ATLANTA -- Artera Services ("Artera"), one of the nation's industry-leading providers of essential infrastructure services to the natural gas and electric industries, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire K.R. Swerdfeger Construction Inc. ("KRSC"). KRSC is a strong strategic fit for Artera, providing expansion of its core gas distribution services into Colorado and New Mexico while strengthening its existing water and wastewater service offerings.
Located in Pueblo West, Colorado, KRSC was founded in 1968 by Keith and Sharon Swerdfeger. KRSC is a leading provider of natural gas distribution and water infrastructure services, with a focus on the repair and renewal of existing underground infrastructure. KRSC is a well-respected second-generation family-owned company. The Company employs over 350 team members with exceptional leadership and core values that are well aligned with those of Artera. KRSC will operate as a new Mountain region within Miller Pipeline, an Artera gas distribution business unit, with President Raymond Swerdfeger continuing in his leadership role and Keith Swerdfeger serving as a senior advisor to the business.
"KRSC aligns well with our core business strategy and expands our geographic coverage of the western U.S.," declared Brian Palmer, CEO of Artera. "The Miller and KRSC teams will complement one another nicely as they continue to provide world-class services to our existing and new customers."
"This combination with KRSC will expand our geographic coverage and further enhance our leadership in gas distribution and water infrastructure services," said Dale Anderson, President of Miller Pipeline. "KRSC's shared commitment toward safety, and providing high-quality and reliable services to its customer base make them a natural and complementary fit with Miller. We look forward to welcoming Raymond and the KRSC team, and collectively, we look forward to the opportunities this presents for our people, our business, and our customers."
"We look forward to this next step for our company and our employees, and I look forward to leading the continuous growth of KRSC," said Raymond Swerdfeger, President of KRSC. "This is a great opportunity to join Dale and the Miller Pipeline team. We will continue providing the same high-level of quality service and commitment that our customers have come to expect from KRSC, backed now with additional resources and industry-leading experience needed to take KRSC to the next level."
Eversheds Sutherland and Debevoise & Plimpton are serving as legal counsel to Artera. FMI Capital Advisors served as financial advisor to KRSC. Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher is serving as legal counsel to KRSC.
