VILLE-DE-SAINT-GEORGES, Que. — After 30 years with Manac, Gaston Bureau is retiring and Charles Dutil will assume the role of president of the surging Canadian semitrailer manufacturer.

Thrilled to have the opportunity to try to fill Bureau’s shoes, Dutil insists he and the organization will, “…Continue doing the same things we’ve always done. We’re going still take things one step at a time and continue to grow our market share and strengthen our presence the U.S.”

He estimates Manac’s market share has increased by 50 per cent over what it was when economic times were considered strong.

“The trailer business is not complicated,” he says. “You just have to build product a little bit better than everyone else and back it up with great customer service.”

Dutil’s promotion left a vacancy in the OEM’s management chain it needed to fill. To that end, the company has brought in Thomas Beckley to succeed Dutil as vice-president of sales and marketing.

“He comes from outside the trucking industry,” explains the company president. “But he’s got a solid sales and marketing background and brings and fresh set of eyes into our operation.”