Local area executive adds finance, legal, and operations expertise to Mako Industries’ management team.
February 21, 2023, Houston, TX – Mako Industries (“Mako”), a provider of electrical, piping, plumbing, mechanical, and specialty fabrication services to the commercial, industrial, and public sector markets, announced today that Robert Whilden, a seasoned financial executive, has joined the Company’s leadership team as Chief Financial Officer & EVP, effective February 1, 2023.
Mr. Whilden brings over 20 years of business experience in finance, law, and management. “Robert’s background in private equity, finance, and law makes him a great fit for Mako,” said Mark Provine, Co-Founder and CEO. “This is an exciting time for Mako as we execute upon our market expansion strategy. Early in 2021 we saw an opportunity to leverage our existing capabilities into new markets where our technical trades could overlap. In the last 16 months we have completed three acquisitions within our commercial services division and expanded our geographic footprint to provide maintenance services to commercial facilities. Robert will play a key role in our continued efforts of executing on our buy-and-build strategy.”
The Company recently completed a refinancing of its senior credit facility as well as a refinancing of its owned facility. Mr. Whilden was instrumental in completing both refinancings and finding the right banking partner for the Company’s next stage of growth. “Mako is well positioned to take advantage of the strong trends in the commercial and industrial services industries. These refinancings set the stage for the Company to continue to execute upon its buy-and-build strategy within the commercial services division,” said Steve Lykins, Co-Founder and COO.
“I’m excited to join the management team at Mako and look forward to contributing to the Company’s strategic vision,” said Mr. Whilden. “Through my previous roles I am excited to bring my experience to the Company’s buy-and-build strategy. The Mako management team has done a tremendous job growing the business and positioning it for the future.”
About Robert Whilden
Mr. Whilden has a background in Private Equity as a Managing Director at OFS Energy Fund (OFS), a committed private equity fund with over $300 million in AUM. Prior to OFS, Mr. Whilden was EVP of Corporate Development with Continental Energy Services (CES), a pipeline construction and maintenance business, where he was responsible for leading the M&A effort as well overseeing various corporate finance, operational and legal matters.
Mr. Whilden has served on the Board of Directors of over ten companies. Mr. Whilden earned a B.B.A. in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A and J.D. from University of Houston. Mr. Whilden is a licensed attorney in the State of Texas.
About Mako Industries, LLC
Founded in 2017, Mako is headquartered in Houston and is staffed with over 150 employees. Mako provides its suite of services via its two distinct divisions – Industrial Division and Commercial Division. Mako’s Industrial division provides instrumentation and electrical (I&E), piping, and fabrication services to energy and industrial markets. Mako’s commercial division primarily serves the facilities management market as a full-service Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) contractor where the focus is on maintenance and repair work. Mako is operated by its two founders, Mark Provine and Steve Lykins, who have a long history providing the technical services offered by Mako.
Mako is actively pursuing acquisition opportunities within the commercial facilities management industry to increase the geographic footprint of its existing MEP offering, as well as to increase the breadth of its service mix. Mako is in the process of rolling out its Partnership Program. This program is designed to appeal to business owners that are looking to diversify their personal financial worth, but who are not quite ready for full exit. This Program offers partial liquidity with the ability to join a larger organization and realize all the benefits that increased size and scale provide.
Learn more about Mako Industries by visiting https://makoind.com/
Media Contact:
Steve Lykins, President, Mako Industries LLC
slykins@makoind.com
www.makoind.com