Morneau Eskimo, a division of Groupe Morneau in Quebec, Canada, recently acquired Toronto-based Beacon Transit Lines, which becomes Beacon Transport.
“Beacon Transit Lines is a long-standing partner of Morneau Eskimo,” said André Morneau, president of Groupe Morneau. “Indeed, over the past 15 years, our two companies have collaborated extensively to offer food industry customers in the greater Toronto area a refrigerated transportation of their goods with the greatest respect for the cold chain.
“This transaction therefore represented a logical continuation of our operations.” For Morneau Eskimo, the acquisition of Beacon Transit increases its presence in the Toronto and Ontario markets, the company said. Morneau is consolidating its distribution network and strengthening its leadership position in the refrigerated transportation industry, particularly in the Toronto-Montréal transit sector. “We can now offer a complete and continuous service, mainly to food companies, by transporting their goods from Windsor, Ontario to Gaspé in the eastern tip of Québec,” said David Morneau, director of development.
Morneau Eskimo now can offer major food players an added value service, thanks to a turnkey solution that reduces the number of intermediaries, the company maintained. Morneau Eskimo’s fleet increases from 80 to 140 trucks with the deal, with nearly 100 collaborators joining the team. As a result of the transaction, Groupe Morneau now has nearly 1,200 collaborators on board, which strengthens its position as a major company since it already ranked 143rd among the largest companies in Québec.
The Beacon Transit purchase follows the recent opening of a new Morneau Transport terminal in Lévis, on the South Shore of Québec City.
