VLS Environmental acquires Texas Molecular

VLS Environmental, a Houston-based environmental services company and a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, has acquired Texas Molecular, one of the largest independent providers of industrial waste sequestration services in the U.S.

With the acquisition, VLS has expanded its environmental services capabilities into hazardous waste processing and sequestration. The company says this will help it better serve the diverse and growing needs of its industrial customers across North America.

With facilities in Deer Park and Corpus Christi, Texas, Texas Molecular specializes in handling, treatment and sequestration of various liquid hazardous and nonhazardous industrial wastes. The company manages more than 75 million gallons annually under its Environmental Protection Agency Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Underground Injection Control Class 1 Hazardous Waste permits using industry-tested technology to sequester waste safely and permanently, VLS says.

According to VLS, Texas Molecular has a long track record of operational excellence and safety performance that VLS is committed to maintaining.

Texas Molecular CEO Chris Lobue and President Jimmy Bracher have joined VLS to spearhead the company’s expansion into hazardous waste processing and sequestration, with Lobue joining VLS as vice president of hazardous waste and Bracher as vice president of hazardous waste sales.

John Magee, CEO of VLS, says, “We are excited to expand our suite of environmental services to include hazardous waste processing. This acquisition is a great strategic fit for VLS and consistent with our vision of building a leading environmental services platform in North America. Chris, Jimmy and their team have earned the trust of their customers for more than four decades by providing safe and reliable waste sequestration for a wide variety of waste types and we welcome them to the VLS team.”

“This acquisition is a big win for all the stakeholders involved, including our customers, vendors and employees,” Lobue says. “Becoming part of VLS will allow our customers and employees to benefit from a larger environmental services platform with greater resources to support growth. We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”

The combined company has more than 1,000 employees and 38 locations nationwide. The acquisition of Texas Molecular is the 11th by VLS since 2017 and the third in the last 12 months. VLS says it is actively pursuing organic and inorganic opportunities to continue to expand its environmental services capabilities to support the waste processing needs of its customers.

Brown Gibbons Lang & Co., Cleveland, served as exclusive financial advisor, and Nathan Sommers Jacobs P.C. & Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Houston, served as legal advisors to Texas Molecular. Houlihan Lokey, Los Angeles, served as the exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, served as the legal advisor to VLS and I Squared Capital.