2024 CEAT hall of Fame Inductee: Bob Nickles
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT Marketing and Communications | 405-744-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu
Bob Nickles earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering design technology from Oklahoma State University in 1989.
A successful businessman and community leader in the greater Houston area, Nickles began his career as a project engineer at Nickles Machine and eventually became CEO. In 1995, he led a leveraged buyout of the company. Over the following years, Nickles acquired several businesses to form Nickles Industrial — the largest independent parts, service and repair organization in the compression industry. The company was sold in 2001 to Fortune 500 company Cooper Cameron, where Nickles served as the senior vice president of sales and marketing and later senior vice president of operations through 2002.
Nickles went on to co-found Fast Fusion, which revolutionized the large-diameter HDPE pipe fusion industry and now holds over 20 patents and numerous trademarks. In 2004, he became a founding investor and COO of Valerus Compression Services, which was sold in 2009 to Texas Pacific Group.
In 2013, Nickles founded Alegacy and now serves as the Executive Chairman. Under his
leadership, Alegacy has sold over $3.5 billion in natural gas compressor packages
and contributed more than $180 million to employee compensation and retirement. Additionally,
Nickles is the co-founder and manager of Agnes Systems and Agnes IP Holdings, a company
working to eliminate fugitive methane emissions. Throughout his career, he has founded,
co-founded, acquired or funded 18 other companies.
Nickles serves on the First Financial Bank Board of Directors and its Executive, Risk (Chairman) and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees, as well as the Kingwood Regional Advisory Board. He chairs the Finance Council at St. Matthias Catholic Church and serves on the Board of Directors for the Waller County Economic Development Partnership.
He and his family are committed supporters of OSU through endowed academic and athletic scholarships, and gifts to the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute and the St.John’s Catholic Student Center.
Failures and setbacks are a real part of life and business; expect them and develop the grit and persistence to push through. How you treat people will be as or more important for your success in life than any other factor.
Photos by: Annie Buford
Story by: Ashleigh Green | IMPACT Magazine