Two St. Louis-area expedited delivery operators, Flanagan-White and Zipp Express, have merged, folding nearly five decades of Midwest expedited and hazmat capability into a single platform with a broader fleet and a 50,000-square-foot warehouse in Earth City, Missouri.

The companies did not disclose financial terms of the transaction.

Flanagan-White has specialized in expedited delivery across the Midwest for almost 50 years, with additional focus on hazmat and specialized transportation. The deal coincides with the retirement of Flanagan-White President Matt Carswell, who will join Zipp Express on an interim basis to help manage the transition.

"Flanagan-White has a storied history in St. Louis transportation, built on nearly five decades of unwavering reliability, driver dedication, and exceptional customer service," said Beth Sprenger, President of Zipp Express. "We are deeply honored that Matt chose Zipp Express to carry on that legacy."

For shippers, the immediate practical effect is capacity. Flanagan-White customers gain access to Zipp Express' fleet of cargo vans, box trucks and heavy-duty tractor-trailers, along with the Earth City warehouse. That widens the equipment range available for expedited and final-mile moves across the Midwest, particularly for loads requiring larger vehicles or temporary storage.

Both companies are headquartered in the St. Louis metropolitan area, which limits route-network disruption. Scheduled routes should carry over through the combined operation.

Zipp Express offers traditional trucking, courier and logistics solutions, with a focus on expedited and final-mile delivery on scheduled routes. Its sister company, Zipp Logistics provides less-than-truckload transportation and other services through partnerships with regional carriers. The merger therefore places Flanagan-White's freight within a broader service stack — courier, trucking, LTL and warehousing — under one regional umbrella.

Carswell expressed confidence in the handover. "Beth has assembled an outstanding team and implemented forward-looking technology and logistics systems that will ensure high-quality, seamless service for our customers well into the future," he said. "I could not be more comfortable with this transition."

The deal fits a wider pattern. Regional carriers are consolidating to scale coverage and compete with larger national networks, combining specialized expertise with diversified fleets and real estate. For forwarders and shippers in the St. Louis market, fewer but larger regional providers could mean more one-stop options — and, over time, less fragmentation in expedited capacity.

For Zipp Express, the merger deepens its hazmat and specialized-transport capabilities — a segment that typically commands premium rates and requires certified equipment and drivers.

Expect the combined entity to focus first on retaining Flanagan-White's expedited and hazmat customer base while layering in cross-selling of Zipp's LTL and warehouse services.