Volvo Construction Equipment-owned dealer, Mathews Machinery, based in Lakeside, Calif., has merged its operations with Volvo CE’s company-owned dealership Volvo Construction Equipment & Services in California, in an effort to increase the effectiveness of Volvo construction equipment sales and customer service in the nation’s largest state.

Mathews, the authorized dealer for Volvo CE since 2002, was acquired by Volvo CE early last year. The VCES dealer operation was established by Volvo CE in 2007. The newly organized Volvo CE dealer network in California will operate under the VCES name with eight branches in Los Angeles, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay area, Fresno, Livermore, Bakersfield, Corona and Sacramento.

“By becoming part of the VCES family, we will now be able to better serve customers with expanded locations and more service trucks in the field,” said Tom Younger, former president of Mathews and new president of VCES in California.

VCES has been a construction equipment dealer for nearly 50 years, offering equipment, parts, service and rental opportunities.

The merger brings the full Volvo product line — wheel loaders, articulated haulers, motor graders, Blaw-Knox pavers, compactors, compact equipment and excavators — into the one-company operation. VCES now has 20 locations nationally.