SMS Equipment
Formed as a merger nearly a decade ago,
this SHCA member is the largest dealer of
Komatsu equipment in Canada
By Lisa Kopochinski
A one-stop supplier of a broad range of world-renowned brand name construc-tion
equipment, SMS Equipment’s knowledge of what it takes to get the job
done is as diverse as its client base.
The company has 34 physical offices across Canada and several remote branches, and
is a coast-to-coast presence from Vancouver Island to Paradise, Nfld. Servicing a number
of different industries – construction, road and mineral, mining, forestry and more – SMS
Equipment’s history actually dates back to 1952 when Federal Equipment was formed; and
then Conoco in 1966; followed by Transwest Mining Systems in 1986. In May 2008, these
three Canadian equipment dealers merged to become SMS Equipment, all bringing their
cumulative experience to offer some of the most creative and productive solutions to these
industries.
With a customer base that expands across Canada, the U.S. and globally, SMS Equipment’s
mission statement is pretty straightforward:
“SMS Equipment is a leading nationwide equipment distributor dedicated to continu-ously
improving our services and product offerings to meet the unique requirements
of our customers. Partnering with leading manufacturers and our employees, SMS
Equipment strives to be the number one solutions provider to the construction, for-estry,
mining and utility industries.”
In Saskatchewan, the company has two offices in Regina and Saskatoon, each responsible
for half the province.
“In our Saskatchewan operations, we currently have 32 employees and are actively looking
to fill a few more positions as business continues to increase within the province,” said SMS
Equipment’s operations manager, Jeff Foster, who is located in Regina.
In speaking about the company’s corporate structure, he said, “I oversee the day-to-day
business of the branch. We maintain a manager for each department – sales, parts and ser-vice
– to ensure that our customers receive knowledgeable help when they call or visit us.
Each of these managers is responsible for a team of dedicated and hardworking staff who
specialize in their respective areas, including trained heavy equipment technicians, journey-men,
parts people and an experienced sales force. This is all held together with a great ad-ministrative
staff. And while we have an adequate team on the ground locally, on a daily basis
we utilize specific functions that are based out of our corporate head office in Acheson, Alta.”
Most popular equipment
Part of SMS Equipment’s diverse client base in Saskatchewan includes governmental entities
that contribute to a large portion of the customers in the industry.
“Cities, towns and rural municipalities are some of the biggest users of heavy equipment
in the province,” said Foster.
48 Think BIG | Quarter 4 2017 | saskheavy.ca