Mason Wells has closed on its acquisition of RJW Logistics Group, a provider of supply chain logistics services. The company was acquired from the founding Williamson family and will be owned by Mason Wells, members of current management and other co-investors.
RJW Logistics specializes in less-than-truckload (LTL) consolidation services for consumer packaged goods suppliers that sell their products to large, national retailers. The company’s services include asset-based transportation, logistics, and warehousing.
RJW’s warehousing services now operate out of four buildings, three of which exceed 400,000 square feet, and the company’s total warehouse operations now exceed 1.5 million square feet. To meet demand from its customers, RJW projects that the company will need an additional 400,000 square feet within the next 12 months. According to the company, this expansion will rank RJW as one of the top 100 warehouse operations in the United States.
RJW, headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Woodridge, IL, was founded in 1981 by Ron Williamson and his son, Kevin Williamson, became CEO in 2010 (www.rjwgroup.com).
“We are proud of the business we have built and excited about the opportunity to partner with Mason Wells to continue the rapid growth of RJW,” said Kevin Williamson on behalf of the Williamson family ownership group. “Mason Wells will provide RJW with additional resources to achieve the company’s long-term growth initiatives and to continue to develop our industry-leading retail LTL consolidation services.”
“Mason Wells is pleased to support Kevin Williamson and the rest of the existing management team in its growth strategy,” said Kevin Kenealey, senior managing director at Mason Wells. “RJW’s management, employees and suppliers are all key factors that have allowed the company to consistently exceed the expectations of its customers.”
“The company’s consolidation services significantly enhance a retail supplier’s transportation efficiencies and shipping accuracy,” said Chris Markgraf, a director at Mason Wells. “We believe the company provides an excellent platform for growth and is well positioned to capitalize on the growth in omnichannel retail.”
Mason Wells makes investments in Midwest-based companies with revenues of $25 million to $300 million and EBITDAs of $5 million to $30 million. Sectors of interest include consumer packaged goods; packaging materials and converting; outsourced business services; and engineered products and services. In February 2016, Mason Wells held a final closing of Mason Wells Buyout Fund IV and its related Executive Buyout Fund IV with total commitments of $615 million. The firm was founded in 1998 and is based in Milwaukee (www.masonwells.com).
© 2019 Private Equity Professional | March 8, 2019