MIAMI, FL – (May 8, 2014) Trivest Partners (“Trivest”) announces an investment in Columbus Recycling (“Columbus” or the “Company”), a leading provider of ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling services with five facilities located in Mississippi and Tennessee. Gregg Rader, Columbus’ CEO, along with the Company’s current management team will continue to lead daily operations. The Columbus Recycling transaction represents the fourth platform company investment in Trivest Fund V, a $415 million fund dedicated to investing in Founder/Family-owned businesses.
Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Columbus, Mississippi, Columbus Recycling provides sourcing, logistics management, materials sorting, cutting, baling and upgrading of both ferrous and non-ferrous materials. The Company’s customers/suppliers are primarily high quality industrial equipment manufacturers in a wide range of end markets. Columbus’ consumers/buyers include electric arc furnace (EAF) facilities, foundries and other steel processing operators across the Southeast. Columbus Recycling’s history of honesty, integrity and a deep focus on customer service has enabled the business to benefit from strong customer retention and continue its regional expansion.
Columbus’ CEO Gregg Rader stated, “After careful consideration, we determined that Trivest was the right partner to assist Columbus Recycling with its next phase of growth. Trivest shares our culture of honesty, transparency and hard work. In addition, Trivest has a long track record of successfully supporting well run founder and family owned businesses in the Southeast. The goal of the Columbus Recycling management teams remains the same – to earn the trust and confidence of our business partners by delivering best-in-class service and high quality material. In addition, we plan to work closely with Trivest to consider prudent add-on acquisitions that will allow Columbus to expand its service offerings and/or geographic footprint.”
Russ Wilson, Chairman of Columbus and Partner at Trivest, stated, “Gregg and the Columbus Recycling team have done a remarkable job of building a service-centric business that prioritizes the Company’s key partners. In the metal recycling market, integrity and reliability are paramount. Columbus has developed a culture that reflects these values at every level of the organization. In addition, the Company is an extremely efficient operator with deep market knowledge and advantageous yard locations. This model allows Columbus to pay fair prices for material while delivering a compelling value proposition to both customers and consumers.”
About Trivest Partners:
Trivest Partners is a private investment firm that focuses on partnering with founder/family-owned businesses in the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 200 transactions, totaling over $5.0 billion in value. For additional information, please visit www.trivest.com.
