Transportation Acquisitions in Kansas

W&B Service Company, a portfolio company of Stellex Capital Management, has acquired Sanders Trailer Service, a full-service semi-trailer dealership with three locations in Kansas and Missouri. The deal expands W&B's trailer sales and service capabilities into Kansas and western Missouri, adding agricultural-focused trailer offerings and parts/service capacity for customers across the Midwest.

Trane Technologies, through its Thermo King brand, has acquired CSTK, Inc., a longtime independent Thermo King dealer serving the Northeast and Central United States. The acquisition brings CSTK's 10 sites, customer base and more than 200 employees into Thermo King Americas as company-owned operations to strengthen service coverage and customer proximity in key U.S. markets.

Marcone, a Genstar Capital portfolio company and leading North American distributor of appliance, HVAC and plumbing parts, has acquired Great Plains/Pool & Spa Products, a family-owned regional pool and spa equipment and parts distributor with operations in Kansas City and Houston. The acquisition represents Marcone's entry into the pool and spa distribution market and will be used to grow Marcone's national distribution footprint and pursue additional M&A in the space.

Transport Investments, Inc. (a Gemspring Capital portfolio company) has acquired SmartWay Transportation, LLC, a multimodal freight brokerage and transportation management firm based in Overland Park, Kansas. The transaction is an add-on to Transport’s platform intended to expand its brokerage and transportation-management capabilities and give SmartWay’s ~800 customers access to Transport’s broader capacity and value-added logistics services.

Visible Supply Chain Management has acquired Kansas Continental Express (KCX), a nearly 30-year-old Emporia, Kansas-based shipping logistics and freight transportation provider. KCX will join the Visible family and operate under the parent company's name, expanding Visible's Midwest footprint and cross‑North America logistics capabilities to better serve small and midsize business customers.

Auto Driveaway, backed by investors including Evanston Partners, has acquired the assets of J&J Drive-Away, Inc. and J&J Freight Brokers, LLC to expand into the heavy-truck (Class 7 and Class 8) transportation market. The deal brings J&J’s heavy-truck transport and boutique freight-brokerage capabilities into Auto Driveaway’s network (drivers operating in 49 states and parts of Canada for 500+ customers); J&J co-founder Crystal O'Dwyer and VP Kelly Rolfe remain with the business as part-owners.