Transportation Acquisitions

Amerit Fleet Solutions acquired Vector Fleet Management to expand its fleet maintenance, repair, and parts management service offerings, particularly in state and local government and heavy industrial fleet segments. Vector will continue operating under its brand and leadership, while Amerit—backed by New Mountain Capital—broadens its nationwide end-to-end fleet solutions capabilities.

Dreamliner, a Nashville-based custom coach provider, acquired specialty entertainment transportation carriers Shomotion and Show Pro to expand into events transportation and logistics services. The founders and CEO of the acquired businesses will join Dreamliner’s executive team, and all employees will be retained. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Tarantula Corporation, a railroad holding company that owns Fort Worth & Western Railroad (FWWR), has acquired Texas Central Railroad from Birdsong Corporation. FWWR has leased and operated Texas Central Railroad since 1998, and Tarantula said the acquisition will enable greater investment in maintenance and infrastructure to improve service and support future rail-served development along the line. The purchase was finalized on June 30 following more than two years of planning and negotiations.

Bestpass-Fleetworthy Solutions has acquired Drivewyze, bringing together major toll management and weigh station bypass providers to offer commercial fleets a more integrated suite spanning tolling, bypass, compliance, and safety. The combined offering is positioned as a one-stop solution with enhanced support and continued innovation, and the companies stated current customer services (including Drivewyze Free) will not be disrupted.

Hagadone Marine Group announced the acquisition of the assets of Murphy Marine Construction Inc. on Lake Coeur d'Alene, expanding its marine services and internal project capabilities. The acquired assets include 145 new wet slips adjacent to Blackwell Island Marina, bringing Hagadone Marine’s total to 1,611 slips on the lake. As part of the transition, Skip Murphy will serve in an advisory role and members of the Murphy team will continue with Hagadone Marine.

Patriot Capital completed a debt and equity co-investment to support the majority recapitalization of Central States Bus Sales, Inc. (CSBS), a multi-state dealer of new and used school and commercial buses. The investment was made in partnership with Independent Bankers Capital Funds, Capital for Business, Konza Valley Capital, and CSBS President & CEO Jeff Reitz.

Guardian Fleet Services acquired Euless B&B Wrecker Service as part of its expansion beyond Florida, marking Guardian’s entry into the Texas market. The deal adds a long-established towing and recovery provider in Euless, Texas to Guardian’s nationwide platform, with Andy and Debi Chesney expected to remain involved in leadership going forward.

Bradford Marine, a South Florida marina and yacht repair facility, has acquired Roscioli Yachting Center from OneWater Marine Inc. The transaction includes Roscioli’s real estate and service operations in Fort Lauderdale, with OneWater maintaining a sales presence on-site via a lease arrangement. The acquisition expands Bradford Marine’s footprint and capacity across lift, dockage, and storage offerings.

Mondee has acquired Skypass Travel for $15 million as part of its push further into corporate travel. The consideration includes $3 million in cash with the remainder paid in Mondee stock priced at $10 per share, with potential additional stock contingent on achieving growth targets.

Go Rentals entered into a definitive agreement for a significant investment from RedBird Capital Partners, with Main Street Advisors also participating alongside RedBird. Transaction terms were not disclosed, and Go Rentals’ co-founders Kavous and Kaye Gitibin will continue to lead the company with RedBird representatives joining the board.

Funds managed by Greenbriar Equity Group completed the acquisition of Towne Park, a parking and hospitality solutions provider, from TA Associates. Financial terms were not disclosed. Greenbriar plans to support Towne Park’s expansion through organic growth and acquisitions to broaden its national presence and service offerings.

The Hoffmann Family of Companies (HF Companies) announced it has completed the acquisition of Hazelwood-based JED Transportation and also acquired Corporate Transportation St. Louis. Both targets provide chauffeured ground transportation services in the St. Louis region, including limousine, coach, shuttle, and event transportation.

HyreCar Inc. announced it will sell substantially all of its assets to carsharing marketplace leader Getaround, with the transaction expected to close on or about May 15, 2023. The deal combines HyreCar’s gig-focused carsharing service with Getaround’s connected, contactless carsharing platform to expand vehicle access and marketplace reach for gig economy drivers and vehicle owners.

Elit'Avia announced the acquisition of Pioneer Business Services, a Newburgh, New York-based provider of private charter and aircraft management services. The deal expands Elit'Avia’s U.S. presence, adds additional managed aircraft, and continues operations at New York Stewart International Airport while reorganizing the brand into Elit'Avia Americas and Elit'Avia International.

Piece by Piece Movers, LLC acquired Movin' On Movers, Inc. in a transaction facilitated by Benchmark International. The deal expands Piece by Piece Movers' geographic footprint and strengthens its market position by extending operations into the North Carolina region.

Guardian Fleet Services acquired Emerald Transportation (Pompano Beach, Florida) and Sapp's Wrecker Service (Savannah, Georgia) as part of its geographic expansion beyond Florida. Separately, Chartwell Investments Entrepreneur & Founder Capital (CHIEF Capital) completed a growth investment in Guardian to fund future expansion, with financing arranged by Backcast Partners and including Morgan Stanley Private Credit and Source Capital.

Modern Aviation closed its acquisition of the fixed-base operator (FBO) assets and operations at Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK) and Republic Airport (FRG) from Sheltair Aviation after receiving required government approvals. The transaction expands Modern Aviation’s New York footprint, with local Sheltair employees joining Modern Aviation as it assumes operations at both locations.

A-Z Bus Sales, Inc. announced the acquisition of Blue Star Bus Sales, Ltd., a school bus dealership serving West Texas. Blue Star will continue operating under its existing name and location in Lubbock, Texas, while A-Z Bus expands its footprint and leverages its electric bus sales and support experience in Texas.

JLD-Laguë, a portfolio company of Champlain Financial Corporation, and Groupe Soucy led the acquisition of Location Sauvageau and Location Légaré in June 2022. The acquired group is a leading provider of short- and medium-term commercial and institutional vehicle rentals in Quebec, operating a fleet of 3,800+ utility vehicles. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the current management team will remain in place while Luc Soucy will serve as Executive Chairman.

Alpine Air Express, a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners, has acquired Suburban Air Freight, a Part-135 regional air cargo carrier headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The acquisition expands Alpine’s regional air cargo footprint and capabilities, including complementary fleets and maintenance operations. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Shepler's Ferry Inc. announced a partnership with The Hoffmann Family of Companies, advised by Greenwich Capital Group (GCG). Shepler's provides passenger ferry transportation and related services between Mackinaw City/St. Ignace and Mackinac Island in Michigan.

NOVA Infrastructure and Wafra Inc. announced an investment in Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, a U.S. fixed base operator (FBO) with six locations. Funds managed by NOVA and Wafra acquired Hawthorne from Moelis Capital Partners, which had owned the business since 2011. The investors plan to support Hawthorne’s expansion and growth in the fragmented FBO market.

Hornblower Group has closed the acquisition of Australia’s leading experiential travel group, Journey Beyond. The deal expands Hornblower’s global footprint further into Australia and adds Journey Beyond’s portfolio of iconic rail, marine, touring, lodging, and attraction experiences to Hornblower’s travel and transportation offerings.

Velocity Truck Centers (VTC) acquired Triple-T Truck Centers, expanding VTC’s commercial vehicle dealership footprint across North Carolina and South Carolina. The transaction also includes Aftermarket Parts, a New Bern, North Carolina-based wholesale replacement parts business serving forestry and construction customers nationally and worldwide.

FleetPride, Inc. acquired the assets of National Truck Repair, a heavy-duty truck parts and service business based in Longview, Texas. Founded in 2008 by Jim Head, National Truck Repair will join FleetPride’s network, with Justin Head remaining as service manager to support expanded parts and service capabilities in the Longview market.

SEACOR Holdings Inc. completed its acquisition of U.S. Shipping Corp (USSC), a privately owned provider of long-haul marine transportation for chemical and petroleum cargoes in the U.S. coastwise (Jones Act) trade. The transaction closed on August 13, 2021, and strengthens SEABULK (part of the SEACOR family) by expanding its Jones Act tanker fleet and operating capabilities. Financial terms were not disclosed.

ServiceMaster Brands (SMB) completed its acquisition of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK/International, Inc. (TMTI), a franchised moving company. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK will continue operating from its home office in Lansing, Michigan, with CEO Jon Nobis joining SMB’s executive leadership team. The announcement notes this is SMB’s second acquisition since Roark Capital purchased ServiceMaster Brands in 2020.

An affiliate of H.I.G. Capital’s H.I.G. Infrastructure acquired North America Central School Bus (NAC), a provider of student transportation services. NAC, headquartered in Joliet, Illinois, will continue to be led by CEO Steve Hemmerlein and its existing management team as H.I.G. supports growth initiatives including geographic expansion and fleet electrification.

Updater announced the acquisition of Dolly, an on-demand local moving and delivery service provider. The deal expands Updater’s relocation platform by adding Dolly’s network of “Helpers” for small local moves and deliveries, while enabling larger moves to be routed to Updater subsidiary MoveHQ.

EFO Ventures acquired the assets of shared mobility company Frog Mobility to support Frog’s global growth. The deal combines EFO Ventures’ shared mobility operating experience with Frog’s brand, team, and turnkey platform for locally operated electric micro-mobility services across the United States and Europe.

LAZ Parking acquired Serco Parking Services, the parking enforcement and parking meter management services of Serco Inc., with the transaction closing May 1, 2021. Serco Parking Services, based in Los Angeles, works exclusively with government agencies and is the largest private provider of outsourced on-street parking enforcement and meter management solutions in the United States.

American Industrial Partners (AIP) and its affiliates completed the take-private acquisition of SEACOR Holdings Inc. following a tender offer in which 70.4% of outstanding shares were validly tendered. The transaction valued shares at US$41.50 per share in cash, and SEACOR’s common stock ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange as the company became privately held.

The Firefly Group, LLC acquired Express Medical Transporters ("EMT"), a provider of non-emergency medical and student transportation services with operations across multiple states. The transaction was initiated following DVS direct outreach to EMT ownership to create a liquidity event, and the deal structure included equity incentives for management to support future growth.