Laprairie Group picks up Entrec companies

CALGARY, Alberta – Laprairie Group of Companies has bought Entrec Alberta Ltd. and Capstan Hauling, both divisions of Entrec Corporation – a crane and specialized transportation solutions provider.

Through the acquisitions, Entrec and Capstan will become subsidiaries of the Laprairie Group of Companies and be managed and operated as separate businesses. Laprairie is a Canadian-owned, full-service crane and transportation and logistics provider.

On May 15, 2020, Entrec Corporation, the parent company of Capstan Hauling and Entrec Alberta Ltd., filed for protection under Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Through a court-supervised restructuring proceeding, Entrec sought buyers or investors for its businesses.

In result, Laprairie Group of Companies acquired certain assets of Entrec Alberta Ltd. along with the operating business name of Capstan Hauling Ltd. – with the objective of continuing operations and increasing their services and reach across both Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie.

“We look forward to the added value that these acquisitions will bring. Through the offering of jack and slide services, additional transport trucks and a modern fleet of platform heavy haul trailers, we will be in a position to offer a one stop solution to existing and new customers in these complimentary industries,” said Scott LaPrairie, president and CEO of Laprairie Group of Companies.

“These additions will allow us a total load haul and place of oversized Alberta-manufactured oil and gas plant modules, contributing significantly to the transport effectiveness in the oil and gas sectors in Western Canada.”

Crane operations

For over 25 years, Entrec has provided innovative crane and specialized transportation solutions for Canadians, routinely working with over-weight and over-size cargo within the oil sands, Liquefied Natural Gas, conventional oil and gas, mining, petrochemical, pulp and paper, infrastructure, refining, and power generation industries.

Acquired by Entrec Corporation in 2018, Capstan has been providing oil and gas heavy haul transportation and picker truck services for over 18 years to the natural resources industry in Alberta and British Columbia.

As a part of the acquisitions, Laprairie welcomes over 65 experienced driver operators and will retain the existing on-the-ground management team. Both companies will continue to operate as their own entities under the Laprairie Group of Companies, with a shared focus on increasing their service footprint in Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray.

Laprairie Group of Companies is a Western Canadian-based full-service crane and rigging, highway and bridge maintenance, frac sand mining and distribution company servicing Canada and the North East USA – through its various subsidiaries.

Neither Entrec Alberta Ltd. or Capstan Hauling disrupted operations during the CCAA or acquisition processes.