Key Takeaways
- Sector: Environmental Infrastructure & Services.
- Geography: United States.
Analysis
United Flow Technologies, a leading distributor and solutions provider for municipal and industrial water treatment, disclosed a strategic minority investment from Berkshire Partners, with H.I.G. Capital maintaining a minority stake. The partnership aims to accelerate UFT’s growth, enhance services for customers and manufacturers, and empower the company to deepen its workforce and technology offerings.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, UFT draws on a long-standing market presence—112 years of sector knowledge—that underpins its ability to curate a broad portfolio of process equipment, pumps, flow control, and automation systems. The deal signals a continued shift in the U.S. water-infrastructure landscape toward private-capital backing to modernize aging networks and scale advanced solutions across the country.
Under the agreement, Matt Hart, UFT’s Chief Executive Officer, will lead the business alongside the current leadership team, with H.I.G. Capital retaining a minority stake and continuing to support UFT’s expansion strategy. The collaboration will preserve the day-to-day leadership at UFT while opening access to additional resources and strategic partnerships. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the deal is supported by financial advisors William Blair and H.I.G. Capital’s legal counsel King & Spalding.
“Berkshire Partners shares our commitment to people, partnership, and purpose,” said Matt Hart, underscoring how the partnership will broaden access to capital, technology, and skilled professionals. Larry Hamelsky, Managing Director at Berkshire Partners, added that UFT’s platform combines deep technical expertise with strong customer relationships to keep water systems safe and reliable. Candice Corvetti, also a Managing Director at Berkshire Partners, highlighted Berkshire’s enthusiasm for backing a team that blends technical capability with a service-oriented approach.
From a market perspective, the deal aligns with growing investor interest in strategic platforms that serve critical infrastructure sectors, particularly water and wastewater—areas that have seen heightened attention as communities seek resilient, scalable solutions. Rahul Vinnakota, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, and Steven Kozhimala, Principal at H.I.G. Capital, emphasized the alliance’s potential to strengthen UFT’s nationwide service footprint and its ability to deliver meaningful community impact through better water resources management. Advisors to UFT and H.I.G. included Harris Williams and Solomon Partners, with Berkshire Partners represented by King & Spalding.
Looking ahead, the partnership with Berkshire Partners (from its Fund XI of roughly $7.8 billion in commitments) and H.I.G. Capital positions UFT to scale its distributor network, upgrade automation capabilities, and expand its portfolio across public and private sector clients. The collaboration also mirrors broader private-capital momentum in infrastructure-enabled services, where established platforms seek to accelerate organic growth while pursuing selective add-ons to broaden geographic reach and product breadth.