The calendar may read mid-September, but a surge of recent deals seem to indicate an M&A Spring in the office technology dealer community.
Kelley Connect of Kent, Washington, rung the acquisition bell again in 2020 by obtaining a Montana company with multiple offices, and Applied Imaging of Grand Rapids, Michigan, dipped into the Sunshine State for its latest deal.
In another deal, an investor team aligned with ADI Ventures pulled the trigger on acquiring Area Distributors. Here are the specifics of the transactions:
Kelley Connect Adds J&H
Kelley Connect continued its expansion in announcing it has purchased J&H, a Montana-based business with offices in Bozeman, Billings, Missoula and Kalispell.
“We’ve been looking to find opportunities to meet the demand of our promise to become the best independent resource for companies looking for full-service business technology support,” said Kelley Connect owner and CEO Aric Manion. “Montana is quickly becoming a technology hotbed. We are committed to providing technical expertise, depth of product and professional services to help our clients take advantage of this growth.”
With the addition of J&H, Kelley Connect is now 29 offices with 279 people across five states.
J&H has been helping Montana businesses meet their strategic goals for more than 47 years. With the speed businesses are growing, merging with Kelley Connect immediately helped the J&H team meet new business strategy and technology demands.
“Tom and I are excited about the new opportunities Kelley Connect has to offer our customers and employees, J&H has provided excellent customer service for the past 47 years and we are confident that Kelley Connect will continue this tradition into the future,” said Janet White, president of J&H.
All J&H employees are part of the transition plan, and Kelley Connect will be looking to hire additional staff to implement the new offerings in the region.
Applied Imaging Nets Upstream
Mike Dudek and Rich Wisniewski of Zygoquest Group served as the advisor to Upstream Office Solutions and its owners Mark and Jillian Wild on the sale of assets to Applied Imaging, a pair of businesses recognized on the 2019 Elite Dealer list. Terms of the transaction are confidential.
Investor Group Buys Area Distributors
Prosperity Plus Management Consulting announced that Area Distributors Inc. has been acquired by Ken Sparrow and Jeff Rupert along with an investor group under ADI Ventures Inc. Prosperity Plus acted as an advisor to Kevin Slough, the president of Area Distributors, throughout the transaction.
Area Distributors Inc. has served Quincy, Illinois, and the surrounding area since 1963. Area offers janitorial supplies including cleaning chemicals and equipment and personal protection equipment (PPE) to its customers. The company also specializes in a variety of restaurant supplies and equipment. Furthermore, the company offers office supplies and furniture with full-service design and installation of office furniture, in addition to a broad selection of industrial supplies.
“We were privileged to lead the business that our father D. Richard “Dick” Slough started over 55 years ago, and we are confident that it will continue to grow and enjoy a very bright future under the new ownership,” said Slough. “We are elated by the ownership transition to Ken and Jeff, both with proven track records. They will maintain our company culture for our customers, employees, and suppliers.”
“We are excited about leading Area into the future,” said Sparrow. “Area’s products and technical services are second to none and its customer service has been key to successfully operating in the region for more than 55 years.”
Specific details are confidential and have not been released.
###
About Kelley Connect
Now with locations across Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska, Kelley Connect is among the largest privately-owned and growing office technology companies in the Western United States. The broad regional footprint enables Kelley Connect to maintain a strong presence while still being right down the street with the same energy and service from the days when we were founded in 1974. We’re just on a bunch more streets
About Upstream Office Solutions
Upstream Office Solutions, located in Tampa Bay, Florida, was owned and operated by Mark and Jillian Wild. Upstream Office Solutions was a full-line authorized Toshiba dealer and authorized to sell and service printers for Kyocera and Epson. Upstream Office Solutions provided office equipment and document solutions and services to customers located throughout the Tampa Bay, Florida, metropolitan market.
About Applied Imaging
Applied Imaging is owned and operated by John Lowery and is the nation’s premier office technology solutions provider. Applied Imaging offers businesses peace of mind by offering office solutions for every phase of their document lifecycle – copiers and printers, managed print services, document management, managed IT services, facilities management, and shredding. Applied Imaging is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan and operates 14 locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. Since 1987, Applied Imaging has been recognized for being one of the nation’s most innovative and customer-friendly technology dealers. Other awards earned include INC5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in the Nation, Crain’s Cool Places to Work, Best & Brightest Places to Work, Elite Dealer Awards from Canon, Ricoh, and ENX, and more. John Lowery, president of Applied Imaging, had been named Michigan’s Small Business Person of the Year in 2012 and Ernst & Young’s Michigan & Northern Ohio Entrepreneur of the Year.
About Prosperity Plus
Prosperity Plus offers a full range of merger and acquisition services. We can represent either the buyer or the seller in a transaction. If you are thinking of selling your business or looking to buy another give us a call. For more information contact Jim Kahrs at Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc., 631-382-7762 ext. 101 or via email.
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 #1 M&A authority in the office products industry. Mike Dudek & Rich Wisniewski are authors of over 500 consummated M&A transactions including many technology services acquisitions during their careers. Prior to founding Zygoquest, Mike Dudek was vice president of acquisitions for IKON Office Solutions, a $5.5 billion NYSE company acquired by Ricoh Corporation. Mike 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.
