Safety-Kleen wants to clean up with an IPO

Safety-Kleen got its start in 1963 as a parts washer for auto repair. However, by the late 1990s, Laidlaw bought the company and added waste disposal assets (such as for landfills). Unfortunately, a few years later, the company was mired in an SEC investigation and bankruptcy.

But after a painful restructuring, Safety-Kleen is back on track. In fact, the company has filed for a public offering.

As of now, Safety-Kleen is the largest collector, recycler and re-refiner of used oil. The company also is a provider of environmental solutions (such as containerized waste services). There are more than 200 facilities across the US, Canada and Mexico.

Customers include 420 of the Fortune 500 and more than 300,000 small-to-medium sized companies. In fact, this is a user base that tends to have recurring requirements, making for a nice revenue stream. So last year, Safety-Kleen posted $1 billion in revenues and $116.6 million in adjusted EBITDA.

Safety-Kleen has market power and a dominant brand (there is a key deal with NASCAR). And with extensive regulations, the company should continue to grow.

The lead underwriters on the IPO include Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) and JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM). You can also find the prospectus at the SEC website.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.