Southwest Freight Distributors acquired by Central States Trucking

Southwest Freight Distributors acquired by Central States Trucking - Southwest Freight Distributors acquired by Central States Trucking

Central States Trucking (CST) has acquired Dallas-based Southwest Freight Distributors (Southwest) in its latest move to expand its market-leading position.

Southwest is a premier provider of intermodal drayage services to the Dallas freight market, employing more than 100 drivers in its fleet, and serving a diverse customer base including Nike, Costco and JC Penney.

All Southwest management, office staff, and drivers will transition to CST and will continue to provide the same high level of service as their customer base has enjoyed for many years. CST expects continued growth in the Dallas market, and plans to add both driver and operating resources to satisfy strong customer demand in this market.

Founded in 1980, CST has grown to 22 national offices with more than 1500 employees and drivers. Southwest will be the eighth acquisition CST has completed since it was acquired by Forward Air Corp in 2014.

Commenting on the transaction, Ron Vales, SVP, Sales and Operations for CST said: “Southwest has been around for over 50 years and has an outstanding reputation in the Dallas drayage market. Its focus on high quality service and safe operations aligns perfectly with CST’s continued growth vision. We are pleased to welcome Southwest’s owners, Rich Eberhart and John Jenkins, as well as, their entire team to the CST family.”

Southwest was advised by Northern Edge. The price and terms are undisclosed.

Southwest Freight President Rich Eberhart said: “While I knew I wanted to sell the business and retire, I couldn’t have done this without the assistance of Northern Edge. It’s sometimes hard to see an endpoint when you are involved in day-to-day management, but my Northern Edge team in Fort Worth helped us stay calm and focused as we moved through the process, and I am very proud to have sold Southwest to a larger group that shares our values.”

Northern Edge Senior Vice President Andrew Wood, who led the transaction, added:

“Rich was very clear he wanted to find the right buyer with the same values, rather than just take the highest price. CST clearly proved it was the right partner to take Southwest to the next level, and we wish both parties all the best on this exciting new chapter.”

View more deal completions here.

Southwest Freight Distributors acquired by Central States Trucking - Southwest Freight Distributors acquired by Central States Trucking
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