Harvest Partners, LP, announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell Lazer Logistics to EQT Infrastructure VI fund. Lazer, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, is a market leader in mission critical, outsourced yard management and facility logistics services in the United States and Canada. The Company’s management team, led by CEO Adam Newsome, will continue to lead Lazer, and remain significant owners of the business. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and expected to close in 2Q 2023. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Lazer is a leading, scaled provider of facility logistics services, including trailer spotting, shuttling, trailer rental, gate management, drayage, and other complementary, adjacent service offerings. Lazer offers a compelling value proposition at 500+ sites for more than 150 customers across the consumer-packaged goods, food & beverage, retail, pulp & paper and other industrial sectors.
Lazer and Harvest collaborated since the investment by Harvest-managed funds in 2019 to advance significant growth and ESG-related initiatives supporting Lazer’s fleet and workforce. During this period, the Company built the largest fleet of electric spotters in the industry and proactively worked with customers to reduce the carbon footprint of their yard management operations. Additionally, Lazer instituted comprehensive programs through its “Lazer Journey” initiative promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through its hiring practices and employee engagement across all levels of the organization. The Company also established the Lazer Spot Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization to support its employees and their families through unexpected financial hardship.
Jim Mitchel, Partner at Harvest, said, “Lazer’s expansion into new markets and services lines, along with its proactive push toward an electrified fleet and a deeper culture of employee engagement were all part of a strategy outlined by the management team and Harvest at the outset of our investment. The achievement of these goals led to more than doubling the size of the business in just a few years and established a strong foundation upon which the Company will continue to build in the years to come.”
Adam Newsome, CEO of Lazer, said, “We’re incredibly proud of the growth and evolution of Lazer since we partnered with Harvest in 2019, and this transaction validates the hard work that’s been done to establish our leadership position in the outsourced yard management industry. We are excited to be partnering with EQT for the next chapter of the Company’s growth.”
Michael DeFlorio, CEO of Harvest, added, “Our close partnership with Adam Newsome and the Lazer team allowed us to accelerate the Company’s growth trajectory since 2019, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. We thank the entire Lazer organization for their tremendous efforts and look forward to watching the future progress that Lazer will make in partnership with EQT.”
Harris Williams and William Blair served as financial advisors and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal advisor to Harvest and Lazer. Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP served as legal advisor to EQT.
About Lazer Logistics
For more information about Lazer Logistics, please visit www.lazerlogistics.com.
About Harvest Partners
Founded in 1981, Harvest Partners, LP is an established New York-based private equity investment firm that focuses on investments in middle-market companies in the business services & industrial services, consumer, healthcare, industrials and software industries. Harvest’s flagship strategy leverages the firm’s over 40 years of experience in financing organic and acquisition-oriented growth. For more information, please visit www.harvestpartners.com.
