Key Takeaways
- • Epic Piping, a Livingston Parish industrial pipe fabricator, was sold by Bernhard Capital Partners to Houston-based One Equity Partners, marking the third major private equity acquisition of a Louisiana company in the past month alone.
- • One Equity Partners, managing approximately $16 billion in assets under management, was attracted to Epic's position in high-growth industrial sectors including infrastructure, energy, power, data centers, LNG, and advanced manufacturing along the Gulf Coast.
- • A surge in industrial construction activity concentrated in the Gulf Coast region is driving heightened acquisition activity among local companies that service the energy, petrochemical, and industrial sectors.
- • David Gallo, whose family-owned mechanical construction company with approximately $500 million in revenues was acquired by a Dallas private equity firm in 2025, reports that locally owned businesses in the region are receiving regular acquisition inquiries from out-of-state buyers.
- • Experts characterize the wave of private equity acquisitions in Louisiana as a trend likely to continue, fueled by substantial capital inflows into the industrial and infrastructure sectors.
Summary
The industrial services sector across south Louisiana is experiencing an unprecedented wave of private equity acquisitions, driven by major infrastructure and energy development projects concentrated along the Gulf Coast. The sale of Epic Piping, a Livingston Parish-based industrial pipe fabricator, exemplifies this trend. Bernhard Capital Partners, which held Epic as one of its original portfolio companies since its 2013 founding, sold the company to Houston-based One Equity Partners, a significantly larger firm managing approximately $16 billion in assets under management—roughly three times Bernhard's asset base.
According to Ante Kusurin, a partner at One Equity Partners, the acquisition was motivated by Epic's exposure to sustained long-term growth drivers across multiple industrial verticals. "We were attracted to the long-term growth in infrastructure, energy, power, data centers, LNG and advanced manufacturing," Kusurin stated. The Gulf Coast's positioning as a hub for these sectors has created a particularly attractive environment for acquisitions, with multiple similar transactions closing within a single month.
Market participants corroborate the emerging acquisition trend. David Gallo, whose family-owned mechanical construction company generated approximately $500 million in revenues when acquired by a Dallas private equity firm in 2025, reported receiving regular acquisition inquiries prior to his company's sale. Gallo indicated that numerous locally owned Louisiana businesses are currently in discussions with out-of-state buyers, suggesting the Epic transaction represents part of a broader consolidation wave rather than an isolated deal. "Before we sold, we were getting contacted regularly," Gallo said. "A lot of people I talk to are getting contacted regularly."
Industry observers attribute the acceleration in acquisition activity directly to the industrial construction boom concentrated along the Gulf Coast. The convergence of rising industrial capacity requirements, energy sector expansion, and LNG development has created conditions where locally owned service providers face intensifying acquisition interest from well-capitalized private equity firms seeking exposure to these growth sectors. Experts expect this trend to persist as long as underlying industrial demand remains strong.
According to Ante Kusurin, a partner at One Equity Partners, the acquisition was motivated by Epic's exposure to sustained long-term growth drivers across multiple industrial verticals. "We were attracted to the long-term growth in infrastructure, energy, power, data centers, LNG and advanced manufacturing," Kusurin stated. The Gulf Coast's positioning as a hub for these sectors has created a particularly attractive environment for acquisitions, with multiple similar transactions closing within a single month.
Market participants corroborate the emerging acquisition trend. David Gallo, whose family-owned mechanical construction company generated approximately $500 million in revenues when acquired by a Dallas private equity firm in 2025, reported receiving regular acquisition inquiries prior to his company's sale. Gallo indicated that numerous locally owned Louisiana businesses are currently in discussions with out-of-state buyers, suggesting the Epic transaction represents part of a broader consolidation wave rather than an isolated deal. "Before we sold, we were getting contacted regularly," Gallo said. "A lot of people I talk to are getting contacted regularly."
Industry observers attribute the acceleration in acquisition activity directly to the industrial construction boom concentrated along the Gulf Coast. The convergence of rising industrial capacity requirements, energy sector expansion, and LNG development has created conditions where locally owned service providers face intensifying acquisition interest from well-capitalized private equity firms seeking exposure to these growth sectors. Experts expect this trend to persist as long as underlying industrial demand remains strong.
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