Grammer Industries recently acquired Sterling Transport in a move that unites two carriers specializing in the transportation of hazardous and specialty chemicals.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Grammer is a portfolio company of Stellex Capital Management, a middle-market private equity firm that acquired Grammer in October 2018 in partnership with the Whittington family.
“The strategic combination of Grammer and Sterling greatly advances our vision to establish a leading US specialty logistics company,” said John Whittington, vice president of Grammer. “Our integration plan will leverage the relative strengths of both companies—and particularly the combined organization of over 500 drivers and owner-operators—to create a compelling value proposition for current and future customers.”
Now entering its fifth decade, Grammer is recognized as a premier provider of safe, dependable bulk hazardous chemicals transportation services in the United States. Grammer’s record of safety and reliability enabled the company to cultivate longstanding relationships with its customers, with many spanning back to the company’s founding. The company has 17 facilities strategically located near major chemical production hubs across the United States.
Sterling is a third-generation, family-owned business founded by the Hinton family in 1939. The company grew into an established transporter of hazardous and specialty chemicals and materials, serving customers in the Southeast, Midwest, East Coast and states further West, including Texas.
“This is an exciting development for Sterling’s customers, drivers and its team of dedicated associates,” said Bart Middleton, CEO of Grammer. “As part of the Grammer family, Sterling will gain access to a broader set of resources which will enable the company to expand its service offering to its loyal customer base.”
The combined business will have 22 terminals, 350 tractors, 850 specialty trailers and more than 500 drivers and owner-operators who will continue to support more than 2,000 delivery points serving more than 500 customers. Both companies’ drivers are highly trained, dedicated professionals committed to delivering the highest quality customer service, Stellex said.
As part of the transaction, Sterling’s founder, Hugh Hinton Jr, will continue to be an investor in the combined company.
“The acquisition is part of our continued investment into the growth and expansion of Grammer’s transportation and logistics platform,” said Michael Stewart, managing partner of Stellex. “There are many similarities between the companies. Both operate in similar regions, haul similar core products and share a similar culture of safety and training. The combined company will benefit from complementary geographies, commodities, fleet, facilities and drivers, substantially increasing the overall scale with operational overlap, and providing more opportunity for growth through the expanded entity.”