Key Takeaways
- • Relevant Solutions, a Fusion Capital Partners portfolio company, acquired Automation Werx, marking the first add-on acquisition since Fusion's May 2025 majority stake purchase of Relevant Industrial from LKCM Headwater for an undisclosed amount.
- • Automation Werx expands Relevant's capabilities in water/wastewater, dairy, and agriculture automation markets and extends geographic coverage into the Intermountain West (Idaho, Wyoming, Montana), complementing Relevant's existing presence across 30+ U.S. locations.
- • The combined entity strengthens controls integration and SCADA expertise through Automation Werx's custom electrical panel design, PLC/HMI programming, and systems integration services—capabilities identified as strategic gaps in Relevant's portfolio.
- • Fusion Capital Partners targets North American industrial and commercial services businesses with $10–$30 million EBITDA; the firm was founded in January 2024 and pursues add-on acquisition strategies similar to LKCM Headwater's ownership model, which closed 20+ add-on deals during its 15-year tenure.
- • Leadership continuity is secured with Relevant CEO John Carte and Automation Werx CEO Trevor Steffler remaining in their roles, emphasizing cultural alignment and operational stability post-acquisition.
Summary
Relevant Solutions, a portfolio company of Fusion Capital Partners, has completed its first add-on acquisition since receiving majority backing in May 2025. The target, Automation Werx, is an Idaho Falls–based provider of industrial automation and systems integration services serving dairy operators, municipal water systems, and agricultural businesses. The acquisition expands Relevant's geographic footprint and technical capabilities in markets where precision automation is mission-critical.
Relevant Solutions is headquartered in Houston and operates more than 30 locations across the United States. The company supplies industrial equipment and engineering services to refining, petrochemical, renewable energy, food processing, and municipal infrastructure sectors. Its product portfolio includes actuated valves, thermal equipment, instrumentation and automation systems, rotating equipment, and purification systems. Automation Werx complements this offering by designing and fabricating custom electrical control panels and developing control software including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) platforms. Automation Werx additionally provides installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance services.
CEO John Carte of Relevant Solutions positioned the acquisition as a capability fill. "Bringing Automation Werx into the Relevant Solutions family marks a meaningful expansion of what we can offer our customers," Carte stated. "Their hands-on expertise in controls integration, SCADA, and panel fabrication fills a gap in our capabilities, particularly in agriculture and water/wastewater markets where precision automation is critical." Automation Werx CEO Trevor Steffler emphasized continuity, noting that Relevant's financial backing enables the team to pursue larger, more complex projects while maintaining the customer-centric culture built over a decade of regional operations.
Fusion Capital Partners, the sponsor, was founded in January 2024 and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The firm focuses on control investments in engineered products and essential services businesses serving industrial and commercial markets, typically targeting companies with $10–$30 million EBITDA. This acquisition strategy mirrors the playbook executed by LKCM Headwater, which acquired what was then Relevant Industrial in 2010 after purchasing Wilson Mohr, an industrial automation and process control equipment distributor. During LKCM's 15-year ownership, the company closed more than 20 add-on acquisitions before exiting to Fusion Capital in May 2025.
Relevant Solutions is headquartered in Houston and operates more than 30 locations across the United States. The company supplies industrial equipment and engineering services to refining, petrochemical, renewable energy, food processing, and municipal infrastructure sectors. Its product portfolio includes actuated valves, thermal equipment, instrumentation and automation systems, rotating equipment, and purification systems. Automation Werx complements this offering by designing and fabricating custom electrical control panels and developing control software including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) platforms. Automation Werx additionally provides installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance services.
CEO John Carte of Relevant Solutions positioned the acquisition as a capability fill. "Bringing Automation Werx into the Relevant Solutions family marks a meaningful expansion of what we can offer our customers," Carte stated. "Their hands-on expertise in controls integration, SCADA, and panel fabrication fills a gap in our capabilities, particularly in agriculture and water/wastewater markets where precision automation is critical." Automation Werx CEO Trevor Steffler emphasized continuity, noting that Relevant's financial backing enables the team to pursue larger, more complex projects while maintaining the customer-centric culture built over a decade of regional operations.
Fusion Capital Partners, the sponsor, was founded in January 2024 and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The firm focuses on control investments in engineered products and essential services businesses serving industrial and commercial markets, typically targeting companies with $10–$30 million EBITDA. This acquisition strategy mirrors the playbook executed by LKCM Headwater, which acquired what was then Relevant Industrial in 2010 after purchasing Wilson Mohr, an industrial automation and process control equipment distributor. During LKCM's 15-year ownership, the company closed more than 20 add-on acquisitions before exiting to Fusion Capital in May 2025.
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