Nors Group has come to an agreement to acquire Great West Equipment for around 150 million Canadian dollars (around 100 million euros), a major dealer of construction and forestry equipment in Canada and one of Volvo Construction Equipment’s major representatives in this market.
Nors Group operations in Canada
After entering the Canadian market with the acquisition of Strongco in 2020, Nors announces yet another acquisition in the country with the purchase of Great West Equipment, a major construction equipment dealer with operations in the provinces of British Columbia and Yukon.
With this acquisition, Nors’ operation now has a total of 37 branches and more than 750 employees in Canada, covering more than 80% of the Canadian market, from west to east, and starting a new year by reinforcing its growth strategy.
“We are very excited to welcome Great West Equipment to the Nors family, amplifying our presence in Canada, a market that has proven to be very relevant and strategic for the Group. We believe that Great West Equipment will benefit from the global presence and growth momentum that Nors is experiencing, combined with our 90 years of experience, to improve its performance and promote its future growth.”, said Tomás Jervell, Group CEO of Nors.
“Nors has been a great partner in North America through its subsidiary, Strongco, and I know this move will benefit our customers in western Canada,” mentioned Scott Young, Head of Region North America, Volvo CE. “Great West has been a vital link in our dealer network, serving some of the most remote areas of Western Canada. We are grateful for their two decades with Volvo CE and excited that we’ll continue working together to serve customers in a fast growth industry.”
“We are very proud of the legacy of ‘Service First’ attitude that our incredible team at Great West Equipment has ensured for our many customers,” said Colin Matejka, CEO of Great West. “As part of the Nors Group, we now have access to resources that will enable us to elevate GWE’s ability to serve the territories in which we work. We remain committed to listening to our customers and growing alongside them.”
More than 3 years after the acquisition of Strongco, Nors’ first investment in Canada, this North American market already represents around 12% of the Group’s aggregate sales, with an estimated turnover of €348 million in 2023. The construction equipment sector is one of Nors’ big focus areas in its strategy until 2030, having recently completed an operation in the same sector in the Brazilian market.
Great West Equipment currently has around 250 employees spread across 11 branches in Canada and a turnover of €163 million in 2023’s fiscal year. The company represents leading equipment manufacturers with globally recognized brands, including Volvo Construction Equipment, Madill, Metso, Sennebogen, Falcon and others.
About Nors
With 90 years of history, Nors is a leading Portuguese group in the heavy mobility and construction equipment sectors, being one of the Volvo Group’s main partners since 1933. The Group has been a family business since its foundation and is currently present in 17 countries on four continents, such as
Portugal, Canada, USA, Brazil, Angola, Turkey, Spain, Austria, among others. Nors has more than 4,200 employees worldwide and an aggregate turnover of 2.8 billion euros.
About Great West Equipment
Great West Equipment is a construction equipment dealer with 11 branches in British Columbia and the Yukon. With its origins in the forestry and construction sectors, Great West has grown to become a major player in all segments of construction equipment, including mining, oil and gas, recycling, waste management, utilities, ports and aggregates.
