KANSAS CITY, Mo. — RJ Kool, a commercial laundry distributor headquartered in Kansas City, reports that it has purchased Minnesota-based distributor BDS Laundry. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The sale of BDS includes its vended and on-premises laundry equipment businesses, as well as its online parts and service businesses. BDS Laundry Management, a provider of route laundry services and equipment sales to multi-housing customers, is not included in the acquisition.
RJ Kool’s purchase of the fellow distributor expands its leadership position as “the largest and most experienced commercial laundry distributor in the Midwest,” the company says.
In addition to its existing sales and service operations in Missouri (Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield), Nebraska (Omaha) and Oklahoma (Tulsa), the company will begin serving customers in additional markets that include Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
“The purchase of BDS represents a major milestone in our company’s strategy to become the premier commercial laundry distributor in the United States,” says Bill Kimmel, RJ Kool’s co-owner. “We are thrilled to expand our footprint and accelerate our growth.”
BDS employees are being retained, and the company will be rebranded as RJ Kool in the coming months. David DeMarsh, the second-generation owner of BDS, will remain active in the business and serve as a consultant during the transition.
“Customers can rest assured knowing their existing relationships with BDS sales and service representatives will continue uninterrupted,” says DeMarsh. “I am confident in RJ Kool’s leadership team and look forward to supporting the company during the transition.”
“We are excited to welcome BDS employees and customers to our company,” says Darren Harding, co-owner of RJ Kool. “BDS has a long history of success and innovation in the industry, and we look forward to continuing this tradition.”
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