Quebec ambulance manufacturer merges with U.S. competitor
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Beloeil, Que.-based Demers says the tie-up will help it push into the U.S. market and add to its global competitiveness
BELOEIL, Que.—A Montreal-area maker of ambulances has agreed to merge with an American competitor as it looks to extend its reach into the U.S. market.
Demers Ambulances said Feb. 2 that it and Ohio-based Braun Industries Inc. have approved a tie-up that will create the second-largest ambulance maker in North America.
The financial terms of the deal were not released.
Demers traces its roots to the 19th century and has been building ambulances for more than 50 years. The company employs about 150 workers at its Beloeil, Que. plant in the Montreal suburbs and makes three types of the emergency response vehicles for both medical and fire crews.
Braun Industries, meanwhile, operates a 105,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant along with an adjacent service facility in Van Wert, in western Ohio. It built its first ambulance in 1972.
The Canadian company said the merger will help it increase its U.S. market share and create a business capable of competing on a global scale.
Demers’ CEO Alain Brunelle will take over as head of both companies, while Braun’s chief executive Kim Braun will continue to lead the company’s American operations.
