William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Jan 05, 2012 1:49PM EST
Canadian trucking operator Contrans Group purchased Wilburn Archer Trucking, adding the dry bulk trucker to its transportation and logistics subsidiaries.
The acquisition expands the dry bulk services Contrans offers alongside liquid bulk, truckload, flatbed, less-than-truckload and waste disposal and logistics services.
“There are relatively few opportunities to acquire dry bulk trucking businesses in Ontario,” Contrans Chairman and CEO Stan Dunford said.
Wilburn Archer is expected to bring $14 million a year in revenue to Contrans, which had about $400 million in revenue in 2010, including fuel surcharges. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The dry bulk carrier provides specialized transportation services using pneumatic tanks and hopper trailers, Contrans said. The Wilburn Archer deal follows acquisitions in 2011 and 2010 that brought approximately $5 million in added revenue to Contrans in the 2011 third quarter.
Last year, Contrans purchased TBM Transportation, Aim Transportation Systems, Enterprises S&S and Logistique Barthelem, expanding tank and dry bulk services. The company has grown by acquisition since it was founded in 1985. Dunford joined Contrans in 1988 when it acquired flatbed and dry bulk carrier Floyd Dunford.
Contrans has more than a dozen subsidiaries, including ECL Carriers, Glen Tay, Cornerstone Logistics, Tripar and Laidlaw van, tank and bulk carriers.
Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wbcassidy_joc
