Hittle Landscaping Acquires Barthuly Irrigation, Its Third Add-On

What happened

Hittle Landscaping, a commercial landscaping company headquartered in Westfield, Indiana, acquired Barthuly Irrigation, also based in Westfield, in a deal announced in June 2026. Barthuly provides commercial and residential irrigation across the Indianapolis metro area. Hittle is a portfolio company of CID Capital, the Indianapolis private equity firm, and Barthuly is its third add-on acquisition since CID invested. Lawn & Landscape's coverage of the deal reported no financial terms.

The seller

Brothers Larry and Ken Barthuly founded Barthuly Irrigation in the early 1990s. "For 34 years my brother, Ken, and I have focused on providing our customers with exceptional quality and value-added services while also creating meaningful, long-term opportunities for our employees," Larry Barthuly said in the announcement. Both attended Purdue University. Ken started out in irrigation as a teenager maintaining grounds for Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack, New Hampshire; Larry spent six years in insurance before the brothers started the company.

The business installs and services underground irrigation systems and exterior and landscape lighting, and runs seasonal start-up, winterization and backflow testing programs. Its commercial work includes the Cummins engine plant, headquarters and technical center in Columbus, Indiana, DePauw University, the IUPUI south campus, the NCAA expansion project on the Canal and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis. The company employs more than 60 people.

"While we have been approached many times over the years, we patiently waited for the right partner, one that shares our values, vision for growth and commitment to excellence," Larry Barthuly said.

The buyer

Hittle traces the business to 1973. It works across residential design-build and commercial bid-build, maintenance and production-home landscaping. Jeremy Hittle's family built the business over multiple generations, and Scott DeNardin is chief executive.

CID Capital announced its investment in September 2025, from CID Capital Opportunity Fund IV. Hittle is CID's second commercial landscaping platform, after Roebuck Landscaping, which serves South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. CID makes control investments in lower-middle-market companies.

Three add-ons in one metro

Hittle's first two add-ons were landscapers. Calvin Landscape, bought in February 2026, does maintenance, enhancement and construction for corporate, HOA and multifamily, and development clients in Indianapolis. Wesley's Landscape & Lawncare, bought in March 2026, serves Hamilton County with design, hardscape, maintenance and turf care. Barthuly is the first of the three built around irrigation rather than landscape maintenance and construction.

CID managing partner Cory Heck called both the Wesley's and Barthuly deals "a strategic service-line extension." After Wesley's, he said "the three of these companies combined creates the unquestioned market leader in Indianapolis." With Barthuly, the count in the same sentence became "these four companies, combined." Owners weighing a sale to a platform like this can read our guide on selling a landscaping business to private equity.

What this means for irrigation owners

All three add-ons sit inside the Indianapolis metro, and the only one outside landscaping is an irrigation contractor, which Lawn & Landscape said adds "highly technical irrigation expertise and capacity." Barthuly's profile is specific: a founder-built business of more than 30 years with a commercial project list and a residential service base. For irrigation owners, the local buyer set now includes a sponsor-backed landscaping platform that has bought an irrigation contractor as well as two landscapers.

OffDeal is an advisory firm that helps lower-middle-market business owners sell with confidence. Reach out to learn more about our expertise with irrigation businesses in Indiana.

Own a irrigation business with $5M–$100M in revenue? We’re glad to give you an honest read on what it’s worth and who would buy it — no pitch, no pressure. Get a free valuation.

Source: Lawn & Landscape - https://www.lawnandlandscape.com/news/hittle-landscaping-acquires-barthuly-irrigation/