Spartan Logistics has occupied one-third of the building for the past five years and needed to expand its space in Anderson. At the same time Elston-Richards sought to reinvest and focus on its operations in Michigan. After seeking alternatives for years, the two companies reached an agreement for Spartan to acquire the entire facility.

"We recognize Anderson as an important regional logistics center, and we're very excited to be making this investment," said Spartan Logistics President Steve Harmon. "We believe the upstate South Carolina region will be a significant area of growth for Spartan Logistics for some time. We're thrilled with the opportunity to expand our geographic footprint and grow our customer base in the Upstate Region."

Spartan Logistics will operate the facility under assignment of the current customer contracts and will make significant investment in upgrading the property to modernize the facility and preserve its value.

Spartan Logistics first expanded to South Carolina with its operations in Laurens, S.C., in 2002 and then to Anderson, S.C. in 2008. The newly acquired Anderson warehouse is strategically located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, along the I-85 corridor, otherwise known as the "Business Belt." Anderson is geographically centered between Atlanta, Ga. (122 miles) and Charlotte, N.C. (127 miles). With access to major interstates, sea ports and rail transportation, the Anderson facility provides multiple transportation options.

"Our customer team is committed to making sure our buildings are full and our customers are satisfied," said Harmon. "We're confident that this will be a smooth transition."

Spartan Logistics has partnered with Farmers & Merchants State Bank, headquartered in Archbold, Ohio, for the financing of Spartan's expansion. Rob Graham, Vice President of Commercial Banking in Perrysburg Ohio was quoted as saying "The Farmers & Merchants State Bank is pleased to continue to partner with Spartan Logistics, and is excited about their opportunities in South Carolina and their future success."

Spartan LogisticsSpartan Logistics was founded in 1988 in Columbus, Ohio, as a warehouse and distribution provider. With 25 years of experience in customer supply chain solutions, Spartan Logistics employs 260 associates and operates 2.5 million square feet of warehouse space in nine cities in four states. Spartan's centralized warehouse locations are all within one day truck delivery to two-thirds of the population in the United States and Canada. It specializes in handling food grade materials, glass, paper, fragile and high value products. In addition to warehousing, Spartan provides full-service transportation, custom-designed inventory management technology, packing, quality control, co-packing, EDI integration and inventory management. These quality services have elevated Spartan Logistics as a regional leader in the warehouse and distribution industry. Spartan Logistics is positioned to provide the high-quality service of a national logistics provider but at costs which add real value to customer supply chains. For more information about Spartan warehouses, please visit www.spartanwarehouse.com.

Farmers & Merchants State BankThe Farmers & Merchants State Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank that has been serving Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana since 1897. The Farmers & Merchants State Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services through its 20 offices with locations in Fulton, Lucas, Defiance, Henry, Williams, and Wood counties in Northwest Ohio. In Northeast Indiana they have offices located in DeKalb and Steuben counties. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. is the one bank holding company of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank and is traded under the symbol FMAO. www.fm-bank.com