THE OVERLAND GROUP
EDMONTON - CALGARY
OCTS MAKES THREE STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS FORMING THE OVERLAND GROUP: OCTS, A&L INTERMODAL, 50 ACRES IN EDMONTON, 160 ACRES IN CALGARY
Edmonton, AB – January 8, 2024 – Overland Container Transportation Services (“OCTS”) is pleased to announce three simultaneous, strategic acquisitions:
(i) A&L Intermodal (“A&L”), a Calgary-based intermodal drayage company founded in 1989,
(ii) 50 acres in Edmonton, OCTS’ head office and rail-served, intermodal terminal, and
(iii) 160 acres in Calgary, a development site and future home of OCTS’ Calgary rail-served, intermodal terminal,
forming the Overland Group, one of Western Canada’s largest independent specialty container transportation companies.
These three acquisitions mark an inflection point in OCTS’ over 35-year history, further reinforcing its ability to meet heightened customer demand in Alberta. The acquisition of A&L increases OCTS’ fleet to over 600 chassis and 100 drivers with an increased team of dedicated, seasoned intermodal and drayage service professionals. The acquisition of OCTS’ rail-served, 50-acre head office and terminal location in Edmonton allows OCTS enhanced flexibility in providing container storage, drayage, transloading, warehousing and other intermodal services. The acquisition of the 160-acre industrial and residential development site in Calgary, which neighbours the CN Logistics Park, creates the future home of OCTS’ Calgary operations, consolidating its existing Calgary terminals and ensuring an expanded breath of rail-served container terminal service lines across Alberta. More on the OCTS story in this video.
“OCTS and A&L complement one another extremely well,” commented Joe Tompalski, President of OCTS. “We have developed a strong relationship with the A&L team and look forward to nurturing this further as we expand our operations together.” He went on to say, “we are equally thrilled about our real estate acquisitions in Edmonton and Calgary, as we envision replicating in Calgary the same rail-served suite of container services currently enjoyed in Edmonton. These developments elevate our ability to continue leading the Alberta market through the expansion of current service offerings, use of multiple strategic sites and the addition of great people and collective industry knowledge.”
Through these developments, the Overland Group was formed as an acquisitive, growing community of specialty container transportation carriers run by exceptional operating partners, collectively striving to be better-together and the leading carriers in the markets they serve. The Overland Group is led by its Managing Partner, Derek Senft and backed by Tricor Pacific Capital, a family-owned investment company since 1996 based in Vancouver, BC.
Derek Senft, who is also Chairman of OCTS and Managing Director of Tricor Pacific Capital, stated “we’re thrilled to invest even deeper in OCTS’ and A&L’s operations, real estate and people. We have an incredible team who care deeply about their work. We envision building the Overland Group into a family of related specialty container transportation businesses across Canada, led by exceptional operating partners, that we can grow over the very long term. Our goal is to build a thriving, specialty transportation organization, creating working lives that are more rewarding for all, making a positive community impact that we can all be proud of. I am excited for what the future holds.”
OCTS was founded in 1989 with the goal of providing Alberta with safe and reliable container transportation services. Decades later OCTS has expanded this commitment to the industry through container repair and storage, warehousing and transloading services. Authorized to operate from both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific terminals in both Calgary and Edmonton, OCTS is Alberta’s largest independent drayage provider having expanded its services to include Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories. OCTS is proud to be the “first & last mile” for some of the world’s most prominent industries, steamship lines and freight companies.
A&L was acquired by OCTS on December 14, 2023. Founded in 1989, owned and operated by James Tensen, the Calgary-based drayage operator has earned a strong reputation across Alberta having developed a deep and diverse client base. Servicing both Calgary and Edmonton, A&L increases OCTS’ existing service capacity and strengthens both companies’ abilities to meet the ever-increasing industry and customer demands.
(i) A&L Intermodal (“A&L”), a Calgary-based intermodal drayage company founded in 1989,
(ii) 50 acres in Edmonton, OCTS’ head office and rail-served, intermodal terminal, and
(iii) 160 acres in Calgary, a development site and future home of OCTS’ Calgary rail-served, intermodal terminal,
forming the Overland Group, one of Western Canada’s largest independent specialty container transportation companies.
These three acquisitions mark an inflection point in OCTS’ over 35-year history, further reinforcing its ability to meet heightened customer demand in Alberta. The acquisition of A&L increases OCTS’ fleet to over 600 chassis and 100 drivers with an increased team of dedicated, seasoned intermodal and drayage service professionals. The acquisition of OCTS’ rail-served, 50-acre head office and terminal location in Edmonton allows OCTS enhanced flexibility in providing container storage, drayage, transloading, warehousing and other intermodal services. The acquisition of the 160-acre industrial and residential development site in Calgary, which neighbours the CN Logistics Park, creates the future home of OCTS’ Calgary operations, consolidating its existing Calgary terminals and ensuring an expanded breath of rail-served container terminal service lines across Alberta. More on the OCTS story in this video.
“OCTS and A&L complement one another extremely well,” commented Joe Tompalski, President of OCTS. “We have developed a strong relationship with the A&L team and look forward to nurturing this further as we expand our operations together.” He went on to say, “we are equally thrilled about our real estate acquisitions in Edmonton and Calgary, as we envision replicating in Calgary the same rail-served suite of container services currently enjoyed in Edmonton. These developments elevate our ability to continue leading the Alberta market through the expansion of current service offerings, use of multiple strategic sites and the addition of great people and collective industry knowledge.”
Through these developments, the Overland Group was formed as an acquisitive, growing community of specialty container transportation carriers run by exceptional operating partners, collectively striving to be better-together and the leading carriers in the markets they serve. The Overland Group is led by its Managing Partner, Derek Senft and backed by Tricor Pacific Capital, a family-owned investment company since 1996 based in Vancouver, BC.
Derek Senft, who is also Chairman of OCTS and Managing Director of Tricor Pacific Capital, stated “we’re thrilled to invest even deeper in OCTS’ and A&L’s operations, real estate and people. We have an incredible team who care deeply about their work. We envision building the Overland Group into a family of related specialty container transportation businesses across Canada, led by exceptional operating partners, that we can grow over the very long term. Our goal is to build a thriving, specialty transportation organization, creating working lives that are more rewarding for all, making a positive community impact that we can all be proud of. I am excited for what the future holds.”
OCTS was founded in 1989 with the goal of providing Alberta with safe and reliable container transportation services. Decades later OCTS has expanded this commitment to the industry through container repair and storage, warehousing and transloading services. Authorized to operate from both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific terminals in both Calgary and Edmonton, OCTS is Alberta’s largest independent drayage provider having expanded its services to include Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories. OCTS is proud to be the “first & last mile” for some of the world’s most prominent industries, steamship lines and freight companies.
A&L was acquired by OCTS on December 14, 2023. Founded in 1989, owned and operated by James Tensen, the Calgary-based drayage operator has earned a strong reputation across Alberta having developed a deep and diverse client base. Servicing both Calgary and Edmonton, A&L increases OCTS’ existing service capacity and strengthens both companies’ abilities to meet the ever-increasing industry and customer demands.
EDMONTON SITE (AERIAL VIEW)
EDMONTON: OCTS acquired the 50-acre Edmonton real estate site that underpins its head office on December 20, 2023. This rail-served property has been a critical part of OCTS’ success strategy and its service presence in the Edmonton region. By taking ownership of the property, OCTS benefits from increased flexibility in its operations, providing the opportunity to invest further in the ground operations, including expanding its transload services, adding additional warehousing, lay-down and other logistics service opportunities, gaining an important competitive advantage.
CALGARY SITE (AERIAL VIEW)
Rockyview: OCTS acquired a 160-acre development site in Calgary County on December 28, 2023. The site is ideally located, situated directly next to the CN Logistics Park. Acquiring this real estate will not just allow OCTS to replicate its Edmonton service offering strategy in Calgary, but ultimately create a Calgary super site which will meaningfully expand OCTS’ service capabilities in the future. OCTS will consolidate its existing Calgary operations onto this super-site from 2025. OCTS’ long-term strategy is to be at the forefront of first and final mile specialty transportation, offering not just drayage and depot, but transloading, warehousing and ample space for customers to place their freight and whatever else they might require.
Bryan & Company LLP acted as legal counsel for OCTS, BMO Bank of Montreal provided debt financing, PwC provided tax structuring services and Deloitte provided transaction advisory services.
For more information on these transactions, please contact Joe Tompalski, President of OCTS (joet@octs.ab.ca) or Derek Senft, Managing Partner of the Overland Group, Chairman of OCTS, and Managing Director at Tricor Pacific Capital (derek.senft@tricorpacific.com).
More Information on OCTS – OCTS is the largest intermodal container transportation, transloading and storage services provider in Alberta. Founded in 1989, the company delivers containers throughout Western Canada, operating out of both CN and CP terminals in Calgary and Edmonton.
More Information on A&L – A&L Intermodal is an intermodal drayage service provider with operations in Calgary and Edmonton, servicing over 200 customers consisting of the largest freight and logistics firms operating in Canada.
More Information on Tricor Pacific Capital – Tricor Pacific Capital is a leading Canadian family-owned investment company based in Vancouver, actively investing its own capital and operating knowledge in a diverse group of operating companies, real estate, and other investments. Tricor’s intention is to build winning partnerships in pursuit of shared dreams, holding its investments intergenerationally to create a lasting impact on the lives of its partners, employees, families, and communities.
For more information on these transactions, please contact Joe Tompalski, President of OCTS (joet@octs.ab.ca) or Derek Senft, Managing Partner of the Overland Group, Chairman of OCTS, and Managing Director at Tricor Pacific Capital (derek.senft@tricorpacific.com).
More Information on OCTS – OCTS is the largest intermodal container transportation, transloading and storage services provider in Alberta. Founded in 1989, the company delivers containers throughout Western Canada, operating out of both CN and CP terminals in Calgary and Edmonton.
More Information on A&L – A&L Intermodal is an intermodal drayage service provider with operations in Calgary and Edmonton, servicing over 200 customers consisting of the largest freight and logistics firms operating in Canada.
More Information on Tricor Pacific Capital – Tricor Pacific Capital is a leading Canadian family-owned investment company based in Vancouver, actively investing its own capital and operating knowledge in a diverse group of operating companies, real estate, and other investments. Tricor’s intention is to build winning partnerships in pursuit of shared dreams, holding its investments intergenerationally to create a lasting impact on the lives of its partners, employees, families, and communities.
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