Equipment Report

IES Acquires Attachment Manufacturer
International Equipment Solutions LLC (IES), Oak Brook, Ill., has acquired CWS Industries Manufacturing Corp., Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, through an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary. This is the fourth acquisition by IES since its formation.

IES was formed in September 2011 as a platform for investments serving the construction, agriculture, landscaping, infrastructure, recycling, demolition, mining and energy industries. IES’ first two acquisitions occurred in September 2011 when the company acquired Paladin Brands Holding Inc. and Crenlo LLC from Dover Corp. In November 2011, Stephen Andrews was retained as CEO of IES to lead the integration of the first two acquisitions and to aggressively grow and globalize the company. As part of its globalization strategy, IES acquired Siac do Brasil, Ltda., a Brazil-based manufacturer of cab enclosures, in June 2012.

CWS is a manufacturer of attachment products, including tire manipulators, cable reelers, grapples, buckets and various large excavator attachment products. Its customers include a global network of dealers and end-users in the mining, oil and gas, forestry and construction markets. CWS has facilities located in Surrey, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“The acquisition of CWS is another important step towards the globalization and diversification of IES,” Stephen Andrews, IES’ CEO, says. “We are very impressed with CWS’s rapid growth trajectory, customer base, engineering capabilities and broad portfolio of highly engineered attachment products. This acquisition not only strategically enhances our footprint with dealers in Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, but also opens up IES to a growing base of sales relationships located internationally in South America, Russia and Asia.

Additionally, IES says the acquisition enhances its product portfolio to include a suite of attachments with applications in the mining, oil and gas and forestry end markets. IES says it remains committed to supporting its customers’ global expansion initiatives with localized supply, technical resources and parts and service support. IES says it intends to invest significant additional capital and resources into CWS to ensure the highest level of production quality and capacity for its customers.

Omaha Standard Palfinger Names New Distributor
Omaha Standard Palfinger (OSP), a manufacturer of material handling equipment based in Council Bluffs, Iowa, has named Scelzi Enterprises to represent OSP’s cranes, hoist and lift gates in California. Scelzi has two locations in California: Fresno and Azusa.

“We are very pleased to be associated Scelzi Enterprises Inc. as we share many of the same beliefs regarding market leadership, and we are both committed to meeting the needs of the end-user customer” says Mark Whaley, OSP’s president. “Certainly, we see this association being key to the success in expanding our presence on the West Coast.

Mike Scelzi, president of Scelzi Enterprises, says, “We continue to be impressed with the innovative new products from OSP and are pleased to be associated with the Palfinger brand. Equally important is that our organizations share many of the same relationship values.

Company Wrench Signs Partnership Deal with SANY America
Company Wrench, an equipment distributor headquartered in Carroll, Ohio, has signed a distribution partnership with SANY America. According to the company, the partnership will add another excavator product line for Company Wrench’s U.S. customers. Over the next 12 months the two companies will undertake an aggressive strategy targeting both rental and end-user segments, the company adds.

“Company Wrench’s dedication to customer service has allowed them to develop 14 branch locations in the Midwest, South, Northeast and Northwest,” says Eric Teague, director of dealer development at SANY America. “Few companies achieve this level of market penetration, and we are looking forward to a long relationship.”

“When we began looking to expand our inventory and product lines, the component familiarity and cost-effective appeal of SANY’s excavators caught our attention right away,” says Cam Gabbard, vice president of Company Wrench. “Furthermore, SANY America has made a significant investment in the North American market with their facility in Georgia, and we expect them to become a major market player over the next two years.”