Veolia acquires US Industrial Technologies

Veolia North America, a Boston-based provider of environmental services in the United States and Canada, has acquired U.S. Industrial Technologies (USIT), a Michigan-based waste and recycling services provider.

USIT has managed industrial waste streams for automakers, other large manufacturers, medium and small businesses and governments and municipalities since 1996.

Veolia says the acquisition will expand the U.S. market share for its Environmental Solutions and Services (ESS) division, which provides services for the management and treatment of hazardous, nonhazardous and recyclable waste.

The transaction includes the acquisition of USIT’s main operational location in Livonia, Michigan, and another operation in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Livonia center serves as a collection and storage location for complex waste streams from a variety of customers, Veolia says, most notably in the manufacturing sector. USIT employs more than 70 people at company-owned and customer facilities.

Veolia says the acquisition will serve to reinforce its commitment to the depollution of the planet’s ground and water resources, using recycling and other innovations to eliminate the impact of hazardous waste materials on the environment.

“This represents a strategic expansion of scope in terms of volume for [Veolia’s] hazardous waste business, which has a well-established reputation for service excellence and continues to grow to meet the challenges and demands across the U.S. for the safe, sustainable management of complex waste streams,” says Bob Cappadona, president and CEO of Veolia North America’s ESS business. “We believe this acquisition is fully consistent with the overall vision and purpose of Veolia North America to provide services that meet the needs of our customers and, most importantly, helps our mission to lead the ecological transformation of the planet.”

Jerome Prezekop, owner of USIT, says he was pleased to work with Veolia to complete the transaction. 

“This marks a logical and strategic next step for USIT, which has been able to build a strong foothold among its customers and is now poised to accelerate its growth potential through the affiliation with Veolia,” he says. “I have a deep appreciation for Veolia’s culture of safety and compliance and its team-based commitment to customer service, which is the foundation for USIT’s success as well.”

The Veolia ESS business provides a full range of waste management services, including collection, transportation, recycling and disposal. With the acquisition of USIT, the company will now employ more than 2,300 people at 200 locations across the country, providing services for large manufacturers in fields such as technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and agriculture chemicals. Veolia says it will also be developing solutions for the recycling and repurposing of wind turbine blades and industrial solvents.