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: 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: 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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Capital Partners acquires tarping systems manufacturer Roll-Rite

ALGER, Mich. -- Automated tarping systems manufacturer Roll-Rite has been acquired by Capital Partners, a private investment firm located in Greenwich, Conn., in conjunction with minority partners Argosy Capital and management.

Capital Partners purchased Roll-Rite from Copeley Capital out of Charlotte, NC. Cleary Gull acted as exclusive financial advisor to Roll-Rite in the transaction. Purchase price was not disclosed.

"This is the classic win-win scenario," said Brad Templeman, CEO of Roll-Rite. "Roll-Rite has enjoyed a very successful growth initiative, even in a lean economy, by developing innovative, market-driven products and through expansion into new domestic as well as international markets. Capital Partners brings to us a proven track record of providing a strong balance sheet to support growth, and assisting companies to get to the next level."

"The addition of Roll-Rite to our portfolio is a very exciting prospect," said Mark D. Allsteadt, managing director of Capital Partners. "We have a strong interest in the manufacturing sector, and look for small to mid-sized innovative companies with unique technologies - companies like Roll-Rite - that also share our key philosophies of lean enterprise and action-based planning disciplines. Capital Partners believes in being patient and disciplined investors who support exceptional management teams as they develop their business. We look forward to working with Roll-Rite as they expand into more new markets and reach out to new customers."

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