partner at Trive Capital, added, "We are thrilled to announce the formation of OWL Services and onboarding of Greg Ergenbright after completing seven transactions in less than two years from the original acquisition of Oscar W. Larson. We have built a differentiated facility maintenance platform to address the unprecedented challenges faced by OWL customers in managing electrification while also maintaining existing infrastructure. OWL is another example of Trive's ability to serve as the preferred partner for owner-operators who want to quickly execute a shared strategic plan."

"It has been an honor working side-by-side with the tremendous leadership of these companies," says SideKick CEO Justin Steen. "For over 70 years, OWL's leadership team has fostered a culture of service excellence, fueling the future of these combined organizations. They understand the importance of relentless service to its customers 24/7/365, which positions OWL as the nation's partner of choice for maintaining existing infrastructure and future innovations."

About OWL Services

Headquartered in the Metro Detroit area with over 21 offices and 1,300 field service staff, OWL Services is the leading sales, installation, program management, and service provider to petroleum and clean energy companies nationally. OWL keeps America fueled up, plugged in and on the go 24/7/365 days a year. The Company's portfolio of brands includes:

Oscar W. Larson Company is the Midwest leader in full-service petroleum and fluid handling equipment contracting for more than 75 years.
WildcoPES is the East Coast's leading distributor of comprehensive vehicle fueling equipment sales, maintenance, inspection, testing and construction management services.
CBE is a leading supplier and service provider of in-store technologies, including point-of-sale systems, video surveillance, alarms, audio, network infrastructure and digital signage.
Crompco is the nation's leader in environmental compliance management, site inspection, and managed and information services that are designed and supported specifically for today's underground storage tank owners.
e-Structure Solutions is the leader in electrifying gas stations, parking lots, parking garages, shopping malls, office parks and more.
Great Dane Petroleum is a full-service petroleum and general contractor covering the Southeastern U.S.
JBI Electrical Systems is a nationally recognized and award-winning provider of electrical systems that cater to clients in a diverse range of industries.

Learn more about OWL and its services, as well as employment opportunities, at www.owlservices.com

About Trive Capital

Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm with more than $4 billion of regulatory assets under management. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement. We seek to maximize returns through a hands-on partnership that calls for identifying and implementing value creation ideas.

The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 100 middle-market transactions representing more than $6 billion in revenue across Trive's targeted industry sectors and situations.

About SideKick Operators

For more than four decades, the partners of SideKick Operators have been building long lasting and sustainable companies across North America. SideKick is a strategic operating partner investing in mission critical trades providing repair, maintenance, inspection and testing services. SideKick joins in partnership with business leaders to build national brand reputations through operational excellence. SideKick comes from a history of deep-rooted appreciation for founder and family-owned businesses.

SOURCE Trive Capital