Delta Chemical in Jefferson purchased by Nebraska firm

Delta Chemical Corp., a water treatment services company based in Jefferson, has been acquired by Nebraska-based Water Engineering Inc., the companies have announced.

Terms of the deal, which was finalized at the end of May, were not disclosed.

The move should help Delta Chemical expand its offerings, said Ross Heidingsfelder, a Delta co-owner who has agreed to remain with the firm for at least six months as the ownership transition takes place. Heidingsfelder said he and co-owner Lee Mauberret both signed deals that allow them to extend their stay beyond six months if they so desire.

Heidingsfelder said Delta Chemical's current clientele will see "minimal, almost no change" following the deal aside from new services that will be offered. He said the company will have new technology and equipment available for its industrial and municipal clients and will focus more on program management for health care clients.

"It provides Delta Chemical, if you will, a bigger toolbox to address our customers’ needs in a rapidly changing environment," he said.

New ownership has no immediate plans to change or relocate Delta Chemical's workforce, Heidingsfelder said. Delta Chemical, which has been in business since 1997, has eight employees and could expand that worker base up to 11 after the acquisition.

Water Engineering Inc. is based in Mead, Nebraska, near Omaha. It is a water treatment services company whose majority owner is Nolan Capital, an investment firm based in southern California.

"Ross and Lee run a first-class operation at Delta, and we are excited to partner with them and take Delta to the next phase of growth," Water Engineering CEO David Wagenfuhr said in a statement. "They have built a strong platform focused on providing excellent customer service, which mirrors our approach at WEI. Our aim is to acquire partners who share our customer-focused model, and we have found that in Delta. We look forward to working with their employees to grow the business by expanding on the operations Ross, Lee and their team have created while providing them with additional resources as part of the broader WEI platform."

Email Robert Stewart at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter, @ByRobertStewart.