SHCA member Brandt Tractor Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Brandt Group of Companies, recently announced its successful acquisition of Cervus Equipment Corp., following a 97.66 per cent endorsement for the deal in an Oct. 12, 2021 vote by Cervus shareholders. The transaction sees publicly traded Cervus transition to 100 per cent private ownership in an all-cash deal.
The landmark transaction creates Canada’s largest-ever equipment dealer network, adding 64 agriculture, transportation and material handling equipment locations to Brandt’s existing John Deere Construction & Forestry dealerships across Canada. When fully integrated, it will give Cervus’ customers access to Brandt’s extensive national parts and technical support infrastructure.
The purchase further establishes the firm’s position as a premier privately held Canadian company and the largest John Deere dealership in the world.
“The addition of Cervus’ branch network is a big win for customers in all of the affected markets,” said Brandt owner and CEO, Shaun Semple. “We’ve got a lot to offer and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and earn the loyalty of our new customers through a combination of premium products and services and a consistent, high-quality customer support experience.”
With the acquisition of the Cervus locations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Brandt now owns and operates 120 full-service equipment dealerships with an additional 50 service points and employs over 5,100 people.
The transaction will make a significant impact across the industry as the company rolls out plans to introduce expanded parts inventories, service department capacities and extended hours of operation at the former Cervus dealerships. As operations are integrated, staffing in these locations is expected to increase by up to 40 per cent with significant new facility construction across the entire network.
“Cervus staff, customers and their communities will all benefit from this acquisition through a stronger, more diversified network of support dealerships,” concludes Semple. “Brandt is fully committed to ongoing investment in business infrastructure and community enhancement; there is tremendous opportunity for everyone in this deal.”
The transaction officially closed on Oct. 22, 2021.