US mega dealer WB Mason has considerably strengthened its position in and around the nation’s capital.
It has been confirmed that the Brockton, Massachusetts-based outfit has acquired highly respected local dealer Miller’s Supplies at Work, headquartered in Lorton, Virginia, south of Washington. Miller’s was founded in 1971 by Patricia (Pat) Miller. Today, it serves the Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC markets, with annual sales estimated to be around $30 million.
While WB Mason does have some locations in the area, it will now gain more facilities, including Miller’s large distribution center in Lorton. The acquired business is also a strong, local player in the public sector space and has been enjoying some success in the workspace outfitting segment. That said, its status as a small business—an important criteria for the federal government—would appear to be in doubt as part of WB Mason.
Mason, of course, is no stranger to acquisitions, but these have recently tended to be smaller resellers and/or in the jan/san category. Time will tell whether the Miller’s deal represents something of a strategic shift towards targeting larger, direct competitors or if this was a one-off, opportunistic move.
This story was originally published as premium content by our sister publication OPI.
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