Logistics & Distribution Acquisitions in Pennsylvania

Radiant Logistics, Inc. (NYSE American: RLGT) has acquired USA Logistics Services, Inc. and USA Carrier Services, LLC, two Philadelphia-based freight forwarding and cartage operations that have operated as part of Radiant's Service By Air brand since 2014. The acquired businesses will transition to the Radiant brand and combine with Radiant's company-owned Philadelphia operations; a portion of the purchase price is contingent on future performance and Mike Boyce will serve as General Manager of the combined team.

One Equity Partners has agreed to acquire Wheeler Fleet Solutions, an aftermarket parts distributor serving medium- and heavy‑duty fleets, from VSE Corporation in a divestiture transaction. Comvest Credit Partners provided a senior secured credit facility to support the acquisition; Wheeler is headquartered in Somerset, Pennsylvania and employs roughly 300–400 people across multiple U.S. distribution centers.

MODE Global has acquired the freight brokerage business of Jillamy, integrating Jillamy's freight team and assets into MODE's 3PL platform. The deal transfers more than 200 employees and adds facilities across multiple U.S. states and Ontario, while Jillamy retains its warehousing, packaging and fulfillment operations.

Associated Terminals' management group has purchased S.H. Bell Company and its subsidiaries. S.H. Bell will continue to operate under its existing name with its current management team in place; the deal is intended to create operational efficiencies and expand service offerings and geographic reach across terminals, warehousing, and drayage operations.

OptiX Entities LLC acquired Vircon Transport Solutions LLC in an equity purchase to create a new OptiX Transport Solutions division headquartered in Pittsburgh. The deal adds freight brokerage capabilities, 4,000+ carrier partners and coverage across 48 states plus Canada and Mexico, expanding OptiX's drayage, managed freight, warehousing and intermodal service offering.

BradyPLUS has acquired The EcoIndustrial Family of Companies (which includes Keystone Packaging, Northeast Penn Supplies and Northeast Industrial) to expand its distribution footprint in Northeastern Pennsylvania; terms were not disclosed. The transaction brings the EcoIndustrial leadership team (Sean McCormack and Dan Frascella) into the BradyPLUS organization and is intended to scale BradyPLUS’s presence and service capabilities across Pennsylvania.

Alba Wheels Up, backed by Southfield Capital, has acquired John A. Steer Co., a Philadelphia-based customs brokerage and logistics provider founded in 1905. The deal expands Alba's geographic footprint and service capabilities in customs brokerage, freight forwarding and trade-compliance services for highly regulated end markets such as food, beverage and chemicals.

McMurray Stern Inc. acquired the assets of Invata Intralogistics and launched MSI Automate, a new warehouse automation, robotics, and logistics division. The asset sale (completed December 2023 via Article 9 UCC) brings Invata's goods-to-person systems and AI-powered intralogistics software into McMurray Stern's specialty storage and workspace business to expand its automation capabilities and serve large enterprise clients.

Barcoding, Inc. has acquired Procensis, Inc., a Warminster, Pennsylvania-based enterprise mobility and AIDC solutions provider. The acquisition expands Barcoding's enterprise mobility, wearable/mobile computing, and WMS integration capabilities to better serve distribution and manufacturing customers.

Blue Point Capital Partners and its portfolio company Transtar Holding Company have acquired PPi Automotive, a family-owned automotive parts wholesale distributor with three warehouses serving the greater Pittsburgh area. The add-on expands Transtar/NexaMotion Group's general repair distribution footprint in the Northeast and strengthens its aftermarket distribution capabilities; financial terms were not disclosed.

ID Logistics has completed the acquisition of 100% of Kane Logistics from Harkness Capital Partners, creating a U.S. contract logistics platform under the ID Logistics US banner. Kane, a Scranton-based 3PL with $235 million of 2021 revenue and 20 U.S. hubs, will expand ID Logistics' U.S. footprint (pro‑forma US revenues $350 million) and the transaction was announced/closed in early 2022 (enterprise value reported at $240 million, all-cash).

48forty Solutions, a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity, has acquired Nazareth Pallet Company, a family-owned supplier of recycled and custom pallets in the Northeastern United States. The deal expands 48forty's footprint in the Northeast and adds Nazareth's recycling, custom pallet manufacturing capabilities and local fleet to 48forty's national pallet management network; terms were not disclosed.

A.P. Moller - Maersk has completed its acquisition of Pilot Freight Services from ATL Partners and BCI for approximately $1.68 billion (EV $1.8bn post IFRS-16). The deal adds Pilot's North American first-, middle- and last-mile capabilities — including big-and-bulky e-commerce delivery, ~87 stations and ~2,600 employees — to Maersk's landside logistics and end-to-end supply chain offering.

A consortium led by Pittsburgh-based private equity firm Tecum Capital, alongside Siguler Guff, Centerfield Capital Partners and UMB Family Wealth, has completed an eight-figure recapitalization of Automotive Systems Warehouse, LLC (ASW). The deal, which included equity and subordinated debt and involved ASW management as co-investors, funds growth initiatives and addresses founder succession while keeping the existing leadership team in place.

48forty Solutions has acquired Allegheny Recycled Products, a Pittsburgh-based pallet recycling operator that runs a 500,000 sq. ft. facility handling about 2 million pallets per year. Terms were not disclosed; the acquisition expands 48forty's pallet recycling and reverse-logistics footprint in the Northeastern United States.

DCC Technology, trading as Exertis, has acquired Almo Corporation in what DCC plc described as its largest transaction to date. The acquisition expands Exertis' Pro AV and consumer appliance distribution capabilities in North America, adding Almo's 660 employees, nine distribution centers and more than 2.5 million square feet of warehousing to Exertis' operations.

Court Square Capital Partners completed a recapitalization of The Evans Network of Companies, a Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania-based non-asset logistics platform, acquiring the business from Calera Capital. The deal positions Evans for continued growth across its intermodal drayage, truckload and brokerage agent network and supports the company's strategy of delivering centralized back-office and scale services to a fragmented freight market.

Werner Enterprises acquired an 80% equity stake in ECM Transport Group for $142.4 million, with an exclusive option to purchase the remaining 20% after five years. The deal adds nearly 500 trucks, 2,000 trailers and over 500 drivers to Werner's network, increasing its short-haul/regional truckload capabilities and expanding its presence in the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio and Northeast regions.

USPack, a NewSpring Holdings platform company, acquired Capital Delivery Systems to expand its wholesale pharmaceutical and critical-parts distribution capabilities and extend final-mile coverage in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The add-on bolsters USPack's healthcare logistics footprint and leverages its tech-enabled operating platform to provide greater visibility and expedited delivery for pharmaceutical and critical parts customers.

Architect Equity has acquired a majority stake in Solution Net Systems, Inc. (SNS), a Quakertown, Pennsylvania–based supplier of automated logistics and material handling systems. Architect will partner with Datalogic to support SNS's innovation, market expansion and growth initiatives across e‑commerce, retail, postal, food and pharmaceutical end markets.

Palm Beach Capital Fund III made an investment in Allen Brothers Wholesale Distributors and created National Convenience Distributors (NCD), combining Allen Brothers with J. Polep Distribution Services and Harold Levinson Associates as operating divisions. The new NCD organization reports combined annual revenues of $3 billion and becomes one of the largest full-line convenience store distributors in the U.S., expanding geographic reach and centralizing operations.

AMS Fulfillment, a portfolio company of Fort Point Capital, has acquired EchoData Group, an omnichannel fulfillment provider with facilities in New Holland, Pennsylvania and New Castle, Delaware. The deal expands AMS's East Coast footprint and formalizes bi‑coastal fulfillment capabilities to offer faster delivery (same‑day to major coasts and two‑day to ~90% of the U.S.) for B2B and B2C customers across consumer products, educational products, marketing materials and subscription box verticals.

Gridiron Capital has made an investment in Jacent Strategic Merchandising, a Huntington/ Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania-based provider of impulse merchandising, warehousing and DSD services to grocery, mass, drug and e-commerce retailers. The partnership will bring Gridiron's operational and financial resources to scale Jacent's national merchandising and fulfillment platform; debt financing was led by Twin Brook Capital Partners with MidCap Financial and Hamilton Lane, and Benesch advised Gridiron.

Fortna, a global distribution automation, engineering services and warehouse software provider based in Reading, Pennsylvania, has entered into a recapitalization agreement with funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL). The investment will support Fortna's growth strategy, including potential M&A, capability expansion and continued geographic expansion; terms were not disclosed.

Affiliates of Harkness Capital Partners have made an investment in third-party logistics provider Kane Is Able to support the company’s growth and national expansion. The transaction closed on March 13, 2019; terms are confidential and Michael Gardner will remain President and CEO while the Kane family remains involved.