Vortex Companies at 10

Company Eyes Continued Growth as More System Owners Turn to Trenchless Solutions

In just a decade, Houston-based Vortex Companies has transformed into a global leader in trenchless infrastructure solutions.

As the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s an example of how strategic growth, operational discipline, and a strong culture can help grow the industry.

Founded in 2015 by Mike Vellano, Vortex has grown into a vertically integrated platform offering trenchless rehabilitation products, services, and technologies across North America and Europe.

“I pinch myself sometimes thinking [about how] we got this thing to where it is. Everyone thinks we’ve just gone out and bought it all. We’ve grown a lot of this by rolling up our sleeves and creating things, and taking existing businesses and scaling them,” Vellano says.

He adds, “I sit up in front of our team sometimes and give the State of the Union and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, I can’t believe we’re here.’”

Charting the Course

Vellano himself and the Vellano surname shouldn’t be a strange one – especially to those working in the eastern United States.

Vellano’s roots in the water and wastewater industry run deep. His great-grandfather laid water mains in upstate New York in the 1920s. His grandfather and great uncle launched Vellano Brothers after World War II, expanding into a regional supply and contracting company. That legacy shaped Vellano’s understanding of underground infrastructure and his desire to carve out his own niche.

After high school, Vellano had a brief time in college, but left school and began working full-time at Vellano Brothers. He was 20 and tasked with helping grow and improve the company’s New England operations. “I don’t consider myself a big college guy or finance guy. I’m an industry guy. I’ve been around this industry for my entire life,” he says.

After working for several years for the family business, Vellano knew that to grow he’d need to seek other opportunities. He went to work for another company in the trenchless space, and that’s how he landed in Houston. After a short stint there, he began focusing on forming what would become Vortex Companies.
He knew going out on his own would take great sacrifice, but he was confident. He also notes that it would not have been possible without the support of his wife, who was a Texas native and had family local to their base of operations.

Could he have stuck it out at the family business? Sure.

On His Own

However, Vellano acknowledges that it was his upbringing that motivated him to go out on his own.

“If I think about the early years of my career, working around family, there were a lot of entrepreneurs,” he says. “They all had their names on the wall [but they had] other things going on, like real estate…all of them were engaged in different businesses or doing other things. For me, this helped build the risk profile.”

He saw businesspeople who he looked up to build successful businesses from the ground up and very much in a family way. This is something he aspired to achieve.

Additionally, after leaving the family business, he saw how private equity-backed businesses were built, grew and succeeded. Both the family and the private equity aspects helped guide Vellano when assembling Vortex Companies into the powerhouse it is today.

“Working for my family and understanding employer loyalty and how to take care of customers and doing that kind of stuff. Then on the other hand you [see] how to buy a company. This is how you do things,” he says. “I saw both sides of it.”

In early 2015, Vellano started Vortex Infrastructure initially focused on bypass pumping and rehabilitation services using Quadex and other products. Within months, it expanded into pipe bursting through Vaught Services and opened a Northeast office.

Strategic Growth

Vortex’s growth strategy has been both aggressive and calculated. In 2016, the company acquired Quadex, launched an industrial division, became the exclusive U.S. reseller for Picote Solutions, and secured the rights to Schwalm USA’s robotics in North America. These moves positioned Vortex as a one-stop trenchless platform.

There were several key acquisitions between 2016 and today; however, it was the acquisition of Applied Felts, FerraTex Solutions and MaxLiner USA in 2024 that put the industry on notice.

Rebranding the former as United Felts, the move brought Vortex much-needed in-house manufacturing and distribution capabilities. It also positioned the company to better control, enhance and innovate its product offerings.

Today, the company operates through four core divisions:

• Vortex Services – Trenchless contracting across North America.
• Vortex Products – Rehabilitation materials and equipment.
• United Felts – Manufacturing of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liners and related products.
• Vortex International – A growing European operation that is poised for expansion after the recent acquisition of U.K.-based McAllister Group.

This structure allows Vortex to serve municipalities, contractors, and utilities with a full suite of solutions — from robotics and curing equipment to installation services and training.

Leadership from Within

While many infrastructure firms struggle with turnover at the top level, Vortex has retained much of its original executive team. That continuity has been critical to scaling the business while maintaining agility.
“I knew I couldn’t do this alone,” Vellano says. “So, I brought in strong finance people, legal counsel, and operational leaders early on. That team was built to scale the company.”

The company has executed more than 20 acquisitions without outside investment bankers — an uncommon feat in the M&A-heavy infrastructure space. Vortex’s internal deals team handles everything from due diligence to integration, ensuring cultural alignment and operational continuity.
“We’re not a turnaround shop,” Vellano says. “We buy successful, cash-flowing businesses and help them scale.”

Vortex’s approach to leadership development is rooted in the idea of promoting from within whenever possible, creating clear pathways for advancement.

Take Matt Timberlake, for example. Vellano notes that when Timberlake started the conversations about selling his family’s contracting firm – Ted Berry Co. – part of it was his desire to be part of something bigger.

A lifelong Mainer, Timberlake quickly grew in the leadership ranks at Vortex. He now leads United Felts. With that move, Vellano notes that Timberlake brings the same process, discipline and culture building that drove Ted Berry’s growth to one of the industry’s most foundational manufacturers.
And Timberlake is not alone as three of Ted Berry’s former employees now lead Vortex operations in Maine, the Northeast and Florida.

“We look at talent as much as we look at EBITDA,” Vellano says. “That’s how we build for the long term.”
The same processes are in place with Vortex’s more recent acquisitions of Sancon and Tri-State Utilities.

Solving the Industry’s Talent Gap

Despite its growth, Vortex faces the same challenge as the rest of the industry: a shortage of skilled labor. The North American market doesn’t promote trades or training at the scale required to meet infrastructure demand.

“You can find a crane operator in Chicago, but not a CUES operator,” Vellano notes. “That’s a problem.”
To address this, Vortex invests heavily in training and education. Not only within its businesses, but also of its customers. The company supports customers with everything from bidding strategies to sales support, treating them like internal crews. It also advocates for greater industry awareness at the university and trade school levels.

“We’re not just selling products — we’re building the market,” Vellano says.

From manhole rigs to Schwalm robots, Vortex’s product portfolio is designed to optimize contractor performance. The company’s ability to bundle equipment, materials, and training gives it a unique edge in a market where efficiency is everything.

Trenchless on the Rise

The trenchless market is evolving rapidly. Once considered a niche, it’s now the preferred method in many regions due to its cost-effectiveness and minimal surface disruption.

Given its global presence, has Vellano seen one region growing faster than another? He points to North America as the leader in the use and investment in trenchless technologies.

“We have the luxury of seeing equipment and liner go out the door. I don’t see any slowdown in our market,” Vellano says. “The North American market represents about 50 percent of the liner put in the world globally.”

And even with that, Vellano and his team see a huge number of unidentified opportunities.
“There’s no market like the U.S. The configuration of our systems, the amount of inventory, having [consent decree] mandates and a Clean Water Act doesn’t hurt,” he says. “Look, nobody wants to see sinkholes or sewer flowing down the street.”

Markets like Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles are poised for major investment. Vortex is also bullish on its water platform, which addresses aging lead and AC pipe infrastructure — critical issues in the wake of federal funding and consent decrees.

What About Europe?

“The U.K. has got a ton of challenges right now. We have a lot of efforts focused there. And it [Europe] is a little bit more consolidated in terms of customers. We’re really excited and bullish on that market,” Vellano says. “Europe has been a little sleepy since COVID. They need to really focus some funds. They have these infrastructure funds in Germany and other places, and the [European Union] is trying to invest in places that support that.”

What’s Next for Vortex?

Looking ahead, company leaders see continued opportunity in both organic and inorganic growth. The company is actively developing new products, refining existing ones like VeriCure and GeoKrete, and exploring adjacent markets that it has not yet entered into.

“We’re not slowing down,” Vellano says. “We always have companies in the pipeline and organic opportunities to grow.”

But growth isn’t the only goal. Vortex remains committed to its customers, employees and the communities it serves.

“We’re proud of what we’ve built,” Vellano says. “And we’re not going anywhere.”
In an industry often slow to change, Vortex Companies offers a model for how to scale with purpose. By combining strategic acquisitions, operational rigor, and a people-first culture, the company has positioned itself as a leader in the global trenchless market.

“Our focus on delivering systems the right way,” Vellano says.

Mike Kezdi is managing editor of Trenchless Technology.