WASCO acquired by REXEL

The global safety science leader has successfully finalized the acquisition of a specialized Spanish testing and certification body, marking a strategic expansion of its renewable energy capabilities in Europe. This transaction represents a definitive move to deepen technical operational depth in grid code compliance and grid simulation services, specifically targeting the high-growth sectors of inverter-based resources and electric vehicle adoption. The strategic rationale for the move centers on the acquirer's objective to support global energy transition goals by providing enhanced simulation and certification infrastructure for sustainable energy systems.

SER Capital Partners acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Charah Solutions, transitioning the company from a public listing to private ownership. The strategic rationale for the acquisition lies in aligning Charah’s essential environmental remediation services with SER’s specialized focus on sustainable industrial infrastructure. By taking the company private, SER aims to provide the necessary long-term capital and operational flexibility to execute complex, multi-year remediation projects for utility customers without the volatility of public markets. The transaction allows Charah to leverage SER’s deep expertise in renewable energy and environmental regulation to expand its footprint in the ash pond closure and site redevelopment sectors. This partnership is designed to strengthen Charah's position as a preferred sustainability partner for utilities facing increasing regulatory pressure to decommission legacy coal infrastructure and restore industrial sites for future green energy use.

The strategic rationale for this transformational acquisition is to significantly expand the Group’s B2B service range and establish a scaled operational platform in Continental Europe. Pirtek provides a high-quality infrastructure of service centers and mobile vans that Franchise Brands intends to use as a launchpad for its existing brands into new European markets. The transaction advances the board's goal of becoming a diversified international franchisor with balanced geographic revenue. To finance the deal, Franchise Brands utilized a combination of a £90 million equity placing, a £55 million term loan, and a £55 million revolving credit facility. The acquisition integrates a business with a 19% 5-year CAGR in underlying profits, providing immediate accretion to group earnings and strengthening its portfolio of mission-critical services.

Solomat Location acquired Termaloc from its founder Franck Feret to accelerate its territorial expansion. This marks Solomat's 8th acquisition since 2014, specifically targeting the Normandy region to complement its existing network in Burgundy, Centre, and Ile-de-France.

SNCF and DWS sold their 100% stake in Akiem to CDPQ. This landmark transaction in the rail sector follows the divestment of Ermewa and aims to position Akiem as a key platform for the decarbonization of transport in Europe by investing in new, sustainable locomotive fleets.

Element Materials Technology Group has acquired 100% of National Technical Systems (NTS) from the middle-market private equity firm Aurora Capital Partners. This transaction follows the acquisition of Element by Temasek earlier in 2020 and represents a major strategic move to consolidate the North American TIC market. Under Aurora’s ownership since 2019, NTS underwent an active add-on acquisition program that expanded its geographic breadth and service suite. The strategic rationale for Element is to gain immediate scale and complementary sector knowledge in the United States, particularly in the space, defense, and power sectors. By integrating NTS’s 29 laboratories, Element significantly enhances its "connected technologies" portfolio and its ability to serve more than 50,000 customers worldwide. To support the increased demand following the combination, Element announced plans to hire 1,000 new employees over the next two years.

The acquisition of Phenna Group by Oakley Capital marks a decisive shift in the organization's trajectory, transitioning the group from a minority-held partnership under Inflexion to a majority-controlled industrial platform. The strategic rationale for this transaction centers on a "platform-acceleration" play, merging the target’s industry-leading technical operational depth in the TICC sector with the acquirer’s proven expertise in executing complex buy-and-build roadmaps. This structural alignment provides the organization with the institutional capital and strategic hardware required to address the increasing demand for specialized compliance and safety certification across global supply chains. his operation allows the organization to execute a definitive structural expansion of its service capabilities, building upon the momentum of 23 bolt-on acquisitions completed in the 18 months prior to the exit. By incorporating the sponsor's strategic discipline, the group is now positioned to leverage its recognized leadership in mission-critical workflows to drive deeper market penetration in high-potential geographic zones.

Baker Hughes has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the total share capital of a specialized asset integrity organization from a publicly-traded industrial services group. This strategic transaction represents a significant expansion of the acquirer's Digital Solutions segment, specifically enhancing its "Process & Pipeline Services" product line. The strategic rationale for the move centers on the acquirer's objective to broaden its technical operational depth in specialty inspection markets, targeting infrastructure segments that were historically unreachable by standard diagnostic tools. By incorporating these technical specialists, the organization reinforces its ability to serve mission-critical petrochemical and refining clients with advanced furnace tube and jet fuel line diagnostics. The partnership is designed to leverage the acquirer's massive global footprint and digital reality infrastructure to scale the target's proprietary robotic inspection technologies. This integration facilitates the development of a uniquely integrated asset management platform, providing the strategic depth required to navigate the increasing complexity of global industrial infrastructure maintenance. The move follows a disciplined strategy of inorganic growth in the non-destructive testing and robotics space to support the broader energy transition.

LoxamHune acquired Arteixo Maquinaria to consolidate its leadership in the Spanish market. This tactical acquisition allows Loxam to cover the Galician "white spot" in its national network. By integrating 50 employees and two strategic branches, LoxamHune strengthens its proximity service in a major industrial and logistics hub of Spain.

Loxam acquired Sofranel to strengthen its footprint in the Hauts-de-France region. This tactical move was seen as a bold expansion into the "home turf" of its main rivals (Kiloutou and Acces Industrie). The integration added 8 agencies and approx. 70 employees to Loxam's national network.