KANSAS CITY, Mo.—(Sept. 12, 2022)— RJ Kool, a leading commercial laundry distributor with headquarters in Kansas City, announced today the purchase of St. Paul, Minnesota-based BDS Laundry. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The sale of BDS includes its vended and on-premises laundry equipment businesses. The acquisition also includes the online parts business and service business. BDS Laundry Management, a provider of route laundry services and equipment sales to multi-housing customers, is not included in the sale.
The purchase of BDS expands RJ Kool’s leadership position as the largest and most experienced commercial laundry distributor in the Midwest. In addition to its existing sales and service operations in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Omaha and Tulsa, the company will begin serving customers in additional markets including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Bill Kimmel, RJ Kool co-owner, commented: “The purchase of BDS represents a major milestone in our company’s strategy to become the premier commercial laundry distributor in the United States. We are thrilled to expand our footprint and accelerate our growth.”
BDS employees will be retained and the company will be rebranded as RJ Kool in the coming months. David DeMarsh, the second-generation owner of BDS, will remain active in the business and serve as a consultant during the transition. “We are excited to welcome BDS employees and customers to our company,” states Darren Harding, co-owner of RJ Kool. “BDS has a long history of success and innovation in the industry and we look forward to continuing this tradition.”
David DeMarsh commented: “Customers can rest assured knowing their existing relationships with BDS sales and service representatives will continue uninterrupted. I am confident in RJ Kool’s leadership team and look forward to supporting the company during the transition.” RJ Kool will continue distribution of brands including Speed Queen, UniMac, Electrolux, Wascomat, Fagor and Maytag. To learn more about the company, visit rjkool.com.
ABOUT RJ KOOL
Founded in 1961, RJ Kool is a leading distributor of commercial laundry equipment and related services to customers in the coin, on-premises, industrial and multi-housing laundry markets. Co-owners Darren Harding and Bill Kimmel lead the company’s leadership team. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., the company serves customers in major Midwest markets. With the acquisition of BDS Laundry, RJ Kool now employs a total of 78 people.
