Trive Capital, with SideKick Operators, forms OWL Services

Trive Capital, a Dallas, Texas-based private equity firm, along with strategic operating partner, SideKick Operators, announces the formation of OWL Services, a sales, installation, program management, and service provider to petroleum and clean energy companies across North America.

The Company is the result of the recent acquisition of seven industry leading businesses—including, WildcoPES, CBE, Crompco, e-Structure Solutions, Great Dane Petroleum, JBI Electrical Systems and Oscar W. Larson Company (“Oscar Larson”).  Oscar Larson’s accomplished management team, skilled staff and technicians, and state-of-the-art technology platform, combined with the expert service offering of these six other leading companies, are the foundation of the OWL Services platform.

OWL Services will be headquartered in the Metro Detroit area, and has 21 offices and more than 1,300 field service professionals located across the U.S.  OWL provides integrated solutions for all facets of the petroleum convenience and electric vehicle markets, including security, point-of-sale, environmental compliance, and petroleum convenience and EV charging station design, construction, and maintenance.

Greg Ergenbright, former President of U.S. Operations for Schindler Elevator Group, joins the newly formed company as its Chief Executive Officer. A 30-year equipment, construction, and maintenance veteran, Ergenbright is a strategic and collaborative leader with a demonstrated record of success building business and driving high-performance cultures focused on operational excellence.

“It’s an exciting and transformative time—not only for OWL, but also for our industry,” says Ergenbright. “By combining the capabilities and strengths of these seven businesses, we have created a turnkey solutions company that will shape and define the future of how we fuel and power our vehicles. I’m thrilled to be a part of this transformation.” 

Beyond its existing offering, OWL will continue to invest in its already industry-leading eMobility services. The Company is a premier partner for fast-charging original equipment manufacturers and customers looking for a solutions provider that can comprehensively build, operate, and manage the electrical charging infrastructure needed to support the rising number of electric vehicles in the U.S.  “OWL is fully equipped to take on the unique demands of electrification safely, efficiently, and sustainably, just as our partner companies have done for decades with petroleum equipment,” says Ergenbright.

Blake Bonner, Partner at Trive Capital, added, “We are thrilled to announce the formation of OWL Services and onboarding of Greg Ergenbright after completing seven transactions in less than two years from the original acquisition of Oscar W. Larson. We have built a differentiated facility maintenance platform to address the unprecedented challenges faced by OWL customers in managing electrification while also maintaining existing infrastructure. OWL is another example of Trive’s ability to serve as the preferred partner for owner-operators who want to quickly execute a shared strategic plan.”

“It has been an honor working side-by-side with the tremendous leadership of these companies,” says SideKick CEO Justin Steen. “For over 70 years, OWL’s leadership team has fostered a culture of service excellence, fueling the future of these combined organizations.  They understand the importance of relentless service to its customers 24/7/365, which positions OWL as the nation’s partner of choice for maintaining existing infrastructure and future innovations.”