BirdDog Logistics
BG Strategic Advisors Announces the Acquisition of Churchill Transport Group by BirdDog Logistics
Palm Beach, FL – November 5, 2009 – BG Strategic Advisors (“BGSA”) is pleased to announce that Churchill Transport Group, Inc. (“Churchill”), a privately-owned third-party logistics (3PL) provider based in Charlotte, NC, has been acquired by BirdDog Logistics, LLC (“BirdDog”). BG Strategic Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Churchill Transport Group in this transaction.
Boasting a seasoned team of professionals with decades of industry expertise and a strong customer base, Churchill Transport Group and its affiliate, CTG Financial, LLC represent an important strategic addition to BirdDog’s freight management business. “Churchill’s service offerings, customer service team, and strong customer base complement BirdDog’s business and will extend our ability to deliver best-in-class services to our customers,” said Richard Piontek, president, BirdDog Logistics. “The addition of Churchill further strengthens our position in the transportation market and advances BirdDog’s objective of helping our customers effectively purchase and manage freight across all modes of transportation. In addition, Churchill customers will now have access to BirdDog’s Transportation Spend Management services, including contract negotiation, freight bill audit and payment, and information management.”
“Combining teams and uniting our capabilities is a great growth opportunity for Churchill and will greatly benefit our customers and employees,” said Derek Skea, president, Churchill Transport Group. “We are excited to join the BirdDog team and look forward to continued growth and success.”
About BirdDog Logistics
BirdDog Logistics Services, LLC, provides freight management and brokerage services to shippers in need of reliable transportation solutions and to motor carriers with available capacity. Acting as an intermediary between the two, the company provides these services to shippers looking for carriers that will reliably meet their commitments at competitive transit rates. BirdDog Logistics Services, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BirdDog Solutions, Inc., and is headquartered in Andover, MA.
About Churchill Transport Group
Churchill Transport Group is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider available 24 hours a day to fulfill customers’ freight transportation and logistics needs. The company provides access to multiple transportation providers worldwide including Truckload, Less-than-Truckload, Rail, Ocean, Air, and Courier carriers. Based in Charlotte, NC, the company has been serving the market since 2001. Also based in Charlotte, NC, Churchill’s subsidiary, CTG Financial, LLC, is a leading provider of receivables factoring for carriers, offering services for managing billing, receivables, collections, and funding.
Amerijet International, Inc.
Amerijet Announces Acquisition of Majority Interest in Nations Express, a BGSA Client
Palm Beach, FL – July 3, 2009 – Amerijet International, Inc. (“Amerijet”) today announced its acquisition of a majority interest in Nations Express, a BG Strategic Advisors (“BGSA”) client and nationwide express trucking company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nations Express operates a fleet of approximately 200 trucks in a unique express charter truck service. BGSA served as an advisor to Nations Express.
John R. Nash, CFO of Amerijet stated, “Nations Express represents a company doing all the right things, at the right time, and a company we believe is a unique fit with Amerijet and our global logistics services. We believe our two companies service customers who desire specialized services and that our products, whether combined or sold separately, will be valuable to each of our customers.”
William R. Frazier, Nations Express President and CEO, further added, “The investment by Amerijet will provide the additional capital necessary for the company to take advantage of a number of exciting growth opportunities in the ground freight transportation industry as well as new freight service opportunities offered by Amerijet. We look forward to working with the professional management team associated with Amerijet.”
About Nations Express
Nations Express was founded in 1998 in Charlotte, North Carolina to handle time critical freight with a focus on personal customer service. Today, Nations Express is a global transportation company with 20 locations across the United States and agent partners around the world. The company’s customer service focus, technology, and broad range of transportation services allow it to find optimal solutions for time critical shipments. For more information on Nations Express, visit www.nationsexpress.com.
Raytrans Distribution Services, Inc.
BGSA Announces the Acquisition of Raytrans Distribution Services, Inc. by Echo Global Logistics, Inc.
Palm Beach, FL – June 10, 2009 –BG Strategic Advisors (“BGSA”) is pleased to announce that Raytrans Distribution Services, Inc. (“Raytrans”), a transportation brokerage firm based in Matteson, Illinois, has been acquired by Echo Global Logistics, Inc. (“Echo”), a technology-driven transportation management firm. BGSA acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Raytrans Distribution Services in this transaction.
James Ray, Jr. founded Raytrans Distribution Services in 2000. Raytrans’ network of skilled transportation professionals and carriers specializes in flatbed, over-sized, auto-haul and other specific services as well as traditional dry van brokerage. Effective immediately, Raytrans Distribution Services will begin doing business as Echo Global Logistics, Inc.
“We are excited to join the Echo team,” said James Ray, Jr., who will continue as General Manager of the Raytrans Division of Echo Global Logistics. “Raytrans’ specialization and carrier base in combination with Echo’s technology-enabled procurement capabilities and additional modes of transportation will yield significant customer benefits.”
“We are enthused about the value that the partnership between Echo and Raytrans will deliver to our clients,” said Doug Waggoner, Chief Executive Officer of Echo Global Logistics. “Echo will benefit from Raytrans’ focus and additional scale, while the Raytrans operation will gain from Echo’s technology and mode diversification.”
About Raytrans Distribution Services
Raytrans Distribution Services provides transportation brokerage services to shippers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company distinguishes itself by providing sophisticated shipping solutions in multiple specialized markets such as the transport of over-dimensional loads, non-domestic automobiles, North American international shipments, and other flatbed truckload services. For more information, visit www.raytrans.com.
About Echo Global Logistics
Privately-held Chicago-based Echo is a technology-driven transportation management outsourcing firm which helps clients reduce their transportation spend. Echo’s enterprise and transactional clients range from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Echo’s transportation management solutions deliver cost savings through proprietary access to unparalleled transportation market data, custom-built world-class technology, a “best cost” global labor platform, an extensive nationwide network of carriers, and buying leverage resulting from the aggregated spend on behalf of Echo’s clients. For more information on Echo, visit: www.echo.com.
BG Strategic Advisors Acquires Botsford Associates
Palm Beach, FL – February 3, 2009 –BG Strategic Advisors (“BGSA” or the “Firm”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired Botsford Associates (“Botsford”), a West Palm Beach-based investment bank. Botsford provides strategic advice and investment banking services to corporations and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Botsford’s Founder and Managing Director, Reuben B. Johnson III, will join BGSA as a Managing Director and will remain active in the business. With the acquisition of Botsford, BGSA will add a subsidiary that will expand the Firm’s capabilities to serve its customers. Thus, in addition to the advisory services that BGSA currently provides, the acquisition will allow the Firm to act as a broker-dealer in capital raising transactions and to engage in other types of transactions involving corporate securities.
About Botsford Associates
Botsford Associates LLC was founded in 2003. Botsford is licensed to engage in corporate finance activities including the raising of capital through private placements of equity and debt securities and the provision of advice in corporate mergers and acquisitions and restructuring transactions. Botsford is a registered broker-dealer regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
About BG Strategic Advisors
BG Strategic Advisors is the leading M&A advisory firm focused on the logistics and supply chain industry. The Firm specializes in providing CEOs in the logistics and supply chain industry with the tools to maximize their companies’ value. For more information, or to explore a sale, merger, acquisition, capital raise or other strategic initiative for your company, please contact Managing Director Benjamin Gordon at (561) 932-1601 or email Benjamin@bgsa.com.
Dixie Warehouse Services and Jacobson Companies Merger
BG Strategic Advisors Announces the Merger of Dixie Warehouse Services with Jacobson Companies
Palm Beach, FL – October 3, 2008 –BG Strategic Advisors is pleased to announce that Dixie Warehouse Services, LLC, a warehouse and transportation focused outsourced 3PL provider based in Louisville, Kentucky, has merged with Jacobson Companies of Des Moines, Iowa, a leader in providing third-party logistics services. BG Strategic Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Dixie Warehouse Services in this transaction.
Don Smith, President and Chief Operating Officer of Dixie Warehouse Services, stated, “From the moment I met Craig and his executive staff, I have been excited about the opportunities this merger will provide both companies. To see how similar Jacobson and Dixie are in their culture, their desire to take care of their employees, and their focus on providing the best customer service possible makes for a seamless transition.”
“This is a great opportunity for us to leverage the synergies between the two companies and expand our family of services to other key regions in the South and Southeast, which are key to our future growth and success,” stated Craig Petermeier, Jacobson’s CEO.
“This merger will introduce a nationwide service offering and new freight management services to our existing Dixie Warehouse customers. The result is we can bring more value-added solutions across their supply chain from end-to-end,” says Rick Finkbeiner, the combined companies’ President and Chief Business Development Officer.
With this merger, Jacobson becomes the fourth largest warehouse 3PL provider in the nation, offering services worldwide and utilizing approximately 140 distribution center facilities and an additional 40 trucking, staffing, and cross-docking facilities strategically located across the country.
About Dixie Warehouse Services
Dixie offers a 70-year tradition of service excellence as part of the Louisville, Kentucky marketplace, and has become the largest independent warehouse provider serving several Fortune 500 customers. Dixie operates over 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space in Louisville, which includes providing innovative rail-served distribution solutions. The company’s service has been recognized by its blue chip customers and has offered additional opportunities, including its expansion in Louisiana, where Dixie has operated an additional 2 million square feet of warehouse space for the past 10 years. For more information, visit http://www.dixiewarehouse.com.
About Jacobson Companies
A nationally ranked third-party logistics and ISO-9001:2000 quality certified warehousing provider, Jacobson is dedicated to providing innovative solutions to customers’ supply chain management challenges. The Jacobson organization includes the following family of integrated operating companies: Jacobson Warehouse Company, Jacobson Transportation Company, Jacobson Logistics Company, Jacobson Packaging Company, and Jacobson Staffing Company. The Jacobson Companies operate a 32 million-square-foot national network of warehouse space. Jacobson’s integrated transportation, warehousing and packaging, and staffing operations are designed to help customers reduce their supply chain management costs. For more information, visit http://www.jacobsonco.com.
Dynalink Systems, Inc. and England Logistics Merger
BG Strategic Advisors Announces the Closing of the Merger between Dynalink Systems, Inc. and England Logistics – Convergence of Domestic Truck Brokerage and International Freight Forwarding
Palm Beach, FL – January 7, 2008 – BGSA announced today that Los Angeles-based Dynalink Systems, Inc. has merged with England Logistics of Salt Lake City, UT, a wholly owned subsidiary of C.R. England, Inc. Effective January 1, 2008, Dynalink has become part of the C.R. England family of companies. Dynalink is a global third party logistics company specializing in supply chain management and International Ocean and Air forwarding, along with other logistics services. BG Strategic Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to England Logistics in this transaction.
As a result of this transaction and continued strong organic growth, England Logistics further cemented its status as one of the top 50 logistics companies. “We have looked to international opportunities, particularly in China, as an engine that will fuel growth in the U.S.,” said Sean Snow, President of England Logistics. “By moving upstream into China, we will be able to ensure that we control freight flows from origin to destination.”
Jack Chen believes the merger with England Logistics provides numerous benefits for both Dynalink’s and England’s customers. “Merging with C.R. England will bring customers the benefits of continued personalized attention, greater domestic and international resources, and a comprehensive solution for complete supply chain management services,” commented Jack Chen. “With our strength in International Air and Ocean forwarding and England’s strength in U.S.-based transportation services, we’ve added further value to our customer relationships,” said Chen.
About C.R. England
C.R. England is a family-owned refrigerated transportation business headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, and operates in the 48 states, Canada and Mexico. Besides the truckload service currently provided by their 3,400 trucks and 5,400 reefers, their logistics subsidiary specializes in full truckload brokerage, traffic management, refrigerated intermodal, international distribution, container hauling, and dedicated contract carriage. These services have enabled C.R. England to transition from a refrigerated carrier to a full-transportation provider. For more information about England Logistics, including services offered and career opportunities, please visit www.englandlogistics.com.
About Dynalink Systems, Inc.
Founded by Jack and Maureen Chen in 1992, Dynalink sought to create an all inclusive logistics firm that would provide clients with the best rates, along with some of the industry’s most comprehensive services. Dynalink is a global third party logistics company specializing in International Ocean and Air forwarding and other logistics services. With offices in Los Angeles, New York, and several locations throughout China, Dynalink is a true global logistics company.
England Logistics
BG Strategic Advisors Announces the Closing of the Purchase of Trans-Man Logistics, Inc. by England Logistics
Palm Beach, FL – December 17, 2007 – BG Strategic Advisors announced today that England Logistics of Salt Lake City, UT, a wholly owned subsidiary of C.R. England, Inc., has acquired Trans-Man Logistics, Inc., a Taylor, MI-based global third party logistics company, specializing in supply chain services and transportation management. The acquisition enhances the capabilities of both parties in providing transportation management services. BG Strategic Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to England Logistics in this transaction.
As a result of this transaction and other successful initiatives, England Logistics will end 2007 as one of the top 50 logistics companies. The purchase of Trans-Man enables England Logistics to cross-sell new supply chain consulting and traffic management services to its customer base. “England is dedicated to becoming a leader in third party logistics services and this acquisition will help us reach that goal,” said Steven Gadd, England Logistics Vice President.
“This is an ideal company to help expand our transportation management services. Trans-Man’s 150 years of combined industry knowledge, strong client relationships and solid financial history are core strengths we looked for in a company,” added Gadd.
William Barrett, Founder of Trans-Man Logistics, Inc., feels the timing of this acquisition is ideal for a combination of reasons. “The recent acquisition activity taking place in the market makes it more difficult to compete with those companies offering a larger menu of opportunities for customers,” noted Barrett. “Our goal is to be the best, and England’s size helps us achieve that goal. It makes us more efficient and provides a larger menu of services to our customers.”
About C.R. England
C.R. England is a family-owned refrigerated transportation business headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. Besides the truckload service currently provided by their 3,500 trucks and 5,600 reefers, they also specialize in full truckload brokerage, traffic management, refrigerated intermodal, international distribution, container hauling, and dedicated contract carriage. For more information about England Logistics, including services offered and career opportunities, please visit www.englandlogistics.com.
About Trans-Man Logistics, Inc.
Founded in 1997, Trans-Man has become known as “the discoverer of hidden profitability.” Trans-Man offers a wide range of web-based, transportation management deliverables in assisting their clients reduce freight expenses. Trans-Man is unique in the industry in the fact that they guarantee results: The savings they secure for their clients will always be greater than the Trans-Man fees – if not, the difference is paid to the client.
