VLS Expands Railcar Services With Acquisition of Safety Railway Service
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
VLS' Hockley, Texas facility.
VLS Environmental Solutions, LLC (VLS), a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, has announced that it is expanding its railcar services footprint from three to 12 locations with the recent acquisition of Victoria, Texas-based Safety Railway Service (SRS), a full-service railcar repair and fabrication company. Terms of the transactions have not yet been disclosed but VLS says SRS will operate within the company’s Railcar Cleaning and Repair Services division.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to move from railcar cleaning and light repair work to extensive, full-service cleaning and repair services,” said VLS CEO John Magee, who joined VLS in February 2020 from Crane Worldwide Logistics, replacing VLS Founder Mike Dilick, who transitioned to an oversight and advisory role as a member of the VLS Board of Directors.
“This demonstrates our continued commitment to leading ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices. We are recognized as an industry leader in customized cleaning solutions, and we will apply those same sustainable practices and principles to our expanded Railcar Cleaning and Repair Services client base,” Magee added.
“It’s a game changer, and truly makes us an industry leader in railcar servicing,” said VLS VP of Railcar Services David Carter. “VLS provides mission-critical, customized waste and specialty cleaning and repair services to a variety of highly regulated industries specializing in highly hazardous chemical cleaning. Together, we can provide clients full repair from top to bottom. Further, this acquisition extends our reach to the national level, enabling us to better serve our customers with the additional locations.”
With this acquisition, VLS, which, in addition to providing railcar services, also provides waste and marine services, says it now has more than 900 employees in 36 locations across the country.
