Armada Materials LLC has been formed to build a leading infrastructure materials and services business through strategic acquisitions.
The company was founded by Rob Duke, who will serve as CEO of Armada, along with a group of investors including several industry veterans, and Kelso & Company, L.P., a middle-market buyout private equity firm founded in 1980 on the principles of partnership and alignment of interests.
Duke brings more than 20 years of experience in the construction materials industry with prior leadership roles at CRH and Rinker Materials.
Travis Raitt leads Armada’s acquisition efforts as executive vice president of business development, with former leadership positions at CRH, The Home Depot and Macquarie Capital.
Armada announced the acquisition of Volunteer Materials and its affiliate companies, including Volunteer Paving, Volunteer Sand and Gravel, Volunteer Concrete, Action Enterprise Company, and TMC Construction Services (collectively, “Volunteer”).
Located in Lewisburg, Tenn., Volunteer is a vertically integrated producer of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete and is a provider of road paving and striping services in the greater Nashville area.
Volunteer owns extensive, high-quality limestone reserves with proximity to the fast growing I-65 corridor south of Nashville. Volunteer is Armada’s first platform acquisition in a region where several major companies have announced expansion plans and new job creation.
“I am thrilled to partner with Kelso and our other investors in launching Armada Materials,” commented Duke. “We have assembled apremier group of leaders and advisors with deep industry experience and a shared vision as the acquirer of choice for private owners considering a sale of their business. We are very excited to team up with Volunteer and its management team under the leadership of Chad Swallows. Volunteer is an ideal, first platform for Armada with key locations in Tennesseepositioned for further growth.”
“We are excited about our partnership with Rob, Travis and the broader Armada and Volunteer teams. We believe Armada provides a differentiated partnership solution for owners of infrastructure materials and services businesses,” said Sandy Osborne, managing director of Kelso.
“We are eager to support Armada’s growth, both organically and through acquiring top-tier companies like Volunteer” added Matt Edgerton, managing director of Kelso.