PE-backed EZE Trucking Buys Patterson Motor Freight

EZE Trucking, a private equity-backed provider of specialty trucking and logistics services for the infrastructure market, has acquired Patterson Motor Freight, a specialized trucking company focused on the oil and gas industry. EZE Trucking is a portfolio company of Atlantic Street Capital, a private equity firm based in Stamford, Conn. Terms of the deal were not released. EZE is based in Rialto, Calif.

PRESS RELEASE
EZE Trucking (EZE), a leading provider of specialty trucking and logistics services for the infrastructure market, has acquired Patterson Motor Freight (PMF), a leading specialized trucking company focused on the oil and gas industry. EZE is a portfolio company of Atlantic Street Capital, a Stamford, CT-based private equity firm.

Together, the organizations will bring greater scale and broader capabilities to the industries they serve, creating a regional powerhouse in specialized trucking. The combined companies will span five states, have over 100 tractors, over 600 trailers, seven terminals, a dedicated four state LTL network, and a logistics division that can broker freight across the US and into Mexico and Canada.

Based in Rialto, CA, EZE Trucking is a leading provider of heavy and over-dimensional trucking and logistics services for the infrastructure, mining, aerospace, wind energy, and general manufacturing markets. The combined company’s specialized hauling fleet moves product including heavy industrial equipment, oversized storage tankers, structural support beams, oil rigs, water transmission pipe and wind towers. In addition to hauling product on its own fleet or tractors and trailers, EZE taps a national network of owner operators and carriers through its logistics office in Medford, OR. The company also has extensive storage and port service capabilities.

EZE Trucking was acquired in 2009 by Atlantic Street Capital, a private equity firm that invests in middle market companies and focuses on building them over time into leading national businesses.

Kirk Jensen, President of EZE Trucking said, “The combination of EZE Trucking and PMF sets us on the path to being the leader in specialized trucking in the western half of the U.S., with the necessary asset base, geographical coverage, logistics services, business infrastructure and available capital to meet our customers’ requirement as they grow.”

Andy Wilkins, a Partner at Atlantic Street Capital, said, “We have been looking for the right partner to complement EZE Trucking’s services for some time. When we were introduced to PMF we knew immediately that the company presented an enormous opportunity for the EZE platform. The combined company adds an entirely new dimension in terms industries and geographies served.”

About Atlantic Street Capital
Atlantic Street Capital is a private equity fund based in Stamford, CT that invests in lower middle market companies. The firm implements a hands-on, operational approach to create equity value. The firm is equally comfortable applying this approach to profitable, entrepreneurial businesses that require operational support and distressed businesses that require a turnaround. Industries of particular focus include consumer products, business services, basic manufacturing and logistics. For additional information, please visit www.atlanticstreetcapital.com.