Mackinon Buys Le Walker group

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Evan L. MacKinnon, President & CEO, MacKinnon Transport Inc.
405 Laird Road, Guelph, ON, N1G 4P7
evanm@mackinnontransport.com / 1-800-265-9394 ext. 2237
MacKinnon Transport and Walker Group Join Forces to Expand
Service Offerings
One of the best good-news stories to hit the trucking industry in 2009
Acquisition catapults family-operated fleets to stronger position in marketplace
GUELPH, ON: August 26, 2009 – MacKinnon Transport Inc., one of Canada’s 50
Best Managed Companies, announced today it has acquired the St. Thomas, Ontario- based
Walker Group of companies, which consists of LE Walker Transport Ltd. and Mid America
Freight Systems Ltd. Both companies are major players in the dry van and flatbed
marketplaces in North America.
The deal creates a combined entity that will operate out of MacKinnon’s head office in Guelph
where the company will manage over 1,300 pieces of equipment and employ a workforce of 420
people.
“This deal, which is effective immediately, represents a great opportunity for both companies,”
said Evan MacKinnon, President and CEO of MacKinnon Transport Inc. “Our combined
organization will be well positioned from an equipment and personnel standpoint. At a time
when many trucking companies are economically challenged we are fiscally robust and poised
to respond quickly as the economy rebounds.”
The decision to combine the two fleets is welcomed by leaders of both companies who say the
move positions them to streamline service delivery and exercise opportunities for increased
business growth. The new entity will also benefit from synergy created by their similar corporate
cultures which have derived from three generations of family ownership and management.
“We are merging the best business practices of the Walker Group and MacKinnon Transport,”
said Walker Group President Julie Tanguay. “While both companies are recognized leaders in
the dry van and flatbed markets, our customer base is quite diversified with little duplication. We
are strategically positioned to respond rapidly to changing markets and customer requirements.”
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Inking the deal means MacKinnon and Tanguay become business partners through their joint
ownership of the combined entity. “Julie and I share common business values and ethics,” said
MacKinnon, “and our leadership talents complement each other extremely well. We're very
excited about what our joint effort will be able to produce”.
MacKinnon will remain as President and CEO of the organization, which will continue to operate
as MacKinnon Transport Inc. Tanguay will take on the newly created role of Executive Vice-
President Sales, and will head up sales efforts for the combined fleet from the company's head
office in Guelph.
MacKinnon credits his company's long-standing relationship with Bank of Montreal (BMO) for
helping to make the acquisition possible. “MacKinnon’s 60-plus year relationship with BMO was
certainly a benefit considering the current view that most financial institutions have of our
industry,” he said.
MacKinnon Transport Inc. is a truckload carrier offering warehousing and logistics services,
servicing points throughout North America. The company, a third generation family-owned
business in its 81st year, is a Platinum Member Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, a
seven-time winner of the Truckload Carriers Association Fleet Safety Award, and recognized six
consecutive years by Canadian Transportation & Logistics’ as a Carrier of Choice.
Walker Group is the parent company of LE Walker Transport Ltd., also a third generation family
owned company, which has been in operation for 62 years. LE Walker Transport is a truckload
dry van carrier offering services throughout North America, while Mid America Freight Systems
is Walker Group’s flatbed operation. Walker Group is led by Julie Tanguay who is the
chairperson of the Ontario Trucking Association; she is the first woman to hold this position in
the association’s 83 year history
 
lowmiler88 said:
At least they didn't take the money and run both are good companies.
Click to expand...

Interesting you say that, both of them are on our DNU list. Walker for slow payment as they apparently claim to have been having cash flow problems for years and MacKinnon because they have issues paying waiting time that they have already approved verbally.
 
Recently started dealing with LE Walker/Mid America and had some success after the last Brokers meeting.

Sorry to hear they were bought by Mackinnon! Mackinnon is on our DNU list. They were once upon a time one of our go to carriers. Until they backsolicited twice, their dispatchers even called us to tell us about what was going on. Spoke to their VP, told us they would back off it was a mistake. Then they didn't... Called them on it and they said they needed the account. Great bunch of lads over there !
 
All I can say is we have never had problems with either one, maybe just lucky I guess from the sounds of it.
 
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