Houston – September 18, 2026 -- Vortex Companies has acquired CLH & Son, Inc., an Auburn, Maine-based infrastructure contractor, expanding its self-performed rehabilitation capabilities across the Northeast United States.
CLH brings four decades of sliplining and drainage expertise to Vortex's regional platform
Founded in 1979 by Calvin Hunter and now led by CEO Travis Stearns, CLH specializes in sliplining, concrete rehabilitation, excavation and drainage improvements. The contractor has built its client base among municipalities, state departments of transportation, utilities and other contractors throughout New England, focusing on aging storm and sewer systems.
Vortex folds CLH into Vortex Services Northeast to broaden project scope
CLH will operate as part of Vortex Services Northeast, adding a specialized workforce to the trenchless infrastructure provider's regional operations. Vortex Chief Executive Officer Mike Vellano said the deal responds to growing demand in the Northeast and strengthens the company's ability to self-perform a wider range of rehabilitation projects.
Vortex targets larger market share as Northeast demand for pipe rehabilitation grows
Ram Vela, Chief Strategy Officer of Vortex Companies, said the acquisition expands both the types and scale of projects the company can pursue in the region, positioning Vortex to capture a greater share of a growing market. Vortex manufactures CIPP liners, geopolymer and hybrid mortars, polymeric coatings, resins and grouts, and operates UV curing systems, sewer robotics and high-speed drain cleaning equipment as part of its trenchless technology portfolio.
Stearns said joining Vortex allows CLH to build on its 1979 founding while offering customers a broader combination of technologies, services and field expertise to address increasingly complex underground infrastructure rehabilitation needs.