FourBridges Capital Advisors, an investment banking firm that helps business owners sell their companies, refinance debt and access growth capital, announced Tuesday that Tree Worx has been recapitalized by Boutte Tree, a North Branch Capital company. FourBridges structured and negotiated the deal on behalf of Tree Worx.
Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tree Worx provides tree removal, trimming and plant healthcare services to residential and commercial customers. The company was founded in 2013 by Hannes de Wet, who grew the business exponentially over more than a decade as president and CEO. Mr. de Wet will remain at the helm of Tree Worx moving forward, and will play a key role in spearheading the company’s growth and expansion as CEO.
Backed by a team of arborists and a fleet of the industry’s most cutting-edge equipment, the company has earned a reputation for helping clients solve vegetation and tree management challenges.
In 2024, Mr. de Wet approached FourBridges to help explore options to partner with a value-added group to accelerate the growth of the business and afford the company opportunities to expand more rapidly.
“FourBridges not only did all of the heavy lifting to close a deal that exceeded my expectations,” said Mr. de Wet, “they created a competitive sales atmosphere and ultimately negotiated an amazing deal with a partner that shares my vision for the future of the company. I couldn’t be more excited about the future of Tree Worx.”
The team at FourBridges capitalized on their experience across the “blue collar services” sector, and helped Tree Worx find a partner that could help Mr. de Wet achieve his goals for the company. During the sales process, FourBridges was able to bring four interested buyers to the table, which helped drive up the offer and achieve highly favorable terms.
In addition to finding a partner that could provide the resources and experience needed to support Tree Worx’s growth, FourBridges helped identify the investor that would preserve the culture of Tree Worx and serve Mr. de Wet as a likeminded partner with whom to grow.
“Hannes’ passion for his business is undeniable, and we were committed to helping him find the right deal with the right partner,” says Andrew Allred, vice president at FourBridges. “We were thrilled to secure a great deal with an exceptional partner that’s experienced in the residential services space. We expect big things from Hannes and his team moving forward, and are eager to follow the growth trajectory of Tree Worx.”
With the acquisition, Boutte Tree expands its geographic reach with an established brand backed by a reputation as "Chattanooga’s premier tree service provider". North Branch Capital’s resources and industry expertise will accelerate Tree Worx’s growth and expansion.
The FourBridges advisory team included Chris Rowe, Andrew Allred and John Kirkland. Legal advisors to Tree Worx were Tyler Hand and Jared Adams with Holland & Knight (Chattanooga).