National Underground Group, owner of Pro-Pipe, a rapidly growing provider of water flow inspection, repair and cleaning services, announces the hiring of Ken Biele as Chief Executive Officer. A 30-year business veteran, Biele has a demonstrated history of successfully leading, growing and acquiring businesses for mid-size and large multinational public companies. In his new role, Biele will oversee the next phase of National Underground Group’s aggressive growth plan, which has included two acquisitions since ORIX Capital Partners acquired the company in 2017.
“We are excited to welcome Ken to the National Underground Group and Pro-Pipe team and are confident that he is optimally suited to lead the next phase of the company’s growth,” said Chris Suan, President and Managing Director of ORIX Capital Partners, owner of National Underground Group. “With his strong track record and depth of executive experience, Ken is a collaborative leader with a gift for bringing people together and leading teams through efficiency enhancements and improvements. He blends the best practices of a large organization with the resourcefulness and entrepreneurial spirit it takes to grow a business.”
Prior to joining National Underground Group, Biele served as CEO of Advanced Micro Instruments, a manufacturer of best-in-class gas analyzers for the natural gas market and complementary markets, where he established business processes and repositioned the company for greater growth in core and adjacent markets. Biele also served as CEO for JWC Environmental, a leading provider of products and services to the water and wastewater markets, until its sale to the Sulzer Corporation.
Prior to JWC, Biele spent 16 years at Emmerson Electric with senior roles in strategic planning, business development and general management. In these roles, he successfully led multiple add-on acquisitions, expanded channels in international markets and led the introduction of new product lines.
Biele holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic State University (“Virginia Tech”) and a master’s degree in Business Administration from The College of William and Mary.
“It’s an honor to help guide National Underground Group into the future alongside a wonderful team,” said Biele. “With industry-leading technology and financial backing from an operationally-focused partner like ORIX Capital Partners, we’re poised to continue expanding our business while maintaining a firm commitment to keeping entire communities healthy and safe by providing the best services and technologies available for assessment, maintenance and rehabilitation of water flow systems.”
National Underground Group
National Underground Group is a leading provider of water flow solutions services. It’s Professional Pipe Services (Pro-Pipe) division was founded in 1992 and is a leader in underground pipeline condition assessment and repair, utilizing state-of-the-art closed-circuit television (CCTV) and 360-degree scanning systems to digitally map (GIS) underground infrastructure and provide condition scoring for prioritization and assessment. Pro-Pipe’s maintenance and rehabilitation solutions include mainline and lateral rehabilitation, pipe cleaning and hydro-excavation services. Pro-Pipe is also a leading provider of cross bore inspection for the natural gas industry. Pro-Pipe serves municipalities, utilities, contractors, engineers, government agencies and facility owners throughout the U.S. through multiple locations across Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas.