3PL Wagner Logistics acquires contract logistics business

Acquisition adds 4 warehouses, 1M square feet to portfolio

Financial terms of the transaction were not provided. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

National 3PL Wagner Logistics announced that it has acquired Dawson Logistics’ contract logistics business for an undisclosed sum. The deal adds four warehouses and one million square feet to Wagner’s network.

“This acquisition is a big leap forward on our path toward expanding our national footprint and contract logistics capabilities,” said Brian Smith, president and CEO of Wagner Logistics, in a news release.

Danville, Illinois-based Dawson Logistics is a full-service 3PL providing services like warehousing, fulfillment and reverse logistics. It also provides full truckload and less-than-truckload transportation through a network of carriers.

The deal only includes the contract logistics operations of Dawson, which has 90 employees and warehouses in Danville, Cincinnati and Nashville, Tennessee. The unit now operates under the Wagner Logistics brand.

North Kansas City, Missouri-based Wagner Logistics provides distribution-center, fulfillment and transportation services for sectors like energy, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer products, among others. The acquisition pushes its warehouse footprint to more than eight million square feet and bolsters its presence in the apparel and industrial markets.

“Divesting our Contract Division with Wagner Logistics marks an exciting new chapter,” said Doug Dawson, founder and CEO of Dawson Logistics. “Wagner’s strong reputation and nationwide network will enable it to deliver even greater value to our customers while creating new opportunities for our employees.”

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Todd Maiden

Based in Richmond, VA, Todd is the finance editor at FreightWaves. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he covered the TLs, LTLs, railroads and brokers for RBC Capital Markets and BB&T Capital Markets. Todd began his career in banking and finance before moving over to transportation equity research where he provided stock recommendations for publicly traded transportation companies.