Saskatchewan equipment firm Brandt Group of Companies has added another arm to its international reach.
The Regina-based manufacturer of grain handling and tillage equipment and John Deere distributor said Aug. 31 that it had acquired New Zealand equipment company Wairarapa Machinery Services Ltd. The acquired company is 100 kilometres northeast of the country’s capital, Wellington.
The dealership will be the 18th site for the company in New Zealand since gaining its first foothold in that country two years ago.
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Brandt CEO Shaun Semple praised the deal for “uniting the entire North Island under one dealer brand” for agriculture, construction and forestry equipment.
“This will ensure customers have access to the industry’s broadest support infrastructure, delivering the products, parts and service they need, wherever they are operating,” he said.
The company also noted the timing of the deal, only a few months after it announced the addition of AGrowQuip, another New Zealand company focused on construction and forestry equipment and another distributor for John Deere.
The company now has distribution rights for John Deere’s agricultural and golf lines, as well as exclusive distribution rights for John Deere’s construction and forestry lines on New Zealand’s North Island.
The same Aug. 31 press release announcing the deal pointed to community efforts undertaken by Brandt since its New Zealand debut, including contributions to the New Zealand Red Cross in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year.
Brandt currently counts more than 6,000 employees and 180 locations in Canada, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. The newest deal brings the company’s list of dealerships to 139, according to the Aug. 31 press release.
