Auxo, a private investment firm, is developing a set of rail maintenance-of-way services through their acquisition of two companies in Q4 2021. First, in October, the company acquired Genesis Rail Services, which is a full-service railroad maintenance company based in Bluefield, W. Va., and Roanoke, Va. Cody Harman, son of company founder Jeff Harman, will retain a minority ownership stake in the company and continue in his role running day-to-day operations. Second, in December, Auxo acquired Ferrovia Services, a provider of railroad and Department of Transportation vegetation management services with locations across the U.S. The company is based in Auburn, Ala.
GRAND RAPIDS — Private equity firm Auxo Investment Partners has entered the railroad business with the acquisition of maintenance company Genesis Rail Services LLC. The Grand Rapids-based Auxo Investment Partners acquired a majority stake in the Bluefield, W. Va.-, and Roanoke, Va.-based Genesis Rail Services. The deal comes amid expectations for strong rail industry growth in the coming years from restocking low inventories that resulted from pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, as well as a driver shortage in the trucking industry. The resulting increase in rail traffic will mean increased maintenance of rail lines and their right of ways. The 12-year-old company provides maintenance, mechanical and construction services for industrial railroads across the U.S. Genesis Rail Services’ clients are Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, Amtrak and Florida East Coast Railway. “We like a lot of dynamics here and just the long-term growth potential. Just the fact that this type of work within the railroad business is chronic maintenance that has to be done year in and year out: We like that dynamic of the type of work Genesis does,” said Jeff Helminski, Auxo’s co-founder and managing partner.