Interesting article in the WSJ deal book this morning - basically confirming what we have been seeing in the market place. In sum: deals are trending downward in size, and the lower-middle market remains surprisingly strong.

The simple reason? Less leverage on deals. Historically these companies have transacted for far lower multiples than their PubCo and much larger cousins. And in an

Here at Clear Rock - we find ourselves at an interesting intersection in re: the psuedo-strike being staged by the Owner / Operators.  Not only do we have a segment focus in transportation and logistics, but we keep hearing from the print industry (another segment we focus on) how slowdowns are affecting their operations as well. 

Roadlink announced this week that they have acquired West Coast Trucking (WCT).  Roadlink is an Atlanta based firm, while WCT's operations are primarily in Seattle and Oregon.  Both are intermodal service providers.

What Happens to the Employees in an M&A Deal?

This seems to be a question that we field more and more.

According to the latest report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, transportation and logistics M&A deals closed at a 20 year high. The firm reported 1,291 deals for the year- topping the record setting 2006 pace.

Coming off its worst quarter in its history, it appears likely that YRC will formally announce a restructuring plan within the next few weeks.

In a sign that much in the logistics world is driven by China, YRC announced today that it had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Co, Ltd.

A Tip from Clear Rock: One of our favorite places to find current strength data on general market trends is the Small Business Research Center. We're certainly excited to see that they have expanded their coverage, and will be adding data on market strength in the Wholesale / Distribution segments.