Seven months after inking a deal to combine, Imperial Dade and BradyPlus are now one.

The two North American JanSan, foodservice and industrial packaging products distribution leaders shared March 12 that they have completed their merger that was first announced this past August.

Bringing together the Nos. 2 and 3 companies on MDM’s 2025 Top Distributors List for JanSan, Packaging & Disposables, it results in a company with over $10 billion in annual revenue with expanded scale, product offerings, geographic reach and enhanced customer solutions.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, though JPMorgan launched a $2.8 billion first lien term loan B in late 2025 to refinance an existing $2.5 billion term loan to finance the deal.

Go-forward branding of the combined company also hasn’t been disclosed.

Imperial Dade CEO Jason Tillis has been appointed CEO of the combined company, while Brady Plus Chairman and CEO Ken Sweder will continue to serve on the board of directors. Meanwhile, former longtime Pool Corp. President and CEO Manny Perez de la Mesa — a longstanding Imperial Dade board member — has been appointed as the combined company’s Chairman.

“This is a transformational milestone for our customers, employees and partners,” Tillis said in a news release. “Imperial Dade and BradyPLUS share a strong customer-first culture, deep local relationships and a long-term view of value creation. The companies also have complementary product and service offerings and geographic service areas in many parts of North America. I’m honored to lead this organization as we build on our combined strengths to deliver enhanced solutions, broader capabilities, exceptional service, and greater value to customers.”

Jersey City, NJ-based Imperial Dade has been jointly owned by Advent International and Bain Capital, while BradyPlus is majority owned by Warburg Pincus and Kelso & Company. Advent acquired a significant stake in Imperial Dade from Bain Capital in 2022, resulting in both firms jointly owning the company. Imperial Dade has been in business since 1935 and was acquired by Robert and Jason Tillis in 2007. A rapid expansion ensued, with the company completing 97 acquisitions since that time. Its network features over 125 facilities across the United States and Canada and over 7,500 employees.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas-based BradyPlus was formed through the 2023 merger of Kelso-owned BradyIFS and Femsa subsidiary Envoy Solutions along with an investment from Warburg Pincus. The company was rebranded under its current name in early 2024. BradyPlus completed three acquisitions in 2023 but had not announced another until early June of 2025. BradyPlus has approximately 6,000 employees.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the BradyPLUS team has accomplished and excited about what lies ahead,” Sweder added. “This combination brings together two like-minded organizations with shared values and complementary strengths. I’m confident in the company’s continued momentum and growth, and I look forward to supporting the team and helping drive our strategic priorities.”

As part of the completed transaction, Bain Capital, Kelso, Advent International, Warburg Pincus, FEMSA, the Tillis family and management are among the shareholders that will have representation on the combined company’s board of directors. FEMSA disclosed that it retains an approximate 19% ownership stake.

Jefferies, Goldman Sachs and Kirkland & Ellis served as advisors to Imperial Dade. Harris Williams and Debevoise & Plimpton served as advisors to BradyPLUS.

MDM Analysis

Imperial Dade and BradyPlus had been serial acquirers over the past decade, with Imperial Dade announcing tuck-in deals almost monthly. Both companies went quiet on that front once their planned merger was announced this past August, but with it now complete, we expect acquisitive expansion activity to resume shortly.