*Editor's Note: The Ringuette family has officially confirmed the sale of B & R Eckel's, providing an official statement to Lakeland This Week/LakelandToday.ca the afternoon of May 1.
The Ringuette family has confirmed the sale of B&R Eckel’s Transport to the Mullen Group of Companies effective May 1, 2023.
“We are grateful for the contributions of so many people, especially our past and current employees, who have helped this company grow and prosper for 58 years. It has a been a pleasure to be supported by and to serve the communities in which B&R operates,” says the Ringuette family. “The decision to sell the company was not entered into lightly. On a personal level, it was heart wrenching. B&R is a part of who we are – we all grew up under its umbrella. It was especially difficult for our mom; she stood by our dad though the thick and thin of all of it.”
From a business perspective, however, it was a necessary decision. The family recognized that in order for B&R Eckel’s to unlock its full potential and move into the future competitively, the company requires a greater capacity to meet the challenges it is facing in this industry.
The Mullen Group has a vision that aligns with B&R’s: maintain a strong workforce, support the communities you work in and provide superior customer service. The Mullen Group has proven expertise in this industry and the current management team has confidence in their ongoing success within the Mullen organization.
The Ringuette family believes that this acquisition is an opportunity for growth: as part of the Mullen Group, B&R Eckel’s will be able to continue to deliver quality service while optimizing costs for stronger returns. The company can move forward with more impact by leveraging Mullen’s scale and resources in a way it would be unable to do on its own.
For now, and into the immediate future, everyone’s role remains the same. It’s business as usual.
This was the primary concern of the current management team: proceed with the transaction only if the employees could retain their positions and continue to work for B&R. Anything less was unacceptable.
The Ringuette siblings are staying on as part of the Management team and remain committed to building a sustainable strong company.
“We have a great team here – together, under new ownership, we will move B&R Eckel’s into a stronger, more dynamic future. As Dad would have said: We’ll keep on truckin.”
About B&R Eckel’s Transport
Since 1965, B & R Eckel's Transport Ltd. has been providing a scope of service from 5lbs to 200,000lbs with one call. With a dedicated group of 420 employees working within a network of 16 facilities, B&R operates a fleet of 400 power units and over 950 trailers.
B & R Eckel's Transport Ltd. provides the following scope of services: daily freight service, rig moving, heavy oil field trucking, pipe storage yards, highway trucking, tank moving, bulk trucking, pickers, cranes up to 50 tons, trailer rentals, warehousing, over dimensional hauling, and hot shot services.
