VANCOUVER, B.C. — Finning International Inc. announced today that it has completed its acquisition of the operating assets of the Cat dealership of Kramer Ltd. and is the approved Cat dealer in Saskatchewan. The acquired dealership business combines Finning's Western Canadian operations in British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories and part of Nunavut with Saskatchewan and diversifies the company's revenue base into sectors such as potash and uranium.
"With the completion of this strategic transaction, customers will now benefit from improved equipment and parts availability, world-class product support and access to Finning Canada's extensive branch network," said Scott Thomson, president and CEO of Finning International Inc. "We are pleased to welcome our new employees to Finning. Working together, we look forward to providing the highest standard of customer service, growing the business and contributing to communities in Saskatchewan."
Executive Vice President Andy Fraser to Retire from Finning in December 2015
Finning also announced today that Andy Fraser, executive vice president of customer and external relations, has elected to retire from the company at the end of 2015 after playing a pivotal role in the acquisition of the Saskatchewan dealership.
"I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Andy who has made significant contributions to Finning in a tremendous career that spans 36 years and included executive roles leading our UK and Canadian operations," continued Mr. Thomson. "In addition to recently contributing to the successful acquisition of the Saskatchewan dealership, Andy played a leadership role in supporting our continuous efforts to strengthen the safety of our operations in his present position. Under his leadership, we implemented new global safety standards across Finning and accomplished a 25% decline in our total reportable injury frequency rate from 2013 to 2014 marking an all-time low."
"I am leaving Finning at what I feel is a high point in my career with the historic acquisition of the Saskatchewan territory," said Mr. Fraser. "I will leave at the end of the year with a great deal of pride in all of the things that have been accomplished, perhaps none more important than the steps to advance our safety journey and I am confident that my outstanding colleagues will continue to build on this strong foundation going forward."
Prior to his departure in December 2015, Mr. Fraser will work to ensure a smooth transition of his responsibilities which will be redistributed amongst senior leaders with the expertise and experience to support the successful achievement of our business objectives.
Finning International Inc. is the world's largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers since 1933. Finning sells, rents and services equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, as well as in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
