Business View Magazine November-December 2018

60 61 customer experience. In 2015 and 2016, KJM made three strategic acquisitions in the refrigerated trucking sector and integrated them into a single company: Cold Carriers. Operating under the respected brands of Interide Transport, Gantt Trucking, and Sunco Trucking, Cold Carriers specializes in moving temperature-controlled freight and other protected cargoes for customers through- out the United States. In addition to its portfolio of highly-regarded, mid-sized, regional carriers, Cold Carriers offers: an experienced team of transportation experts, drivers, and back office support; financial and managerial resources to modernize fleets and technology platforms; and a commitment to exceptional customer service. Ken Meister, Managing Director of KJM Capital, gives some insights into the company’s acquisi- tion parameters. “Prior to starting KJM, my two partners, Shahin and Roxane, and I had worked together in various private equity firms for 20 years. Over that time, I came to understand that KJM CAPITAL there are a lot of mid-sized, family-owned com- panies that have not invested in technology for efficiencies, processes, financial reporting, and accounting functions but still have an instinc- tively well-run business where they know the industry and have been successful for decades. We believed that if we got involved, we could bring our expertise in finance and technology to improve and grow the business through those infrastructure investments.” KJM is particularly interested in core business services companies, such as transportation and logistics, specialty manufacturers, and distrib- utors that are not prone to continuous techno- logical change. They decided early on, as a team, to get involved in the refrigerated trucking sector. As Meister recalls, “I scoured the nation, meeting with family-owned trucking businesses and found Gantt Trucking based in South Car- olina that we acquired in early 2015. They had been around a long time and did well, but they ran everything old school. The first thing we did