SCL Cold Chain Acquired by RealCold
Logisyn Advisors is pleased to announce its role as exclusive sell-side advisor to SCL Cold Chain in its sale to RealCold. SCL is a provider of temperature-controlled logistics, warehousing, and final-mile delivery solutions serving the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and other time-critical and temperature-sensitive end-markets. Our team is proud to have guided SCL’s ownership through this process and to have identified the ideal partner to carry the company’s mission forward.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, SCL Cold Chain has built a reputation as a precision-focused provider of temperature-sensitive logistics solutions. Operating across four offices near major freight hubs, the company serves the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries as well as a variety of other time-sensitive sectors, offering a unique comprehensive cold chain solution by pairing multiple strategically located and fully equipped temperature-controlled warehouses with final-mile delivery, less-than-truckload, and full-truckload solutions.
“Selling this business is the ultimate validation of the reliable cold chain network we built. We are thrilled to see RealCold expand its national infrastructure by integrating SCL Cold Chain’s specialized last-mile capabilities. Having a long history of trust and collaboration with Logisyn, they protected our legacy, understood our strengths, and aligned us with a partner that will take our vision to a national stage. Their exceptional M&A guidance was instrumental in bringing this strategic partnership to reality." - Linda Galbraith, CEO, SCL Cold Chain
“When SCL decided to enter the M&A market, Logisyn presented a clear path forward. We had specific and detailed criteria for next steps, and Logisyn delivered on every level. RealCold's leadership team and nationwide platform are a perfect fit for the SCL Cold Chain model. We are beyond excited to join the RealCold team and provide our customers with nationwide access to our temperature-controlled capabilities. We certainly could not have realized this accomplishment without the vision and execution from Logisyn and RealCold.” - Bryan Severin, President, SCL Cold Chain
RealCold is a rapidly growing cold chain service provider with a nationwide network of temperature-controlled facilities. Established in 2022, RealCold was founded to address the increasingly complex demands of the food sector by offering customer-centric engineering, comprehensive value-added services, and modern infrastructure. The enterprise combines institutional private capital with deep cold chain expertise to operate a technology-forward, purpose-built platform. The acquisition of SCL Cold Chain marks RealCold’s entry into the pharmaceutical logistics sector, by gaining a CEIV-certified firm (Center of Excellence for Independent Validators). This expands RealCold’s market opportunities, as it had previously focused nearly exclusively on the food sector.
“RealCold has earned a reputation as a reliable and trusted leader for food producers, food retailers, and food service providers by developing capabilities that have been under-represented in the market, such as chilled and frozen direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Our quest to further embrace in-demand services, including those outside of the food sector, led us to SCL and their pharmaceutical expertise. By merging RealCold’s powerful national network with the deep knowledge and precision-execution of SCL’s specialty logistics, we will drive innovation, process-rigor, and increased value to our customers.” - Keith Goldsmith, CEO, RealCold
Throughout the process, the Logisyn team focused on identifying a buyer with the operational infrastructure and growth ambitions to serve as a value-added long-term partner for SCL and its people. RealCold’s commitment to modernizing the cold chain, combined with its access to institutional capital and its track record of integrating complementary businesses, made it a natural fit for SCL’s capabilities and culture.
“The COVID pandemic highlighted the execution risks associated with a fragmented supply chain for businesses operating in temperature-sensitive industries. Linda, Bruce, and Bryan identified this strategic gap in the cold chain ecosystem and the infrastructure supporting these operations over two decades ago, which led to the founding of SCL and creation of its highly differentiated business model.
This acquisition reflects a trend in this niche we have observed for years: customers increasingly value a trusted end-to-end warehousing and transportation-capable partner. This partnership will allow SCL to continue to scale and replicate their already proven model at RealCold's facilities nationwide, while also granting RealCold entry into the highly attractive pharmaceutical and healthcare end-markets. Ultimately, logistics remains a people-driven business, and RealCold now has a seasoned logistics veteran in Bryan Severin to execute this vision. Logisyn is honored to have been part of this next evolution for SCL.” - Marijan Ljubic, Director, Transportation & Logistics, Logisyn Advisors
This transaction reflects Logisyn’s continued commitment to advising transportation and logistics operators and investors on strategic transactions that preserve culture, accelerate growth, and position businesses for long-term success. We are proud to have represented SCL Cold Chain and to have played a role in what we expect will be a transformative chapter for both organizations.