Path Environmental Technology Names Don Gawick as CEO, Expanding Leadership Team

Long-tenured industry executive with diverse energy services background, coupled with extensive private equity and public company leadership experience, to usher Path into the next stage of growth

Current CEO Andrew White to become Chairman of the Board

News provided by

Ara Partners

Jun 01, 2021, 06:00 ET

HOUSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Path Environmental Technology, a technology-enabled decarbonizing industrial services platform focused on above ground storage tank ("AST") cleaning, has appointed Don Gawick as Chief Executive Officer. Andrew White, Path's current CEO, will transition to Chairman of the Board, where he will continue to aid in strategic initiatives and foster the development of the Company's proprietary technologies.

Path, founded in 2014 and acquired by industrial decarbonization-focused private equity firm Ara Partners in 2020, cleans ASTs and rail tank cars using proprietary methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation and personnel hours in hazardous, confined space environments. Path's differentiated service offering addresses environmental challenges across the industrials, refining and petrochemicals sectors today, with opportunities to expand into the agriculture, chemical, food & beverage and pulp & paper industries long-term.

Gawick brings to Path four decades of leadership scaling industrial and energy services companies. He has led a broad spectrum of organizations in the sector—from mid-market, private-equity-owned businesses to large public companies–with a focus on management best practices and world-class health, safety and environmental ("HSE") standards. Most recently he led the management team of publicly traded C&J Energy Services, including a three-year tenure as President & CEO and four years as COO. He was instrumental in expanding C&J's offering into four new product lines and its geographic footprint across seven new end markets, and led the company through its successful merger with Keane Energy Services in 2019.

"I am excited to join the Path team and look forward to expanding our decarbonizing, technology-enabled approach into adjacent markets and service lines," said Gawick. "Path's value proposition is forward thinking on ESG and truly unparalleled in the industry–reducing waste, emissions and personnel hours in hazardous, confined space environments by over 80% compared to traditional methods. Building entrepreneurial, HSE-minded businesses has been at the core of my professional experience, and I look forward to continuing that tradition at Path."

"Don combines considerable public company c-suite expertise with a lifelong passion for growing pioneering businesses from the ground up," White commented. "His proven ability to execute on diverse growth initiatives, particularly in technology-focused service companies, makes him the perfect fit to lead Path in this new chapter."

Previously, Gawick was the President and CEO of Casedhole Solutions, which was acquired by C&J in 2012. At Casedhole, he delivered triple-digit top line growth and expanded the firm's geographic footprint fivefold across North America. Prior to C&J and Casedhole, Gawick had a successful 30-year career at Schlumberger, where his breadth of experience spanned multiple divisions and geo-markets, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America. He brings myriad experience across the industrials and energy value chain to Path as the Company enters new end-markets, expands its service capabilities and broadens its geographic footprint.

"We are thrilled to welcome Don to the Path and Ara teams," commented Tuan Tran, a Managing Director at Ara Partners. "We have worked with Don for over ten years and have experienced firsthand his dynamic, seasoned management style that has resulted in operational excellence and a stellar track record of generating industry-leading returns for investors. We believe he is the ideal candidate to lead Path through this period of rapid expansion."

"On behalf of Path's Board, shareholders and employees, I offer our deepest gratitude to Andrew for his entrepreneurial vision in building Path," said Troy Thacker, a Managing Partner at Ara Partners. "We commend him for his many years of leadership to the Company and its employees, and now his ability to attract and recruit top notch talent such as Don. We look forward to Andrew's continued service and leadership as our Chairman."

About Path Environmental Technology, LLC

Path is a technology-enabled, decarbonizing industrial services platform. Path cleans storage tanks and rail tank cars using proprietary methods which reduce emissions, landfill waste and personnel hours in confined space environments.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels and food & agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that are focused on sustainability and ESG principles. For more information on Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

Contact:
James Wang
[email protected]

SOURCE Ara Partners