Sypek to Retire, Childress Named Chairman & CEO

Area Wide Protective announced today that John Sypek is retiring as President & CEO of Area Wide Protective (AWP, Inc.) becoming, Vice Chairman of AWP.  Ron Childress, former CEO of Osmose Utilities Services Inc., will succeed John Sypek as Chairman and CEO of AWP.  This move is effective immediately, beginning a coordinated transition of leadership for the company.    

In a related announcement, AWP will experience a transfer of ownership from The Riverside Company, AWP’s current private equity owner, to Kohlberg & Company. Kohlberg & Company finalized their investment in AWP, Tuesday, December 22, 2020, and in doing so has committed to the investment and growth of AWP into the future.

Under John Sypek’s leadership since 2012 and Riverside’s ownership since 2015, AWP grew from just under 2,000 team members to more than 5,000, and tripled its number of facilities through the opening of 73 new facilities and 11 acquisitions of traffic control companies throughout the country. This growth expanded AWP’s footprint to 23 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces, making it far and away the leading traffic control provider in North America.  Notably, AWP has become an operational powerhouse with the systems, processes, teams, and structures capable of scaling for future growth.

AWP is now poised for the next phase of growth and investment with Kohlberg & Company and Chairman and CEO Ron Childress.  For more than 30 years, Kohlberg & Company has been dedicated to investing in companies like AWP to build long term value. Kohlberg has identified AWP as a business positioned for transformation, with a superior team to support accelerated growth and operational excellence.