Russell Landscaping makes fifth acquisition

The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, an operationally focused lower middle market private equity firm, announced that portfolio company Russell Landscape Group, a provider of commercial landscape maintenance and construction services, has completed its fifth acquisition since the Foundation Fund’s initial investment in 2024. The acquisitions collectively augment Russell’s market position, with the company now managing 16 regional operations across the Southeast.

Russell’s acquisition of Utz Environmental Services, a commercial landscaping services provider based in Austin, Texas, marks the Company’s first operation in Texas. The addition of Utz builds on the Company’s momentum in 2025, following the acquisitions of Executive Landscaping Inc. and Southern Hospitality Lawn & Landscaping, both based in Florida, in May.

With the five acquisitions over the past 18 months, Russell has expanded its facility footprint across six states: Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina. The company has a growing presence in the major metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Tampa, the Florida Panhandle, Charleston, Nashville, Raleigh, Savannah and Austin.

"Expanding into Texas is an important milestone for our team and the natural next step in Russell’s growth trajectory," says Teddy Russell, CEO of Russell and second-generation founder. "With these five acquisitions and the Foundation Fund’s support, we have quickly built a regional leader with the scale and expertise to deliver high-quality service to customers located across the South."

"We are excited about the progress Teddy and the Russell team have made over the past year and a half. With these acquisitions, Russell has partnered with best-in-class local operators and rapidly scaled the business, providing a strong foundation for implementing additional value creation initiatives," says Lucas Cutler, partner at the Foundation Fund.