COMPETITION WATCH: Wheels Group closes MSM deal

TORONTO, Ont. -- Wheels Group has closed its acquisition of MSM Transportation.

The deal was originally announced Aug. 23 and closed this week.

“This acquisition provides solid growth opportunities by further enhancing and broadening the service capabilities of Wheels,” said Doug Tozer, CEO of Wheels. “The increased scale, added transportation lanes and new expertise resulting from the business combination will provide tangible advantages for customers of both Wheels and MSM.”

Tozer added: “We thank Bob Murray and Mike McCarron, the founders of MSM, for their leadership, and welcome John Abate, vice-president and general manager of Wheels MSM, who will lead the operations of the acquired business going forward. We are excited to welcome MSM’s employees and customers to Wheels.”

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COMPETITION WATCH: Wheels Group buys MSM Transportation

BOLTON, Ont. -- MSM Transportation has been purchased by Wheels Group in an $18.6-million deal expected to wrap up by the end of September.

MSM has been named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for 15 straight years and has operations in Bolton, Ont. as well as in California. It boasts same-day service within southern California and has established high-volume consolidation lanes to major Canadian cities and select US destinations.

“The acquisition of MSM supports our strategic goal of enhancing and broadening Wheels’ portfolio of logistics services by adding a well-established multi-national LTL component,” said Doug Tozer, CEO of Wheels. “MSM customers will benefit with access to additional logistics services provided by Wheels. A quick integration is anticipated, given the high degree of compatibility between information systems and with both companies being ISO registered for over a decade.”

MSM earned revenue of about $44 million in 2011. The purchase price is about $18.6 million, Wheels Group reported.

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COMPETITION WATCH: Britton Transport acquires North Dakota trucking firm

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Britton Transport, a US subsidiary of Bison Transport, has acquired Scott’s Express and Scott’s Transportation Services, located in Grand Forks, N.D. Scott’s is a nationwide trucking and truck brokerage company, specializing in agribusiness throughout the US and parts of Canada

"The acquisition of Scott’s expands and builds upon Britton’s customer relationships and capabilities as a logistics service provider in the Red River Valley,” said Dave Britton, president of Britton. “Scott’s has a long tradition of service excellence among agricultural shippers within the valley and will continue to service its customers with Britton’s support. We are excited about the opportunity to serve Scott’s long-term customers with Britton’s asset-based capabilities.”

Brad Seymour, president of Scott’s, will continue with the company in the transition of ownership and servicing of Scott’s customers. He says, “I have known Dave Britton for over 25 years and have a high regard for the way Britton does business. We are very pleased to be joining forces with Britton and I feel it gives our employees and our customers a platform to grow in the years ahead.”

Founded in 1952, Scott’s was initially operated as a filling station, but soon after began sourcing trucks on behalf of local potato farmers, becoming the first truck brokerage in the Red River Valley. Today, Scott’s continues to service the potato and specialty crop sector.

Financial details concerning this transaction have not been disclosed.

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COMPETITION WATCH: Mullen posts record revenue in Q2

OKOTOKS, Alta. -- Mullen Group has posted record second quarter revenue, generating $320.1 million in the period ending June 30.

Mullen’s second quarter revenue was an increase of $29.3 million, or 10.1%, from the $290.8 million generated in 2011. The company attributed the increase to greater revenue generated by both its oilfield services segment and its trucking/logistics segment.

The oilfield services segment contributed revenue of $188.0 million, an increase of $13.0 million from 2011 despite a $7.7 million decline in revenue associated with the Thin Fine Tailings barge system project, the company reported. Officials said the majority of the increase in revenue was experienced in those operating entities involved in fluid hauling and related production services, which benefited from improved weather conditions in southeastern Saskatchewan compared to the second quarter of last year, strong heavy oil production and continued crude oil drilling. Revenue also increased due to project specific rig relocation services.

Mullen’s trucking/logistics segment contributed revenue of $133.7 million, which was an increase of $15.6 million over the prior year period. The company said the increase was due to the incremental revenue generated by the Hi-Way 9 Group, continued strong demand for transportation services in western Canada and higher fuel surcharge revenue.

"Overall, we are pleased with Mullen Group's performance for the three month period ended June 30. The overall economy in North America remained relatively stable while activity tied to energy and natural resource development in western Canada continued to grow, albeit modestly, which benefited a number of our business units,” said Stephen H. Lockwood, president and co-CEO of Mullen Group.

“During the quarter, Canadian Dewatering L.P. completed the TFT barge system project. While we are disappointed that we were unsuccessful in recouping a portion of the costs associated with the project, which more than doubled in terms of size and scale, Canadian Dewatering L.P. profitably delivered the TFT barge in line with the customer's engineering specifications, timeframes and without any HSE incidents

For the six month period ended June 30, revenue increased by 17.8% to $746.1 million from $633.5 million in the same period last year.

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COMPETITION WATCH: Manitoulin Group acquires Expedite Plus

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Manitoulin Group of Companies has acquired Expedite Plus, a specialized service provider for the movement of highly time-critical shipments across the globe via air and ground. Manitoulin announced its partnership with Expedite plus, of Milton, Ont., in October 2008, as a means to augment its own time-critical shipment capabilities.

Expedite Plus will be a new division of Manitoulin Global Forwarding which now comprises global time-critical, international freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution.

“This has been a hugely successful collaboration and we are delighted to welcome Expedite Plus to the Manitoulin family,” said Dwayne Hihn, president of Manitoulin Global Forwarding. “True expedited shipping, such as delivering a vital package from Toronto to Frankfurt in less than 24 hours, is something only a few have perfected. It demands a global network, intricate coordination, and local knowledge and experience. We are proud that Expedite Plus’ 30 years’ experience in the global time-critical field, coupled with our extensive reach, gives Manitoulin customers a distinct competitive advantage when it comes to delivering urgent shipments at a moment’s notice, quickly and reliably to any part of the world.”

All Expedite Plus employees have transferred to Manitoulin Group of Companies.  Officials said customers of Expedite Plus can “expect a seamless transition with immediate effect.”

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COMPETITION WATCH: Wes Armour, ATS win awards for community service, company wellness

MONCTON, N.B. -- Armour Transportation Systems’ (ATS) president and CEO Wes Armour has won the “Builder of Youth Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Boys and Girls Club of Moncton. The award, presented to Armour on May 16, is the highest honour the Boys and Girls Club can bestow on anyone in the Greater Moncton community. 

Over the past decade, ATS has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to youth-related activities and charities, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, community hospitals and universities, and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Armour has also contributed his time through mentorship and financial support on behalf of young entrepreneurs across New Brunswick. The company offers an annual scholarship program to the children of ATS employees who have started their first year of post-secondary studies.

“I accept the ‘Builder of Youth Lifetime Achievement Award’ with pride because I believe in the purpose of the Boys and Girls Club of Canada, which is to ‘give every child a chance for a better future,’” Armour said during his acceptance speech.

The award was the second for ATS this spring. On April 24, ATS received the “Wellness at Heart Award” from the NB Heart and Stroke Foundation at “The Power to Change” Workplace Wellness Conference. ATS was selected in the Silver category. 

The award recognizes how ATS has made wellness an integral part of their organization through initiatives related to physical activity, tobacco-free living, healthy eating and psychological wellness. 

Since 2006, ATS has been actively promoting their “Shift Gears, Live Well” Wellness Program, which provides opportunities geared at promoting “healthy lifestyles within a healthy workplace,” the company said.

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COMPETITION WATCH: TransForce revenue, profits soar in Q2

MONTREAL, Que. -- Acquisitions of Loomis Express, IE Miller and Quik X propelled TransForce to a 25% increase in revenue in the second quarter. Total revenue increased $161.2 million to $812.0 million in the three-month period ending June 30.

Profits rose 39% year-over-year, reaching $68.6 million, or 8.5% of total revenue, up from $49.3 million, or 7.6% of total revenue in the corresponding period a year earlier. All business segments delivered a higher year-over-year profit in monetary terms, the company announced.

"TransForce achieved a strong 39% increase in its key EBIT metric despite market conditions that resulted in flat volume and limited pricing power. Approximately 50% of the EBIT increase reflects our ongoing drive to optimize efficiency and asset utilization, while the other half is from strategic acquisitions," said Alain Bédard, chairman, president and CEO of TransForce.

“In Package and Courier, margins are maintaining their gradual sequential increase, as we continue to aggressively implement profit enhancement measures to return to profitability levels achieved prior to the Dynamex and Loomis Express acquisitions. Our constant focus on maximizing return on assets and discipline with regards to capacity in the less-than-truckload and truckload segments continues to pay off, as margins improved substantially despite slightly declining revenue. The acquisitions in the energy sector continue to drive our strong performance in both revenue and operating profitability.”

For the six-month period ended June 30, total revenue reached $1.6 billion, up 32% from $1.2 billion for the same period a year earlier.

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COMPETITION WATCH: Trimac completes acquisition of Liquid Cargo Lines

CALGARY, Alta. -- Trimac Transportation has completed its acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Liquid Cargo Lines Limited (LCL).  Trimac acquired the shares of LCL from McCaig Real Estate, an affiliate of Trimac, for a purchase price of $1,986,000.

LCL, based out of Mississauga, Ont. since 1953, provides specialized bulk transportation deliveries throughout Ontario, Quebec and the US with a focus in chemicals and asphalt. The assets of LCL include 42 trailers, 22 company-owned power units, in addition to eight owner/operator units, and a lease of a 13-acre property in Mississauga.

According to company officials, immediately prior to the closing of the acquisition, through a series of transactions, McCaig Real Estate acquired the shares of LCL from an arm's length third party and purchased from, and leased back to, LCL the 13-acre property where LCL's branch is located and where National Tank Services currently operates a tank wash facility. McCaig Real Estate is controlled by Jeffrey J. McCaig, the chairman and CEO of Trimac. The transaction was reviewed and unanimously approved by the independent directors of Trimac and supported by independent appraisals of both the rolling stock and the real property.

"Trimac is extremely pleased to have completed the acquisition of LCL and welcomes its employees to the Trimac team,” said Ed Malysa, president and COO of Trimac. “The 13-acre Mississauga property includes mechanical shop facilities, commercial tank washing (currently leased and operated by NTS), administrative offices and parking. The property is strategically located and will facilitate Trimac's future growth requirements in this key geographic market.  By leasing the LCL facility, rather than purchasing it, Trimac can employ a higher amount of its available capital to earn more attractive financial returns in its trucking and non-trucking operations."

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COMPETITION WATCH: Clarke acquires Select Transport

HALIFAX, N.S. -- Clarke Road Transport has acquired the assets of refrigerated trucker Select Transport out of Windsor, N.S.

Select specializes in the haulage of produce and other refrigerated freight. 

"This strategic acquisition expands our service offering into the area of refrigerated transport," said Dean Cull, president of Clarke Road and COO of freight transportation with Clarke Inc. "It will allow us to better service our existing customers and build out our client base. Further, it will allow us to improve our efficiency by maximizing our equipment utilization. The Clarke team is extremely excited by the opportunity this acquisition provides."

Added Rob Normandeau, president and CEO of Clarke: "This transaction will add scale and breadth to Clarke Road, one of our established core investments. We will look to continue to support Dean and his team as they build and develop our freight investments. These businesses have held up well in a relatively tough operating environment and we are optimistic about their future performance."

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COMPETITION WATCH: TransForce acquires I.E. Miller Services

MONTREAL, Que. -- TransForce has reached an agreement to acquire all the shares of I.E. Miller Services, a provider of rig relocation services, including disassembly, transportation and reassembly of oil and gas drilling rigs.

Founded in 1936, I.E. Miller is a subsidiary of Complete Production Services. It operates eight terminals in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, and North Dakota.

With about 400 employees, I.E. Miller specializes in mostly high-end, high horsepower rig movements. It also services a base of leading oil and gas producers as well as drilling companies. The transaction will add annual revenues of approximately US$138 million. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

"This latest transaction is an excellent strategic fit for TransForce and underlines our disciplined and selective approach to acquisitions," said Alain Bédard, chairman, president and CEO of TransForce. "Their established national US footprint creates significant opportunities to provide high value-added rig relocation services to new and existing customers. In addition, the transaction further allows the reinforcement of our oilfield services management team and presence in the energy services sector."

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COMPETITION WATCH: Bison, TransX listed among P&G's top business partners

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- A pair of Canadian trucking companies have been recognized by Procter and Gamble as among its top performing external business partners. Bison Transport and TransX were listed among P&G's top supplier and agency partners during an awards ceremony last week. The objective of the annual event is to recognize and celebrate those key contributors who have demonstrated partner excellence.

"We have tremendous partnerships with our external business partners around the world," said Bob McDonald, P&G's chairman, president and CEO. "These partnerships are powerful because they are focused on a common purpose - to touch and improve people's everyday lives."

Bison and TransX were selected from P&G's more than 75,000 suppliers and agencies globally.

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COMPETITION WATCH: Douglas Harrison appointed president of Day and Ross General Freight

HARTLAND, N.B. -- Douglas Harrison has been named president of Day and Ross General Freight. Harrison was previously president of Calyx Transportation Group. Prior to that he was president of Acklands-Grainger, an industrial supply company, and vice-president and managing director at Ryder Integrated Logistics, where he held responsibility for Ryder's Canadian and European logistics organizations. He has served on a number of corporate boards and is currently a member of the board of directors of Horizon Utilities, the Conference Board of Canada and Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology.

Harrison has been recognized with a National Transportation Award of Achievement, the Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation's Award of Excellence and was chosen as one of Canada's Top 40 leaders under the age of 40. He holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), is a CMA and was awarded the designation ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He also holds a number of transportation and logistics designations (C.I.T.T.) He is a regular guest speaker at numerous colleges and universities and is a member of the faculty of the Directors College.

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COMPETITION WATCH: New Contrans, CP partnership focuses on multimodal flatdeck containers

WOODSTOCK, Ont. -- Canadian Pacific is set to become the exclusive Canadian rail transportation provider for Contrans Group, using Raildecks multimodal flat rack containers.

Canadian Pacific has been testing Raildecks' 53-ft, collapsible, multimodal carriers over the summer at its Toronto Intermodal Facility in Vaughan, Ont. Officials say the testing proved the concept, as pipe and other industrial products moved seamlessly on CP's long-haul intermodal trains.

"Raildecks' innovative product extends the efficiencies of intermodal rail to industrial products shippers," said John McBoyle, vice-president intermodal at Canadian Pacific. "We believe industrial product customers will be attracted to the consistency, efficiency and, reliability of our long-haul intermodal network."

"The Raildecks solution provides a viable option to convert some of the industrial freight that is moving over the road to be transported on intermodal rail," said Rick Jocson, CEO of Raildecks. "By converting a traditional over-the-road commodity to rail, Raildecks are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, freeing up major roads and highways, and reducing costs for shippers."

"We are excited to be able to provide shippers with a brand new service offering," said Stan Dunford, Contrans' chairman and CEO. "This will revolutionize the long haul flatbed market and will result in substantial efficiencies and savings for shippers."

To see a video of the Raildecks technology in action, watch for an upcoming episode of Transportation Matters on trucknews.com.

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COMPETITION WATCH: Transpro Freight wins Markel safety award

TORONTO, Ont. -- Transpro Freight has received a Platinum Plus safety award from Markel Insurance.

The award was earned by placing within the safest 5% of 1,000 Canadian carriers evaluated by Markel.

Silvy Wright, president and CEO, Markel Insurance Company of Canada said, "It is our distinct pleasure to recognize Transpro's commitment to safety and continuous improvement...particularly, the commitment to road safety and the uninterrupted flow of goods in Canada."

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