Acquisitions in Arkansas in 2022

D.R. Horton, Inc. acquired the homebuilding operations and related assets of Riggins Custom Homes in Fayetteville, Arkansas, including ~3,000 lots, 170 homes in inventory and 173 homes in sales order backlog. The transaction is expected to be approximately $107 million in cash and will combine Riggins' operations with D.R. Horton's Northwest Arkansas platform to expand the company's local market presence.

Alliance Technical Group, backed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, has acquired GBMc & Associates, a multimedia environmental consulting firm based in Bryant, Arkansas. The acquisition expands Alliance’s environmental consulting capabilities and national resources, adding GBMc’s expertise in watershed and land use management, ecological services, and regulatory compliance for industrial and municipal clients.

American Roller has acquired Big River Roller, a Paris, Arkansas-based industrial roller and core manufacturer, in a transaction that expands American Roller’s capabilities in rubber coverings and core design while extending its presence in the U.S. South. Terms were not disclosed; Big River’s founding members are joining as part of American Roller’s ownership group and the deal has already resulted in expanded service routes and integrated core manufacturing capabilities.

Acoustic, a provider of unified marketing and customer experience technology for B2C brands, has received a strategic growth investment from Francisco Partners while existing investor Centerbridge Partners remains the primary equity holder. The capital will support Acoustic’s platform vision, accelerating product development and expansion of its personalized multichannel marketing and analytics capabilities.

SFP Holding, Inc. (Summit Companies) announced that Summit Fire & Security LLC completed the acquisition of Fire Extinguisher Sales & Service (FESSAR) effective October 6, 2022. FESSAR — a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business with two Arkansas locations and ~25 certified suppression technicians — will be integrated into Summit’s regional operations to expand fire suppression and life-safety services in Arkansas and the southern region.

DB Schenker has completed its acquisition of USA Truck, acquiring all outstanding shares for $31.72 per share in cash. The deal values USA Truck at roughly $435 million (including assumed cash and debt); USA Truck will operate within DB Schenker's North America network and will no longer trade on NASDAQ.

LRS (Lakeshore Recycling Systems) has acquired Lee's Trash Service, a long‑time independent hauler serving the Arkansas River Valley, to densify its LRS South footprint. The deal brings more than 25,000 subscription and municipal residential customers, commercial disposal and roll‑off capabilities, and a transfer station to support regional expansion; founder Tony Lee will remain with LRS in a senior operations role.

Celero Commerce, a Nashville-based payments and fintech provider, has acquired Community Bankers Merchant Services (CBMS), an Arkansas-based provider of electronic transaction processing for community and regional banks. The acquisition expands Celero’s financial-institution network and merchant footprint, bringing its total merchants served to over 53,000 and annual card volume to roughly $21 billion.

The Cigarette Store LLC (dba Smoker Friendly) has acquired Tobacco Superstores, a Forrest City, Arkansas-based chain of 79 stores across Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri and Kentucky. The stores will be rebranded as Smoker Friendly, expanding TCS's corporate footprint to 260 stores in 12 states and introducing TCS product lines to former Tobacco Superstores customers.

SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. completed its acquisition of River Valley Horticultural Products, Inc., a wholesale distributor of nursery, hardscapes, and landscape supply products with one location in Little Rock, Arkansas. The deal expands SiteOne's presence in Central Arkansas and adds local capabilities and inventory to support residential and commercial landscape professionals.

Valence Surface Technologies, a PE-backed aerospace surface-finishing platform, has acquired B&M Painting, a Camden, Arkansas-based metal finishing and specialty coatings provider serving aerospace and defense primes. The deal—Valence's tenth add-on since formation and supported by majority owners ATL Partners and BCI—adds regional defense-focused coating capabilities while retaining B&M's existing management and workforce.

Circumference Group, an operationally-focused investment firm based in Little Rock, acquired a majority stake in The Computer Works (TCW), a Conway, Arkansas-based provider of fiber and fixed wireless internet and related IT services. The investment will provide capital and operational support to help TCW expand and continue providing broadband connectivity to residential and commercial customers across Arkansas; terms were not disclosed.

Sanctuary Wealth facilitated the acquisition of Marriott Wealth Advisors, a three-person independent retirement planning firm in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, by integrating the practice as Marriott Wealth Advisors, Inc., a division of mFORCE Capital. Sanctuary supplied capital through its Partnership Program, taking a minority stake to provide long-term stability and growth resources while mFORCE Capital will operate the acquired practice; the firm brings approximately $140 million in client assets under advisement.

USNR, a division of Wood Technologies International, acquired Timber Automation, LLC from Blue Sage Capital. The deal adds Timber’s LogPro and Baxley product lines, more than 250 employees and over 200,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity to USNR, expanding its product offering and production capabilities in the wood-processing equipment market.

Pearlman Group, a portfolio company of The Stephens Group, acquired J. Dulac & Sons, Inc. dba Cleaners Connection, a North Little Rock-based specialty distributor of cleaning and restoration supplies. The add-on expands Pearlman's footprint in the cleaning & restoration market across the Midwest and South; financial terms were not disclosed.

Pallet Logistics of America (PLA), a Silver Oak Services Partners portfolio company, has acquired Propak, a national provider of 3PL, reverse logistics, warehousing, transportation and freight brokerage services. The deal adds Propak's 60+ locations and roughly 1,700 employees to PLA, transforming PLA from a western U.S. pallet manager into a national supply chain solutions provider and expanding its service capabilities and footprint.

Graduway + Gravyty has merged with Gratavid, integrating Gratavid’s personalized video platform into the Graduway + Gravyty product ecosystem to enhance donor, alumni, and community engagement. The acquisition aims to combine Gratavid’s video personalization and CRM integrations with Graduway + Gravyty’s existing engagement and fundraising technologies to expand capabilities and improve retention and stewardship for schools, non-profits, and healthcare organizations.

Tricoastal Ventures, a capital investment firm focused on commercial aviation, acquired 100% of Central Flying Service from the Holbert family. The Little Rock-based general aviation services provider will be led by Phil Jordan (CEO) and Herb Knight (COO) under Tricoastal ownership and will pursue expansion of locations, adjacent markets and maintenance work for sister brands.

Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) have completed an investment to acquire Fairway Lawns, a Little Rock‑headquartered provider of residential lawncare services that operates 16 branches across the Southeastern United States. MSCP is partnering with Fairway's existing management team led by CEO Kyle DeMilt and intends to accelerate the company's geographic expansion and add-on acquisition activity; Prairie Capital sold the company.

The Bluebird Group, an H.I.G. Capital portfolio company, has acquired Bentonville-based 479 Sales & Marketing, a full-service retail services and omni-channel agency with deep Walmart and Sam's Club expertise. The acquisition expands Bluebird's Walmart capabilities and retail data/analytics offerings; all 479 employees will transition to Bluebird in Arkansas.

Corporate Visions, a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, has acquired DSG Consulting, a Little Rock‑based tech‑enabled sales consulting and training firm. The add‑on expands Corporate Visions' revenue growth and sales enablement capabilities by integrating DSG's video‑based playbooks and vPlaybook subscription technology; Stone‑Goff Partners sold its investment in DSG as part of the transaction.

Graco Corporation, a Gravette, Arkansas-based parts manufacturer with a focus on the firearms/shooting-sports market, was sold by founders Larry and Sue Eaton and partners Gary and Jean Phipps to buyers Gary and Denise Box. The sale was completed with representation by CBI Team Northwest Arkansas, and the buyers plan to continue operations at the Gravette location.

Envoy Solutions has agreed to acquire Sigma Supply of North America, a Hot Springs, Arkansas-based packaging materials and equipment distributor. The deal expands Envoy's national packaging platform—adding Sigma's network of more than two dozen locations and capabilities across the South, including Texas; the Hamby family will continue to lead Sigma following the transaction.

Westrock Coffee Company entered into a business combination with Riverview Acquisition Corp., becoming a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq under the ticker "WEST". The transaction delivered approximately $500 million of gross cash proceeds including $250 million in PIPE commitments and secured new credit facilities to refinance debt and fund Westrock's manufacturing expansion and international growth initiatives.

Relation Insurance Services, a PE-backed national insurance brokerage, acquired the assets of Dixon Insurance Services, a Lake City, Arkansas-based multi-line P&C agency focused on farm and agriculture. Dixon will fold into Relation's Central Region to expand Relation's presence in Arkansas and add agricultural insurance expertise.

Society Brands, an Amazon aggregator, has acquired OmniiX, an Amazon brand management agency that manages ecommerce brand growth and has serviced hundreds of consumer product companies. OmniiX founders John W. Collins and Stormey Collins join Society Brands' executive leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief of Staff to help scale acquired brands across the Society Brands platform.

MCR has acquired the Homewood Suites by Hilton Little Rock Downtown, a six-story, 116-suite extended-stay hotel located at 400 River Market Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas. The purchase expands MCR's portfolio (a $4.0 billion, 140-hotel platform) and represents the company's second hotel in Arkansas.

HC3, a Birmingham-based customer communications technology company, acquired Jonesboro, Arkansas–based AutoMail and DOC (Document Output Center). The deal, which closed March 1, 2022, expands HC3's statement and critical-communications capabilities for community banks and credit unions and brings AutoMail's contracted operations and software capabilities into HC3's platform.

MidOcean Partners has acquired Cloyes, a North American leader in timing drive systems and engine components, from Hidden Harbor Capital Partners. MidOcean plans to grow Cloyes through organic initiatives and strategic M&A to build a stronger platform in the automotive aftermarket; financial terms were not disclosed.

New Engen, a Seattle-based digital marketing agency and portfolio company of Insignia Capital Group, has acquired Acorn Influence, an influencer marketing agency based in Rogers, Arkansas. Acorn Influence was previously a portfolio company of NewRoad Capital Partners, which will remain an investor in the combined business; the deal strengthens New Engen's influencer, content and CPG retail capabilities.

The Toro Company has acquired privately held Intimidator Group, the Arkansas-based maker of Spartan Mowers and Intimidator UTVs, for $400 million. The acquisition expands Toro's position in the zero-turn mower market, adds a complementary product lineup sold through an established dealer network, and will maintain manufacturing operations in Batesville, Arkansas.

Round 2, a collectibles platform backed by Praesidian Capital, has acquired Big Country Toys, an Arkansas-based designer, manufacturer and retailer of farm, ranch and rodeo toys and collectibles. The add-on expands Round 2's product offering into a new vertical and opens additional growth channels to mass merchants and hobby customers.

Boston-based private equity firm M/C Partners has completed a strategic growth investment in Edafio Technology Partners, a leading IT managed services provider headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The partnership is intended to accelerate Edafio’s regional expansion and enhance its managed services, cloud and cybersecurity capabilities through organic growth and potential acquisitions.