Supply Side: Brandt, Union Railroad Company

(Union Railroad Company)

Brandt expands its material handling division across Canada. Also, Union Railroad Company opens a new railcar repair facility in the Pittsburgh area.

Brandt

The Brandt Group of Companies on March 20 announced a major expansion to its material handling equipment dealer in a move that the company says is expected to generate $500 million in new revenue and up to 300 jobs over the next three years.

The company’s acquisition of Cervus Equipment in 2021 included material handling operations from Alberta through Manitoba. Now, Brandt has announced its intentions to “deepen and expand its commitment to the material handling industry in Canada.” The company will expand its material handling business nationwide, “creating a new and separate division that will deliver tailored solutions and after-sales support to customers from coast to coast.”

“We believe that the material handling sector is primed for growth and in need of a nationwide alternative to the existing patchwork of small dealer groups,” said Brandt CEO Shaun Semple. “That is why we’re using the lessons we have learned from growing the agriculture, construction and forestry, and transportation pillars of our business to create a fourth pillar to serve the material handling industry.”

Canada, Brandt says, depends on its material handling operations across the country—from ports and transportation hubs to warehouses and distribution centers. Lift trucks and other material handling equipment and related infrastructure are essential to support the flow of goods to Canadians and support the country’s ongoing national growth every single day.

Brandt recognizes that an opportunity exists to provide “top-tier tailored solutions and to build deeper, stronger relationships with companies that operate lift trucks across the country,” the company stated in a release, adding that it is “uniquely suited to leverage their customer-focused brand promise to ensure customers have access to the equipment, specialists, parts, and service required to run thriving businesses.”

As part of this expansion, Brandt says it plans to grow its network of material handling focused stores into new territories “focused on delivering premium forklift brands backed by a dedicated rental fleet, industry-leading parts network and dedicated service network focused on repair work and preventative maintenance.”

Union Railroad Company

Union Railroad Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Transtar, LLC, announced March 21 the opening of the newest railroad freight car repair shop in North America. Located in the industrial district of Duquesne, Penn., the facility was constructed through a public/private partnership with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission as part of its construction of the Mon Fayette Expressway.

This investment, Union Railroad says, will enable the company to “provide industry-leading freight rail car repairs, thereby enhancing safety, reliability, and efficiency for freight transportation in the region.”

The Union Railroad facility is a full-service freight car repair shop with a storage capacity of 500 railcars and connections to CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), CN, and several regional carriers. The facility can perform heavy repairs onsite and provide mobile repair services to support the needs of the rail industry in the region.

“We’re excited to expand our railcar repair capabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Transtar, LLC, President and CEO Jonathan Carnes. “The new car shop will strengthen the growing Transtar network of rail operations across North America and provide a more efficient ‘one-stop-shop’ for customers and railcar owners.”