Just when you think the industry’s M&A players had decided to take the entire summer off, a pair of deals this week shattered the transactional silence. The first saw dealer heavyweight Marco Technologies reach into Kentucky and Indiana to acquire Lang Company. In another deal, Wallboard CMS scooped up the asset of Keywest Technology.
Since starting in 1945, Lang Company had become a leading provider of copiers/printers and business IT services in both Kentucky and southern Indiana. Lang’s employees will continue to serve and support clients from their four locations in Louisville, Kentucky; Owensboro, Kentucky; Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Evansville, Indiana.
“We are excited to be joining the Marco family. Throughout our 80 years of history, our success has been based on building meaningful, long-term relationships with both our customers and our employees,” said Tom Welter, who owns Lang Company. “We know that Marco embraces those same values. As one of the great innovators of our industry, Marco brings a great company culture and a higher level of resources and opportunities to both our employees and our customers. We are excited for the future.”
Marco, based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, will now have offices in 17 states. Marco established its presence on the East Coast in 2018, and wanted to increase its footprint into the Mideastern market of the United States. Marco has received numerous state and national awards, including being named one of Star Tribune’s Top 200 Workplaces 2022, a 2024 ENX Magazine Elite Dealer, and being ranked in the Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings this year. The awards show Marco’s commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment.
“We look forward to continuing Lang Company’s 80-year commitment to satisfying their clients,” said Marco CEO Doug Albregts. “We are pleased to expand into the Kentucky and southern Indiana markets and look forward to investing in these communities.”
Marco is a leading integrated technology provider, helping organizations of all sizes make the most of their IT, voice, video, copy, print and managed services. Now with 54 locations throughout the United States, Marco has more than 1,200 employees and serves about 17,500 customers nationwide.
Wallboard CMS-Keywest Technology/Unified Brand
Mike Dudek and Rich Wisniewski of Zygoquest Group served as the advisor to Wallboard CMS on the purchase of assets of Keywest Technologies, a digital signage solutions provider. Terms of the transaction are confidential.
Mike Dudek, through his Law Office of Mike Dudek, provided Wallboard with legal services to consummate this transaction.
Wallboard CMS, a leading provider of digital signage solutions, separately announced the acquisition of Unified Brand. These strategic acquisitions are pivotal components of Wallboard’s expansion strategy, aimed at enhancing its market share and integrating a pool of seasoned professionals to bolster growth and innovation, adding more than 500 unique end-user accounts to the already 2,000-plus end-user accounts currently being managed in the Wallboard ecosystem.
With a steadfast commitment to industry-leading technology and exceptional customer service, Wallboard is reinforcing its position in the digital signage sector. The integration of Keywest Technology and Unified Brand not only broadens Wallboard’s customer base and software licenses but also fortifies its team with experienced sales and support personnel who share Wallboard’s customer-first philosophy.
“These acquisitions mark a significant milestone in our journey towards becoming a market leader,” said Rod Roberson, CEO of Wallboard. “By bringing Keywest Technology and Unified Brand into the Wallboard family, we are not just expanding our capabilities and resources but also aligning with like-minded professionals who are equally committed to innovation and customer satisfaction.”
The acquisition of Keywest Technology introduces additional development resources to Wallboard, including a team of developers well-versed in digital signage technologies. This team will also receive cross-training to contribute to the Wallboard platform, enhancing the company’s innovation trajectory.
Wes Dixon of Keywest Technology, shared his excitement about the acquisition. “Merging with Wallboard is a thrilling step forward. We’ve spent a lot of time and energy vetting multiple organizations, and we knew that Wallboard was the perfect fit for us. Our clients are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re confident that this new chapter will bring them even greater value and success.”
Unified Brand, a leading provider of content management services since 2011, has been specializing in creating custom content for its business partners. The company brings a comprehensive suite of products, extensive customer relationships, and a team of digital signage experts to Wallboard. This acquisition will enhance Wallboard’s existing strengths in digital signage and content management.
“Unified Brand is ideally positioned to enhance Wallboard’s product features and support processes for our expanding partner community,” said Guy Tonti, president of Unified Brand.
Tonti will continue to serve as president of Unified Brand, which will now operate as a division of Wallboard. Additionally, he will assume the role of general manager for Wallboard’s new managed content services division, driving growth through innovative products and enhanced support for Wallboard’s partners and customers.
For Wallboard’s current customers and partners, these acquisitions are a testament to the company’s robust growth and commitment to supporting a larger market with enhanced capabilities. “Our customers can rest assured that the quality of our service will only continue to improve as we integrate these new teams and technologies,” stated Danny Hagen, CRO at Wallboard.
As Wallboard continues to seek additional strategic opportunities in the digital signage space, this acquisition is just the beginning of its long-term strategy to enhance its market presence and service offerings.
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About Zygoquest Group and Mike Dudek
Mike Dudek, an attorney and CPA, is the owner of Zygoquest Group “seeking to unite” which provides customized merger & acquisition services to buyers & sellers of companies. Zygoquest is the number-one M&A authority in the office equipment and products industry. Mike Dudek, Bill Laughlin and Rich Wisniewski are authors of over 600 consummated M&A transactions, including many technology services acquisitions, and many corrugated and value-added packaging products acquisitions during their careers. Prior to founding Zygoquest, Dudek was vice president of acquisitions and vice president of finance for IKON Office Solutions, a $5.5 billion NYSE company acquired by Ricoh Corporation. Dudek has evaluated transactions ranging from the smallest transactions to the largest deals in the office products industry – from million-dollar deals to billion-dollar deals. The Zygoquest website contains deals you will recognize.
About Law Office of Mike Dudek
Mike Dudek also owns the Law Office of Mike Dudek which provides owners and executives with customized and affordable legal services on mergers and acquisitions and other complex business transactions.
About Marco
Headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Marco is a leading, integrated-technology services provider that helps organizations assess, implement and manage all their office technology and tools. We provide technical expertise and solutions in the areas of IT and Security, Copiers and Printers, Voice, Audio and Visual and Managed Services. Marco technology experts break down complex solutions into simple terms to position businesses for success.
