Most FedEx Ground operations are built by operators who spent ten or twenty years earning their scorecard, training their drivers, and building the terminal relationships that make a route business work. Ridgeline's first principle is straightforward: we don't acquire operations to dismantle them.
A direct statement of what we commit to — to your drivers, your managers, and to you — when we acquire an operation. Read it before you compare offers.
No day-one layoffs. No route consolidation as a cost-cutting exercise. The driver roster you built becomes the driver roster we operate. Same routes, same pay structure on day one — and a richer bonus program starting in quarter one.
The person who runs your operation today knows the building, the drivers, and the terminal relationships better than anyone. They stay. We add performance bonuses tied to terminal results and a clear path to regional leadership as the platform grows.
We're buying an operation because it performs. The scorecard discipline you built — the safety culture, the on-time habit, the relationships with the terminal manager — is the asset. We protect it.
FedEx onboarding for a new Authorized Officer is a multi-month process. We respect that. Our acquisition sequence, the diligence we prepare, and the AO background work we're putting in place are designed to make your transition with FedEx clean and uneventful.
The reason your business needs an acquirer with capital, not just an experienced operator, is that the next decade of FedEx Ground rewards reinvestment. Ridgeline's management company is structured to put that capital exactly where it creates durable terminal value.
A direct call with David and Kami. No broker required, though we work happily with brokers if you have one.
A clean, written LOI with price, structure, and timeline. No back-of-napkin offers. No bait-and-switch later.
Standard buyer diligence — financials, contracts, fleet, driver records. We come prepared and move quickly.
SBA financing through Celtic Bank or Huntington National Bank, both with active FedEx route programs. FedEx onboarding for AO transition in parallel.
Funds wired. Operation transitions. Drivers and manager continue uninterrupted. You exit on the terms you signed.
We're doing the work upfront on SBA pre-qualification and FedEx AO readiness specifically so that our offers come accompanied by a credible path to funding. The structures below are the ones we can actually execute.
SBA-financed cash at close for the majority of purchase price, with a modest seller note (typically 10–15%) on standard terms. The structure most sellers prefer and the one we close most often.
Cash for the operating goodwill and an asset-backed financing structure for the vehicle fleet. Useful when fleet age and value warrant separate treatment.
Cash at close plus a 12–24 month earnout tied to terminal performance the seller already delivered. Aligns interests, rewards what was already in place, and is structured to actually pay out.
Cut routes on day one as a margin exercise. The route count you sold us is the route count we operate.
Lay off your drivers or your manager. The team comes with the business — that's the deal.
Sell the operation to a strategic acquirer in 18 months. We're a long-term owner platform, not a flip.
Disappear after close. The owner is reachable. The operation has a name and a face behind it.
Renegotiate price during diligence absent a real material finding. Our LOI price is the price we close at.
Pretend we're someone we're not. We're a Missouri family building a regional platform — first acquisition, not our first business.
Reach the owners. If you'd rather work through your broker, we'll engage with them too — but we want you to know the direct line exists.