Wolverine Tractor & Equipment, Volvo Construction Equipment’s dealer in Michigan, has acquired Colwell Equipment, joining the forces of two major and longstanding Michigan construction equipment dealers.
With the acquisition, Wolverine Tractor & Equipment gains the Volvo Road Machinery line of equipment, which includes soil and asphalt compactors, milling machines and Blaw-Knox asphalt pavers. The Volvo road machinery products were acquired from Ingersoll Rand in April 2007. Colwell Equipment’s customer support staff will join the Wolverine Tractor team.
Wolverine was appointed the authorized dealer for Volvo CE in September 2004, following the former’s acquisition of the assets of Contractors Machinery Co., a Volvo CE dealer in Grand Rapids, Mich. The purchase of Colwell gives Wolverine sales, marketing and service operations of the complete Volvo CE product line and adds two branch locations, in Canton and Saginaw, to Wolverine’s current full-service facilities in Brighton, Casco, Detroit and Grand Rapids.
“The customer service experience and knowledge we gain with the addition of the Colwell parts and service personnel is a tremendous boost for us,” said Ric Simon, Wolverine’s executive vice president. “It will have a very positive impact on our customers.”
Founded in 1969, Colwell is contributing experienced employees, new product lines and the two new branch locations to the veteran Wolverine organization, founded in 1943. Chris Colwell, former president of Colwell Equipment, will join Wolverine as vice president of the road machinery segment and will assume the role of folding the new product lines into the company.
“I am excited about the opportunities of being a dedicated Volvo dealer,” said Colwell. “Those of us joining Wolverine from Colwell will continue to provide the same dedication of service to our road machinery customers, and now we have the full complement of Volvo compact equipment, articulated haulers, wheel loaders and excavators.”
