Nesnah Ventures, a La Crosse, Wisconsin-based private equity firm, has acquired Lake Region Enterprises Inc., a Chippewa Falls manufacturer of custom trailers and truck equipment, the companies announced. As part of the transaction, Lake Region Enterprises will be renamed Lake Region Trailer, aligning the company’s corporate name with its longtime product brand.
The acquisition is Nesnah Ventures’ first investment in a trailer or truck equipment manufacturer, adding a new industry to a portfolio that spans multiple sectors. Nesnah said the deal reflects its focus on supporting family-owned businesses entering their next growth chapter and its interest in business-to-business, blue-collar manufacturing companies.
“Lake Region is exactly the type of company that fits well and thrives in the Nesnah Ventures portfolio,” Co-President and CFO Kelly Wood said. “Our entire team looks forward to working side by side with the Lake Region team to drive growth and customer success going forward.”
Lake Region Enterprises has been owned and operated by the Glasener family since Mark and Sheri Glasener started the business in 1989 as a one-truck dump trucking operation, run out of the dining room of their Chippewa Falls home. The company grew to four trucks by 1992, when Paul Glasener joined part time after retiring from a local canning factory. Instead of leasing out its trucks, the company began seeking its own hauling jobs and built a shop for truck maintenance and office space.
In 1994, the company diversified into truck equipment installation, establishing the Wisconsin Body & Hoist division. Mark Glasener left his other job in 1995 to run the growing business full time. In 1999, the company launched a trailer-manufacturing division, Lake Region Trailer, building flatbeds and custom trailers, and later added a paint booth to support that growth. In 2006, the company sold its trucking division to focus on trailer manufacturing and truck equipment installation, the businesses it operates today.
Amber Glasener, daughter-in-law of Mark and Sheri Glasener, will continue leading day-to-day operations as general manager of Lake Region Trailer. “Today marks a monumental milestone in the history of Lake Region Enterprises,” Glasener said. “This partnership is going to help our team write the next chapter in the story Mark and Sheri started, and I am looking forward to being a part of it.”
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