Warren Equity Partners acquires two companies in Georgia

ATLANTA – Warren Equity Partners, a lower middle market private equity fund, has acquired Gunnison Tree Services and New Urban Forestry.

Gunnison, based in Atlanta, is a provider of comprehensive tree and vegetation management services to utility, government, residential, and commercial customers in the Southeastern United States. NUF, based in Athens, Georgia, is a local provider of residential and commercial tree removal, arborist and management services. Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

Warren Equity recapitalized Gunnison in partnership with Matt Cathell, who founded the company in 1999 as a residential provider of tree removal services within the greater Atlanta area. Cathell will maintain a significant equity ownership alongside Warren Equity in the transaction and will remain CEO of the company going forward. NUF will run as a separate subsidiary within the company.

“We are excited to partner with Matt and the Gunnison team. Our firm has conducted in-depth research on the vegetation management industry over the last few years and identified Gunnison as a high value target due to its strong reputation for technical expertise, safety, and reliability,” said Michael Zhang, vice president at Warren Equity. “Gunnison provides critical services to maintain aging electric infrastructure, and we believe we are well-positioned to help the Company grow both organically and through accretive acquisitions.”

“We chose to partner with Warren Equity because of their knowledge of the utility services industry and experience in building and scaling similar types of businesses,” said Matt Cathell, CEO of Gunnison. “We are excited to bring in a partner who understands our business and who will provide valuable stewardship during our next phase of growth.”

Citizens M&A Advisory served as the exclusive financial advisor to Gunnison Tree Services.