GRIT Infrastructure Brings Four Underground Utility Contractors Under One Identity

GRIT Infrastructure Brings Four Underground Utility Contractors Under One Identity

Four specialist underground utility contractors operating across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania have adopted a common parent-company identity, GRIT Infrastructure, bringing together businesses developed through a series of investments and acquisitions backed by private equity firm MFG Partners.

The rebranding brings CST Utilities, Precise Boring of Ohio, Daystar Directional Drilling and Chuck’s Septic Tank, Sewer & Drain Cleaning under a single corporate name. Headquartered in Grove City, Ohio, GRIT Infrastructure provides installation, repair and maintenance services for underground water, sewer, power and gas networks, combining trenchless construction, conventional excavation and specialist maintenance capabilities.

The four businesses have already worked together on underground projects, sharing equipment, personnel and technical expertise. The new identity formalises their collective position without replacing the individual names under which they operate in their respective markets.

Briefing

• GRIT Infrastructure is the new parent-company identity for four established underground utility contractors.
• The group is headquartered in Grove City, Ohio, and operates across four US states.
• Services include horizontal directional drilling, excavation, hydrovac, septic, sewer and drain maintenance.
• MFG Partners invested in the contracting businesses in 2022, with subsequent acquisitions expanding the group’s capabilities.
• Each operating company retains its existing branding, crews, contracts and customer contacts.

Underground Utility Operations

Underground utility construction requires different equipment, specialist crews and working methods depending on ground conditions, existing infrastructure and access restrictions. GRIT’s operating businesses cover several complementary disciplines, allowing equipment and personnel to be shared across projects where appropriate.

Horizontal directional drilling enables contractors to install underground pipes and conduits along a controlled bore path, reducing the need for continuous surface excavation. Conventional excavation remains necessary for many installations, repairs and connections, while hydrovac equipment uses pressurised water and vacuum extraction to expose buried infrastructure with greater control around existing services.

The group’s capabilities also extend to septic, sewer and drain maintenance, providing services associated with existing infrastructure as well as new utility construction. This combination gives GRIT access to different types of work, from planned network extensions and utility installations to maintenance and repair contracts.

The operating companies have already established a pattern of cooperation across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Their shared resources can provide flexibility when projects require different specialist capabilities, although GRIT has not disclosed fleet numbers, workforce size or the proportion of contracts delivered jointly.

Building the GRIT Group

The new corporate identity follows several years of investment and acquisition activity involving MFG Partners, a New York-based private equity firm specialising in industrial, manufacturing and business-to-business services companies.

In November 2022, MFG Partners announced an investment in CST Utilities, Chuck’s Septic Tank, Sewer & Drain Cleaning and I-Bore, establishing a platform in underground utility construction and maintenance. CST subsequently acquired Precise Boring of Ohio, extending the group’s specialist drilling capabilities.

The expansion continued in July 2025 with the acquisition of Daystar Directional Drilling, adding another established contractor to the organisation. The October 2026 rebranding gives the resulting group a common parent identity, while retaining the local operating businesses that have developed their own customer relationships and regional reputations.

The structure is consistent with a common approach to consolidation in specialist contracting markets, where established local companies are brought together under a larger ownership platform. Shared equipment, technical expertise and administrative resources can support operations across a wider territory, while retaining local names helps preserve relationships built through previous project delivery.

GRIT has not announced any additional acquisitions, geographic expansion plans or associated investment commitments as part of the rebranding. The immediate development is the adoption of a corporate identity for businesses already operating together.

Local Identity and Customer Continuity

Rather than consolidate its four operating companies into a single customer-facing brand, GRIT Infrastructure has chosen to preserve their established names. Each will operate with the additional designation a GRIT Infrastructure company.

The approach maintains continuity in markets where familiarity with local infrastructure, previous project performance and established contractor relationships can influence purchasing decisions. Municipal authorities, utilities and general contractors often work with specialist firms over successive programmes of installation, repair and maintenance.

According to GRIT, the rebranding introduces no changes to existing customer or supplier arrangements. Operating companies retain their crews, telephone numbers, contracts and points of contact. Purchase orders, master service agreements, invoices and payment instructions also remain unchanged.

Randall P. Muench, CEO of GRIT Infrastructure, explained the choice of name: “We chose GRIT because it’s the trait that best defines our people. Our crews take on difficult, dangerous underground work and deliver it on time and safely, with the quality our customers count on. That’s grit, and it’s what every teammate across our companies brings to the job. And when we decided to rebrand the organization to a new identity not tied to any market, GRIT perfectly captured the spirit of our company.”

The decision to retain local identities also allows GRIT to present its combined capabilities to larger customers without requiring individual operating companies to abandon the names under which they have established their businesses.

The group’s activities span both capital construction and ongoing infrastructure maintenance. New utility installations and network extensions depend on construction programmes and infrastructure investment, while sewer, drainage and repair services address the continuing requirements of existing networks.

With the GRIT identity now established, the four contractors have a common corporate presence across their operating territories. The rebranding follows a period of acquisitions and integration under MFG Partners, giving the organisation a name that encompasses its existing businesses while leaving day-to-day customer arrangements intact.

Key Industry Questions

1. What is GRIT Infrastructure? GRIT Infrastructure is the parent-company identity for four specialist underground utility contractors headquartered in Grove City, Ohio.
2. Which companies operate under GRIT Infrastructure? CST Utilities, Precise Boring of Ohio, Daystar Directional Drilling and Chuck’s Septic Tank, Sewer & Drain Cleaning.
3. Where does GRIT Infrastructure operate? Its operating companies serve customers across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
4. What services does GRIT Infrastructure provide? The group covers underground water, sewer, power and gas utility installation, repair and maintenance, including directional drilling, excavation, hydrovac and drainage services.
5. Who owns GRIT Infrastructure? GRIT Infrastructure is a portfolio company of MFG Partners, a New York-based private equity firm specialising in industrial and business-to-business services investments.
6. Has GRIT Infrastructure made any recent acquisitions? CST Utilities acquired Daystar Directional Drilling in July 2025. The October 2026 rebranding announcement did not disclose a new acquisition.
7. Will existing customer contracts change? No changes to existing contracts, purchase orders, invoicing or payment instructions have been announced.
8. Are the four operating companies being renamed? No. Each retains its local identity and adds the designation a GRIT Infrastructure company.

Strategic Takeaways

1. The GRIT identity formalises a contracting group developed through investment and acquisitions rather than announcing a new operational merger.
2. Retaining local contractor identities protects established customer relationships while introducing a common corporate presence.
3. Shared specialist equipment and personnel can provide operational flexibility across different underground construction disciplines.
4. Combining installation and maintenance services gives the group exposure to both capital projects and ongoing infrastructure requirements.
5. The four-state operating footprint provides scope for cross-regional coordination, although the scale of current operations and any further expansion plans have not been disclosed.