Carthage Holdings Inc., the Cedar Falls-based parent company of software engineering firm DISTek Integration, has announced the acquisition of Red Foundry LLC, a Chicago-based digital product design and development services company. Red Foundry’s 14 employees will join the Carthage Holdings Employee Stock Ownership Plan and become employee-owners. According to a news release, it is Carthage’s first acquisition and the addition of Red Foundry increases Carthage’s investment in the tech sector and expands its reach in Chicago’s market. “Red Foundry’s reputation for fostering strong client relationships and consistently exceeding expectations has garnered deep respect in the industry,” Jeremy Yoder, president of Carthage Holdings, said in a prepared statement. “The Red Foundry leadership core and its talented employees will continue to be 100% focused on being the name and brand clients can trust for high-quality mobile solutions.” Kerri Klun, who was appointed as Red Foundry’s president after the acquisition, and Ron Franczyk, chief technology officer, will lead the transition. Rich and Tom Linden, who co-owned Red Foundry since 2017, will remain in supporting roles.