Vannguard Utility Partners Forms Strategic Partnership with Trivest to Accelerate Growth and Strengthen Commitment to Utility Safety
Vannguard Utility Partners (“Vannguard” or the “Company”), a trusted leader in contract utility locating services across the Midwest, announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Trivest Partners (“Trivest”), a Miami-based private equity firm with over four decades of experience investing in and supporting founder-led businesses. This partnership marks a pivotal milestone in Vannguard’s journey as it positions itself for its next phase of growth, while maintaining its unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and reliability in the protection of critical infrastructure.
The investment comes through the Trivest Recognition Fund, a platform designed to support founder and family-owned businesses that have reached significant scale and are ready to accelerate expansion. Trivest, known for its focus on empowering founders while preserving their legacy and culture, views Vannguard as a strong fit for its strategy of backing companies with proven track records and clear opportunities for long-term growth.
A Legacy of Protecting Critical Utilities
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in DeForest, Wisconsin, Vannguard Utility Partners has built its reputation as a premier provider of contract utility locating services. Its mission has remained clear from the beginning: to protect communities, utility infrastructure, and workers by preventing damage to essential gas and electric utilities.
For more than two decades, Vannguard has supported leading utility providers across multiple states, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Colorado. The Company specializes in locating underground utilities with precision and care, ensuring that infrastructure projects, excavations, and construction activities do not compromise vital energy systems.
Vannguard’s expertise is particularly critical in safeguarding high-consequence utilities such as natural gas pipelines and electric transmission networks. These systems are not only costly to repair if damaged but also pose significant risks to public safety. By offering accurate and dependable utility locating services, Vannguard plays an essential role in damage prevention, infrastructure reliability, and community safety.
Partnership with Trivest: A Step Toward the Future
Vannguard will continue to be led by its founder and Chief Executive Officer, Randy Bern, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental in shaping the Company’s success over the past 25 years. Bern expressed enthusiasm for the new partnership, highlighting Trivest’s experience with essential services and their commitment to supporting founder-owned businesses.
“We are excited by the Trivest partnership and their experience in essential services and underground infrastructure, as well as their reputation for supporting founder-owned businesses,” said Bern. “With Trivest’s support, we will continue our strong track record of growth and unwavering commitment to industry-leading performance and safety.”
Trivest brings not only financial resources but also strategic insight. The firm’s history of working with service-driven companies in infrastructure, utilities, and related industries provides Vannguard with a partner that understands both the opportunities and challenges of its sector.
“We were extremely impressed by Vannguard’s best-in-class reputation, talented and dedicated team, track record of growth, and differentiated approach to servicing its customer base and protecting our critical infrastructure,” said Stephen Koren, Principal at Trivest. “We’re excited about the opportunity to help the Company further its growth by building upon the foundation that Randy and the Vannguard team have established over the last 25 years.”
Addressing the Growing Demand for Utility Safety
The demand for reliable utility locating services is only increasing. With expanding infrastructure projects, heightened regulatory oversight, and growing energy needs across the U.S., the importance of preventing damage to underground systems has never been greater. Federal and state agencies continue to strengthen safety and compliance requirements, creating an environment where precision utility locating is mission-critical.
Vannguard is positioned at the intersection of these trends. By investing in training, technology, and safety standards, the Company has consistently differentiated itself as a reliable partner to utilities and contractors alike. Its reputation for accuracy and customer service has enabled it to secure long-standing relationships with some of the most prominent utility providers in the Midwest and beyond.
The partnership with Trivest provides Vannguard with the resources to build upon these strengths. Opportunities include:
- Geographic Expansion: Extending services into new states and regions where demand for underground utility locating continues to rise.
- Technology Investment: Enhancing the use of advanced detection tools, data analytics, and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to further improve accuracy and efficiency.
- Workforce Development: Expanding training programs to ensure employees remain leaders in safety, compliance, and customer service.
- Service Diversification: Exploring complementary service offerings within the underground infrastructure and damage prevention sectors.
A Strong Cultural Alignment
One of the most important aspects of the partnership is the cultural alignment between Vannguard and Trivest. Both organizations place a strong emphasis on people, performance, and purpose. Trivest’s founder-focused approach ensures that Vannguard can continue to operate with the entrepreneurial spirit and values that have driven its success since inception.
By preserving this culture while adding strategic support and capital, the partnership seeks to unlock sustainable growth without compromising the Company’s mission or its dedication to safety. This balance between continuity and expansion is at the heart of why Vannguard chose Trivest as its partner.
