Cambridge Capital founder predicts M&A resurgence in 2025

After a two-year freight recession and a drastic pullback in lending from private equity- and venture capital-backed firms investing in supply chain technology after the COVID pandemic, Benjamin Gordon, founder and managing partner of Cambridge Capital, says there’s been a resurgence in strategic mergers and acquisitions.
Gordon and FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller discussed current trends for the freight and logistics M&A market on Wednesday at FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival.
Gordon noted the recent acquisition of U.S-based IMC Logistics by global freight forwarder Kuehne+Nagel, which acquired a majority share of the drayage company nearly a week ago, as an example of a strategic M&A.
“Kuehne+Nagel didn’t have to buy anything, but number one, public companies are under pressure to buy more,” Gordon said at the Chattanooga, Tennessee, event. “If you were a public logistics company and you were growing 10-20% during COVID, then post-COVID and during the freight recession of the last two years, your shareholders were expecting you to grow. You weren’t performing, but it wasn’t your fault. It was a freight recession. But now it’s time to lean in.”