Private Equity Firm Acquires A&R Logistics

Chicago-based private equity firm Wind Point Partners has acquired A& R Logistics, one of the largest providers of integrated dry bulk logistics solutions for the chemical and plastic industries in North America.

Wind Point announced that Mark Holden will remain on as A&R’s president and chief executive officer. Holden has experience as an executive in the logistics space, previously leading four separate investments to a successful sale or IPO.

Holden’s most recent role prior to A&R was as president and CEO of Prime Distribution Services, a non-asset based provider of logistics and freight consolidation services. Holden and the entire management team will remain with the business and retain a meaningful ownership stake in the company alongside Wind Point.

"We are excited to have Wind Point as our partner for a number of reasons, key among them a deep knowledge of the logistics space and a reputation for strong collaboration with the management teams they sponsor," said Mark Holden, President and CEO of A&R Logistics. "We are very excited to work with Wind Point to grow A&R Logistics, and we see significant opportunities ahead for our company, customers, employees and partners as we grow the business organically and through acquisition."

A&R's organic growth strategy for the domestic dry bulk plastics market will focus on expanding its transportation infrastructure and national network of value-added warehouse facilities. In addition, A&R will support its customers' growing needs for export solutions by establishing large and flexible export networks for plastic resins.

A&R plans to launch multiple new facilities totaling at least two million square feet in the Ports of Charleston and Savannah to support the packaging and export of numerous resins including polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene, among others.

A&R's acquisition strategy will focus on acquiring companies that provide dry bulk transportation and warehousing services to producers and distributors of chemicals and plastics. The company will also seek to expand through acquisition into complementary services, including liquid chemical supply chain services.

Wind Point is an active investor in transportation, logistics and route-based businesses, with select prior investments including Dicom Transportation, St. George Logistics, Valicor Environmental Services, RailWorks and AIR-serv.