Hampden trucking firm H.O. Bouchard’s acquisition of Bangor truck repair and equipment installation shop Gould Equipment Co. is considered an important step in strengthening Bouchard’s capabilities and expanding its services.
The deal will allow Bouchard to offer a broader range of equipment, resources and expertise, said the company’s president, Jeff Bouchard.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Long-established firms
Bouchard dates back to 1958, when Harold Bouchard operated dump trucks in the summer and converted them to log trucks in the winter.
Today, the company provides transportation services and 18-wheeler truck maintenance to the northeast, New Hampshire, Quebec and Brunswick. Headquartered at 349 Coldbrook Road in Hampden, it has a secondary shop in Eliot, 80 trucks and 200 trailers and 140 employees across the two locations.
Gould Equipment, at 163 Hildreth St. North in Bangor, was started by Ralph Gould in 1928 and today provides services for propane and fuel oil truck and trailers, including maintenance, specialized equipment installation and repair. Gould has 10 employees.
More service capacity
Bouchard is leasing the Bangor location and acquired Gould’s employees except for its president, Tom Schwarm, who decided to retire from Gould but remains active with his company, Acadia Environmental Technology, Bouchard told Mainebiz.
Gould’s general manager, Ryan Scanlon, will assume a leadership role at the Bangor location.
“The acquisition allows H.O. Bouchard to retain the current employees and expand upon the truck maintenance services already offered,” Bouchard said. “It gives us more employees to service our current customers and the customers of Gould Equipment.”
It also gives the company the opportunity to establish direct relationships with manufacturers of parts and equipment, allowing it to expand the services it can offer to customers, he continued.
