Tradebe Environmental Services acquires Aaron Oil Company

The acquisition expands Tradebe's geographical reach in industrial and field services.


Tradebe Environmental Services LLC, a Merrillville, Indiana-based subsidiary of international waste management company Tradebe, has announced it acquired Aaron Oil Company Inc. of Mobile, Alabama in February. The company will be renamed Aaron Oil Company LLC and will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Tradebe Environmental Services LLC.

Aaron Oil has provided environmental services to Alabama and the Gulf Coast since 1981. The company, which employs approximately 100 people, operates an oil collection and recycling facility in Saraland, Alabama, with additional marine service operations in Mobile, Alabama, and Berwick, Louisiana.

Tradebe is a waste management company serving various markets, including industrial, manufacturing, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas and more.

“Daniel Alan Cowart, my late husband, began driving a used oil collection truck throughout the city of Mobile and the Gulf Coast area as a high school job. In 1981, he founded Aaron Oil Company, a leader in the reclamation and recycling of petroleum products. He encouraged me, before his passing, to look for the next right fit for Aaron Oil,” says Lauren Cortelyou Cowart, chairwoman of the Aaron Oil board. “The board of directors determined that Tradebe was that next right fit. I believe Aaron Oil and Tradebe to be complementary to each other in shared values, employee longevity and proven performance. I am confident that Dan would be pleased by this acquisition, and I’m excited for Aaron Oil’s next chapter as part of the Tradebe family.”

In the U.S., Tradebe’s network of facilities includes treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDFs) permitted by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and regional service centers positioned throughout the country. Tradebe maintains a transportation fleet operating throughout the network to service its clients’ diverse transport requirements.

With this acquisition, Tradebe says its service portfolio expands its geographical reach in industrial and field services, used oil collection and recycling, petroleum (tank bottom) recycling and maritime services.

“Aaron Oil was founded as a family-owned company and that culture was evident as our team explored the opportunity to acquire the company.  It became clear that their team is a special group – hard-working, talented and dedicated to their work and providing excellent customer service,” says Jeff Beswick, the CEO of Tradebe USA. “Tradebe is very proud to incorporate the Aaron Oil family into our organization. This acquisition will leverage the combined expertise and service offerings of Tradebe and Aaron Oil to provide significant opportunities to serve our business in the southeastern U.S. and especially along the Gulf Coast”.  

Tradebe says the ongoing strategy and commitment of Aaron Oil to reclamation and recycling is aligned with its focus on sustainable waste management. With this acquisition complete, Tradebe now employs over 2,500 people and operates 82 locations worldwide, 25 of which are in the U.S.