Portuguese group buys North Okanagan business

A Vernon-based dealer of construction and forestry equipment has new international owners.

Nors Group, which is based in Portugal, has acquired Great West Equipment from a local ownership group, for what Nors says was a $150 million (Canadian) deal.

Great West Equipment has 11 branches in British Columbia and the Yukon with its head office located on L&A Cross Road in Spallumcheen. It has about 250 employees at the 11 branches. It is also one of Volvo Construction Equipment’s major representatives in the market.

“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,” a news release from Nors Group stated.

Nors entered the Canadian market with the acquisition of Strongco in 2020, and now has a a total of 37 branches and more than 750 employees in Canada, covering more than 80 per cent of the Canadian market.

“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,” Tomás Jervell, Group CEO of Nors, said. “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.”

Colin Matejka, CEO of Great West, said they are very proud of the legacy of their ‘Service First’ attitude that their team at Great West has ensured for their customers.

“As part of the Nors Group, we now have access to the 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,” Matejka, who was part of the former ownership group, said.

Nors calls itself a leading 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,” the news release stated.

Nors has more than 4,200 employees worldwide.