Truelink Capital has reached a definitive agreement to acquire SouthernCarlson, Inc. from Kyocera Corp., shifting ownership of one of the country’s largest construction- and industrial-supply distributors to a private equity buyer focused on industrial markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.
SouthernCarlson, founded in 1947 and based in Omaha, Neb., supplies fasteners, tools, packaging, and related consumables to commercial, industrial, residential, and dealer customers. The company operates eight distribution centers and 115 branches nationwide, stocking more than 67,000 SKUs for more than 50,000 professional customers. Kyocera purchased the distributor in 2019 as part of a broader expansion into industrial products.
In a statement, SouthernCarlson President and CEO Andrei Militaru said the company grew under Kyocera’s ownership but is now preparing for its “next chapter” as an independent business. “We are grateful for Kyocera’s support over the last six years, during which time we have achieved strong growth, including expanding into new customer segments,” Militaru said. “We are now excited to partner with Truelink and accelerate the achievement of our strategic vision.”
Truelink co-founder and managing partner Todd Golditch said the firm views SouthernCarlson as a scaled, durable distributor that has maintained long-term customer trust. He said Truelink aims to back the company’s management team with commercial improvements and targeted acquisitions.
The deal marks the tenth platform investment for Truelink since its launch in 2022 and extends the firm’s focus on mid-market industrial and business-services companies.
Kyocera, a Kyoto-based conglomerate with 77,000 employees and annual revenue of about $13 billion, did not provide details on its rationale for the divestiture.
The acquisition is expected to close after customary regulatory reviews.
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