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Peer Fund / Dealmaker·Freight & 3PL

Charles Anderson

Partner, Business & Technology Services at Ridgemont Equity Partners

Charlotte, NC

CA
LinkedIn
Why they matter

Anderson has personally led Ridgemont's three biggest freight/3PL platform bets (RoadOne, eShipping, WWEX-GlobalTranz), making him a first call on 3PL consolidation and exit timing.

Background

Charles Anderson is a Partner at Ridgemont Equity Partners in Charlotte, NC, where he focuses on Business & Technology Services and Industrial Growth investments, with a concentration in non-asset-based freight brokerage and third-party logistics. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Washington and Lee University (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and prior to Ridgemont was a Vice President at Crestview Partners and an analyst at JPMorgan Securities.

Notable deals

  • 2023
    Led Ridgemont's recapitalization of RoadOne IntermodaLogistics, North America's largest independent intermodal logistics provider, alongside Nonantum Capital Partners
  • 2021
    Led Ridgemont's recapitalization of eShipping, a tech-enabled managed transportation logistics provider to mid-sized shippers
  • 2021
    Steered Ridgemont's reinvestment as Worldwide Express combined with GlobalTranz Enterprises in a deal co-led by CVC Capital Partners and Providence Equity Partners

Call-prep brief

Background

  • Harvard MBA; B.A. from Washington & Lee (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)
  • Prior VP at Crestview Partners; started career as an analyst at JPMorgan Securities
  • Partner at Ridgemont Equity Partners (Charlotte, NC), covering Business & Technology Services and Industrial Growth

Current focus

  • Non-asset-based freight brokerage and logistics platforms: active board/deal involvement with RoadOne IntermodaLogistics, eShipping, and WWEX Group (Worldwide Express/GlobalTranz/Unishippers)
  • Broader portfolio spans tech-enabled services (e.g., Certus, CRS, Teachers of Tomorrow)

What he cares about

  • Buy-and-build platforms with strong founder-led management teams
  • Technology-enabled differentiation in commoditized logistics niches (drayage, LTL/TL brokerage, intermodal)
  • Strategic M&A as a growth lever post-investment, not just organic growth

Recent moves

  • RoadOne recapitalization (Jan 2023) alongside Nonantum Capital Partners
  • Continued involvement as WWEX Group scaled through the GlobalTranz merger (2021) and eventual Forward Air/Omni Logistics combination in the broader portfolio

Potential sensitivities

  • WWEX Group/Worldwide Express has reportedly been a hold Ridgemont has explored monetizing — go carefully on exit-timing questions
  • Some legacy holdings (Unishippers) were merged into WWEX under a different lead partner (Rob Edwards), so confirm current deal ownership before assuming Anderson is the right contact

Questions to ask

  1. How is RoadOne's port-to-floor model performing amid freight-market softness, and is Ridgemont looking at additional bolt-ons there?
  2. What's the current thinking on a WWEX Group exit or further platform combination?
  3. What underwriting lessons from eShipping and RoadOne would he apply to a new freight brokerage/3PL platform investment today?

Outreach draft

Subject
Your freight & 3PL platform track record
Hi Charles, I've been following Ridgemont's run in freight brokerage and logistics — RoadOne, eShipping, and the Worldwide Express/GlobalTranz combination stand out as some of the more disciplined platform builds in a tough freight cycle. We're doing work on the 3PL/freight brokerage landscape and would value 20-30 minutes to get your read on where consolidation is heading, what's working in tech-enabled brokerage models right now, and any lessons from scaling RoadOne or WWEX Group that would apply to a new platform thesis. Would you have time for a call in the next couple of weeks? Happy to work around your schedule. Best, [Your Name]

Linked companies

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