RENO, NV February 14, 2018 – Blackford Capital, a national private equity firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., announced its investment in Reno, Nevada-based Supplies Wholesalers (or “SW”), a wholesale distributor of aftermarket imaging supplies and accessories, including: laser printer toner cartridges, ink cartridges, copier toner, ribbons, thermal fax consumables, and printer parts. SW is Blackford’s latest investment in its National Growth Practice, which invests in companies throughout the U.S. and the twelfth portfolio company currently invested in by Blackford Capital.
“Blackford brings a tremendous amount of industry experience to the table in addition to their strategic, financial, and operational experience. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Blackford and their talented team as we look to continue to expand SW.” said Bob Willmes, CEO & Founder of Supplies Wholesalers. “While we’ve seen significant growth in the past several years, we believe this partnership will enable SW to add products and distribution capabilities in order to continue to better meet the needs of our customer base.”
Founded by Bob Willmes in 2009, SW is now the largest importer of toner products in the United States, offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 3,000 products and providing industry-leading fulfillment times through strategically located distribution centers across the United States. SW management has over 100 years of combined experience in this industry. SW currently employees over 100 people and operates in five facilities.
“SW has achieved remarkable growth since its founding,” said Martin Stein, founder and managing director of Blackford Capital. “The company is known throughout the industry for its quality products and superior customer service. We see opportunities to leverage these strengths and continue to grow the business. By partnering with CEO Bob Willmes—a seasoned industry veteran who has made three previous successful business exits—and the experienced management team at SW, we are confident that we can build upon SW’s legacy as a leader in the aftermarket imaging supplies market.” SW’s VP of Sales & Marketing, Bruce Gonyea adds, “I see many future benefits for our valued wholesale clients, including; a larger product portfolio, MPS platform benefits and expanding on our industry-leading logistics platform.”
In addition to SW (Reno, NV), Blackford’s National Growth Practice currently includes: McClarin Plastics (Hanover, PA) and Snowhite Hospitality (Bloomingdale, IL), with recent exits of Staging Concepts (Minneapolis, MN), and Key Health (Westlake Village, CA).
About Blackford Capital
Blackford Capital is a private equity firm based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that acquires, manages and builds family-owned, lower middle-market manufacturing, distribution, and service companies. Blackford currently has 12 portfolio companies located across the United States and has been recognized as one of America’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. 5000 in 2016 and 2017.
About Supplies Wholesalers
Founded in 2009, Supplies Wholesalers is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. SW is a wholesale distributor of compatible imaging supplies and accessories, including: laser printer toner cartridges, ink cartridges, toner, copier toner, ribbon and thermal fax consumables. SW goes to market as Supplies Wholesalers. For more information, visit www.suppliesupplieswholesalers.com.