Platte River Buys Chemtech-Ford

Platte River Equity has completed the acquisition of Chemtech Ford Laboratories, a provider of environmental and analytical services.

Chemtech-Ford specializes in laboratory testing services for drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil, hazardous waste, and surface water for municipalities responsible for public water systems, industrial operators with wastewater treatment obligations, and government agencies conducting environmental oversight.

Chemtech-Ford’s services support regulatory compliance, public health monitoring, and environmental safety, with customers relying on the firm for routine monitoring, emergency testing, and regulatory audits. The company can test water, soil, air, and waste materials using methods approved by the EPA, SM (Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater), and ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), and it holds NELAP (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program) accreditation for water, soil, air, and waste stream analysis.

Two examples of services provided by Chemtech-Ford include testing drinking water for metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury, and wastewater Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) testing to measure the oxygen required by microorganisms to break down organic matter—an essential compliance metric for water treatment plants.

Platte River’s acquisition of Chemtech Ford is based on the firm’s strategy to invest in companies that are active in environmental consulting, testing, and services that have recurring, compliance-driven revenues. As a result, the water testing sector emerged as a key focus for Platte River due to its role in public health and regulatory compliance, with stable demand driven by routine testing, audits, and long-term servicing needs.

“We identified environmental testing as a pillar of public health and regulatory stability through our environmental services thesis,” said Mike Reilly, a principal at Platte River. “Chemtech represents an excellent foundation to build a platform that delivers essential testing to a broad customer base.”

Denver-headquartered Platte River makes equity investments ranging from $25 million to $100 million in lower middle-market companies with annual revenues of $20 million to $250 million and EBITDA between $7 million and $30 million. The firm’s sectors of interest include aerospace and transportation, energy products and services, industrial products and services, and agriculture and chemicals.

“We are excited to welcome Chemtech to the Platte River family. Its reputation for data quality, rapid turnaround times, and customer service has created a sustainable competitive advantage,” said Peter Calamari, a managing director at Platte River.

Chemtech-Ford, led by President Rex Henderson since 1982, and Vice President Paul Ellingson, was founded in 1953 and is headquartered near Salt Lake City in Sandy, Utah.

“We are thrilled to partner with Platte River,” said Mr. Henderson. “The firm’s industry understanding and support will enable us to expand our footprint, invest in new capabilities, and continue delivering the quality and responsiveness our customers rely on.”

Raymond James was the financial advisor to Platte River.

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