Zug, June 15, 2026 – The group of companies around IMS Trenchless, resinnovation, Polypipe, Amex Sanivar, Lateral Repairs, Kardiam, Hurricane and APEX CIPP Solutions, backed by private equity investor
Zug, June 15, 2026 – The group of companies around IMS Trenchless, resinnovation, Polypipe, Amex Sanivar, Lateral Repairs, Kardiam, Hurricane and APEX CIPP Solutions, backed by private equity investor Apheon, has appointed Dominik Berchtold as Chief Executive Officer.
Dominik Berchtold combines international leadership experience with deep roots in installer-driven industries. He has built a career across Europe, the Americas and Asia, with seven years in aviation (Pilatus Aircraft) followed by the past 18 years in the HVAC industry (Zehnder Group; Viessmann Climate Solutions, part of Carrier Global Corporation). His background is characterized by sectors that, like trenchless rehabilitation, are built on skilled trades, service and engineering. He pairs the discipline of large, established companies with an entrepreneurial, start-up mindset.
The group’s purpose is straightforward: protecting drinking water, safeguarding groundwater, and extending the life of critical infrastructure by ensuring that our customers have access to reliable products, service expertise, and technical support they need to successfully deliver rehabilitation projects of any complexity and keeping pipe rehabilitation affordable for homeowners. With Dominik on board the group creates the base to scale this platform and to elevate its structures for the road ahead.
“It’s all about the team. We are building this group as entrepreneurs, and everything we do starts with our partners – the installers and contractors in the field. This is a unique opportunity: a solid, successful base built by entrepreneurs, Apheon as a committed long-term partner /investor, and the chance to forge the platform together, from the ground up. We will keep growing, and we will keep strengthening the team.”
— Dominik Berchtold, Chief Executive Officer
“ It has always been my vision to become the most trusted global partner for customers in the trenchless pipe rehabilitation industry. Dominik will play a key role in driving this vision forward together with us. With his experience and leadership, he will strengthen the alignment of our companies, unlock synergies across the organization, and further professionalize our growing international business..”
— Ljubisa Zlatkovic, Founder of IMS
“Our ambition is clear: long-term, profitable growth. Dominik is the right leader to take the platform to the next level and to drive our internationalization – particularly in the Americas and APAC.”
— Nils Lüssem (Partner) and Sebastian Walter (Managing Director), Apheon
The platform around IMS Trenchless and Polypipe is growing across all its locations and will accelerate its growth through selective acquisitions to become the global leader in trenchless pipe rehabilitation.
About the Group The group of companies includes IMS, Lateral Repairs, Amex Sanivar, Polypipe, resinnovation, Kardiam, Hurricane and APEX CIPP Solutions, with 19 locations worldwide. Together they offer one of the broadest in-house developed and manufactured portfolios of trenchless products, setting new standards in availability, training and support.
About Apheon Apheon is a pan-European mid-market private equity investment company managing ~€4.5 billion of assets from select global institutional investors and families. Apheon is known for its partnership approach, providing “patient and friendly capital” and industrial know-how to entrepreneurs and management teams.
