Riverside Makes Minority Investment in Area Wide Protective

The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm focused on the smaller end of the middle market, has made a minority investment in Area Wide Protective (AWP) in connection with Kohlberg & Company’s (Kohlberg) recent acquisition of the company. The investment was made out of Riverside’s Strategic Capital Fund (RSCF).

Headquartered in North Canton, Ohio, AWP is North America’s leading provider of outsourced temporary traffic safety management (TTSM) solutions supporting infrastructure repair, maintenance and upgrade activities for a broad range of blue-chip utilities, utility contractors and roadway maintenance providers. AWP delivers critical TTSM solutions that are essential to its customers’ operations and ensure the safety of their crews as well as the general public.

“Given our strong relationship with AWP and Riverside’s prior ownership of the business, this investment was an easy decision for our team,” said RSCF Partner Jeffrey Gordon. “We value our relationship with Kohlberg, and we’re thrilled to have another chance to work with this great company.”

Working with Gordon on the investment for Riverside was Vice President Elena Laird, Founding Partner, Origination, Robert Landis and Associate, Origination, Sarah Hammer.