Private equity firm acquires family-owned Dart transportation business
Private equity firm Avkha Equity Holdings has completed the acquisition of family-owned Dart Transport, Dart Express, and their subsidiaries, effective January 1. Following the transaction, day-to-day operations, the Dart name, and operating entities remain unchanged, and financial terms were not disclosed. Tom Witt has been named CEO, David Oren continues as president of Dart Express, and his father Don has retired. The business has been run by the Oren family for over 90 years, starting with a single truck driven by Earl Oren in 1934.
Key Takeaways
- Private equity firm Avkha Equity Holdings completed the acquisition of Dart Transport, Dart Express, and their subsidiaries effective January 1, 2026, according toa press release。
- According to the press release, daily operations, the Dart name, and operating entities remain unchanged, and the financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
- Tom Witt, who previously held executive positions at Roehl Transport, PGT Trucking, and Arnold Transportation Services, has been appointed CEO.
In-Depth Insights
The company, held by the Oren family for over 90 years, will continue its legacy: David Oren will remain as president of Dart Express.
His father, Don, is about to retire. Don's father, Earl, founded Dart in 1934 with a single truck, and the business has since grown into a nationwide transportation enterprise.
"Dart's history spans the Great Depression, World War II, the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s, and the deregulation era from 1980 onward," said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, previously at the company's85th anniversary retrospective. "Dart has witnessed all of this history and has shaped much of what our industry looks like today."
Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, Dart's business network provides truckload, intermodal, logistics, and other transportation services.
Dart is not the only family-owned trucking company to change hands recently. According to last month's announcement,PGT acquiredDebrick Truck Line Co. of Kansas, and rental giantEnterprise Mobility acquiredHogan of Missouri.
Avkha, headquartered in California, is led by its president, Dominic Foster.