Southern Fastening Systems, Muscle Shoals, AL, and Carlson Systems, Omaha, NE, have agreed to merge. The combination creates a new company serving the growing construction and industrial manufacturing markets.
 
The companies have very little overlap in geography, enabling Southern and Carlson to continue operating as separate divisions and retain their historic company names in the near term. The combination joins Carlson Systems’ 60 branches and Southern Fastening Systems’ 76 branches, operating in 34 states and Mexico, under one company.

The merger will provide augmented product offerings and deeper market footprint for both companies, as well as accelerated investment in technology and personnel.
 
Southern and Carlson are joined under a holding company with no immediate plans to change how each business is run as integration of the two companies’ moves forward. Southern Fastening Systems President Jim Whitley and Carlson Systems CEO Todd Carlson will continue in their current leadership roles, operating each company independently, as before the combination.