Access Holdings Tows an Analog Industry into the Digital Age

BALTIMORE, MD – August 05, 2026 – Private equity is increasingly looking beyond traditional sectors, and the latest example comes from Access Holdings, which announced today its majority investment in Reliable Towing. The deal signals a significant move by the alternative asset manager to institutionalize and technologically upgrade the fragmented, yet essential, world of roadside assistance. For Access, Reliable Towing isn't just another acquisition; it's the foundation for a modern, data-driven regional platform in a market that has largely operated under the radar of institutional capital.

The investment establishes a clear path to commercialization for Reliable, a 50-year-old Pacific Northwest platform, by injecting capital earmarked for technology, operational upgrades, and strategic acquisitions. This move follows a successful playbook for Access, which previously scaled and exited a student transportation company, demonstrating a knack for finding value in essential but overlooked infrastructure services.

A Resilient Market Ripe for Disruption

For most drivers, a tow truck is an unwelcome sight, a symbol of an interrupted journey. For an investor, however, the industry represents a compelling opportunity characterized by resilient demand and significant room for modernization. Access Holdings has identified the towing sector as a prime target, citing its fragmentation and non-discretionary nature. The numbers support this thesis.

Approximately 69 million vehicle breakdowns occur annually in the United States—one every four to five seconds. This steady stream of demand is bolstered by several persistent trends. The average age of vehicles on U.S. roads has climbed to a record 12.8 years, and older cars are four times more likely to require a tow than newer models. Furthermore, the relentless growth of commercial freight, which accounts for over 72% of domestic tonnage, ensures a constant need for heavy-duty recovery services.

Despite a global market value approaching $28 billion, the industry is composed of tens of thousands of small, independent operators. This fragmentation creates inefficiencies but also an opportunity for a well-capitalized player to consolidate the market, standardize service, and achieve economies of scale. By building a regional platform, Access aims to professionalize a sector that, until now, has relied more on local know-how than centralized data analytics.

The Access Playbook: Data, Scale, and Modernization

Access Holdings isn't entering this market blindly. The firm's strategy is guided by its proprietary 'Access Edge' operating model, a research-led, thesis-driven approach designed to build market leaders. This playbook was previously deployed with remarkable success in another essential transportation niche: student bussing.

In 2021, Access launched American Student Transportation Partners (ASTP) and, over four years, transformed it into a tech-forward network, growing its revenue sevenfold before a successful sale to CVC's infrastructure division in 2025. The core of this strategy is a “buy and build” approach: acquire a strong platform company and then aggressively pursue add-on acquisitions to densify its geographic footprint and enhance service capabilities.

"Reliable is true to its namesake: It's built a strong municipal base and a reputation for excellence across operations and service to become a leader in the Pacific Northwest," said Kevin McAllister, Founder & Managing Partner at Access Holdings. "We're thrilled to back this team and build upon 50 years of community support to turn Reliable into a regionally scaled, data-driven platform, delivering quality service from the first call."

The plan for Reliable Towing follows this script. The investment will fuel both organic growth and the acquisition of other trusted local operators, knitting them together into a cohesive, efficient network under the Reliable banner. Central to this is the implementation of data architecture to drive operational excellence—a hallmark of the Access approach.

From Local Heroes to a Regional Powerhouse

For over five decades, Reliable Towing has built its reputation on a network of local operators who are trusted partners for municipalities, commercial fleets, and stranded motorists in their communities. The challenge—and opportunity—of this new chapter is to preserve that local trust while building a sophisticated, regional powerhouse.

Paul Parhar, who previously invested in Reliable and will continue as its Chairman, was instrumental in bringing these local operators together. He emphasizes that the core mission remains unchanged. "We built Reliable by bringing together local operators who are the best at what they do and trusted in the communities they serve," said Parhar. "This next chapter is about investing in our operators, safety, equipment, processes, and leading technology so we can become the preferred service provider... without ever losing sight of the responsive, community-focused service that got us here."

For customers, this modernization promises tangible benefits. Faster response times driven by AI-powered dispatch, real-time tracking via mobile apps, and more consistent service standards across a wider geographic area could redefine the roadside assistance experience. For the local towing companies that join the platform, the transition will mean access to capital, superior technology, and the benefits of being part of a larger organization. It also means adapting to standardized processes and integrating into a centralized system, a common trade-off in private equity-led consolidations.

The Road Ahead: A Tech-Infused Future

The vision for Reliable Towing extends far beyond simply buying more trucks. The core of the commercialization strategy lies in a deep technological transformation. Access Holdings plans to develop a sophisticated data architecture that will serve as the central nervous system for the entire operation. This will enable the company to move from reactive dispatch to predictive logistics.

Imagine AI-powered systems that analyze traffic patterns, weather forecasts, and historical breakdown data to preposition tow trucks, drastically cutting down response times. Consider telematics systems installed across the fleet that monitor vehicle health to schedule preventative maintenance, minimizing truck downtime and ensuring reliability. Customers will be able to request and track service from their smartphones, receiving a level of transparency and convenience currently rare in the industry.

This infusion of technology is designed to create a powerful competitive advantage. By optimizing routes, managing fuel consumption, and streamlining back-office functions, the platform can operate with a level of efficiency that smaller, independent operators will find difficult to match. This combination of local operational excellence and sophisticated, centralized intelligence is what Access Holdings is betting on to drive growth and profitability, turning an essential service into a high-performing asset.