Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) has acquired Uintah Engineering & Land Surveying, a provider of surveying and related services to the energy industry. Uintah was a portfolio company of Moelis Capital Partners.
Uintah is a provider of surveying, drafting, and engineering services to the upstream and midstream oil & gas industry, specializing in the layout and design of well locations, roads, pipelines, evaporation ponds, compressor sites, and other related facilities. Due to federal, state, and local requirements, land rights, and operator data needs, all work within the oil & gas services sector requires a survey. Uintah has 200 employees that organize into 75 crews operating across eight basins via ten regional offices servicing more than 180 national exploration and production operators as customers. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Vernal, UT (www.uintahgroup.com).
“The Uintah investment is a great fit for our portfolio and nicely aligns with our strategy of partnering with profitable and growing companies within the oil & gas sector, as well as with our continued higher-level focus on the energy infrastructure industry,” said Tim Kuehl, a NEP partner.
Norwest Equity Partners makes equity investments of $30 million to $150 million in companies operating in the agriculture, applied technology, business services, consumer products and services, distribution, diversified industrials, and healthcare sectors. The firm manages $5 billion of capital through a series of equity and mezzanine limited partnerships and is currently investing NEP IX with $1.2 billion in capital. Norwest Equity Partners is headquartered in Minneapolis (www.nep.com).
“NEP is impressed with Uintah’s strong value proposition, long-term customer relationships, industry leadership, and solid financial performance. With a proprietary in-house database of almost 50 years of surveying and field work, Uintah offers outstanding service, quality and accuracy. We look forward to working with Tracy Henline, CEO, and his management team to continue to grow the business,” said Brian Allingham, a NEP principal.
“I am very proud of Uintah’s growth and success over the years and am excited about our company’s future with Norwest Equity Partners,” said Mr. Henline. “Both of our companies have a heritage dating back to the early 1960s, and we share many of the same values, including the importance of maintaining long-standing relationships. NEP’s investment capital and deep industry experience over the years will help Uintah achieve our ongoing growth plans and mission of providing the best surveying, drafting and engineering services possible.”
Financing for this transaction was provided by GE Capital. William Blair & Company and Moelis & Company served as financial advisors to Uintah.
2014 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 9-11-14
