Dive Brief:
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based Jones Logistics announced last week its acquisition of Nationwide Express, growing its fleet to over 500 trucks.
- The move helps the carrier’s national presence, benefiting from Nationwide Express’ footprint across eight states in the South, spanning from Oklahoma and Texas to Kentucky and Georgia.
- “We share very similar core values and feel that we have complimentary cultures, which was so important to us when looking at this opportunity” Brian Haynes, CEO of Jones Logistics, said in a news release.
Dive Insight:
The acquisition injects Jones Logistics with new offerings, including warehousing and “enhanced intermodal and managed transportation solutions,” the company said.
Nationwide Express, based in Tennessee and founded in 1980, started as a TL carrier and later added dedicated transportation, recycled metal transportation, waste management services and other offerings. Its sister company Nationwide Distribution Services has warehouses in Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia.
The shift means Jones Logistics now has over 700 employees. Three years ago, another acquisition involved Volume Freight, which brought its headcount to 257 at the time.
Jones Logistics has freight brokerage, managed transportation, flatbed and dedicated and transload services.
As market forces shift, other companies have also advanced M&A deals recently. Last month, Forward Air announced an LTL expansion through Land Air Express for $56.5 million, and R.E. Garrison Trucking acquired Boaty’s Transportation.
Meanwhile, larger firms including Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings and Werner Enterprises noted interest in potential deals. Schneider National President and CEO Mark Rourke also said on a Feb. 2 earnings call that the company is “certainly active” regarding potential M&A.
“Our mindset is continue to look for those opportunities,” he said, “both proactively and prospectively.”
