Township-based Budd Van Lines recently acquired Wisconsin-based Merchants Moving & Storage.

The partnership will increase the combined companies’ efficiencies through a larger national footprint of service centers, surveyors, move counselors, and drivers, according to a release about the merger. The combined fleet of pack-and-haul driver teams will offer clients greater capacity during the crunch of the peak summer season, the release said.

Budd Van Lines and Merchants Moving & Storage each will continue to utilize the Team Pack & Team Haul service model. The Team Pack & Team Haul system dictates that one driver team handles each move, from start to finish. Budd and Merchants have a combined 140 years of experience delivering Team Pack & Team Haul.

“Even beyond Merchants being a terrific company, one key synergy we perceived was the tremendous similarity between Budd and Merchants,” David W. Budd, Sr. CEO of Budd Van Lines, said in the release. “Both are family-owned, employee-focused, independent van lines active in our communities. I’m confident this merger is going to be a great fit for the customers of both companies, as well as for everyone else involved.”

Via the merger, Merchants customers now have full access to several Budd innovations, including Load-It-Once – the first patented, modular moving system for executive shipments in North America – Eco-Crates, and video surveys.

“The transition process is underway, and we’re very much committed to making it as smooth as possible for the Merchants team,” Budd said in the release. “We embrace Merchants’ 100-year tradition of excellence, and we’re dedicated to creating new professional opportunities for everyone who worked for Merchants. Jennifer Eastman, President of Merchants, will remain a key member of the team to assist with the successful integration of employees and management of clients. Of course, our first priority will be to maintain the strong client-service reputation that has differentiated Budd and Merchants.

“There are additional details to share – including a timeline for officially welcoming our new clients to the Budd family. In the meantime, I am excited to share this news, as I am confident this addition creates a strong partnership for continued growth and the ability to serve our current and new customer base,” Budd said in the release. “To symbolize the spirit of this merger, we’ve incorporated elements of the Merchants logo directly into Budd’s logo.”