Evan MacKinnon vows to restore MTI as “premier flatbed TL carrier”

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GUELPH, Ont. — MacKinnon Transport Inc. (MTI) today confirmed its voluntary filing of a Notice of Intent under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in order to restructure its operations.

The company noted 95% of the jobs at MacKinnon Transport have been preserved, thanks to an agreement with Laidlaw Van LP to acquire the van division of MacKinnon Transport. In a statement, Evan MacKinnon, president and CEO of the company, said “I am pleased to announce as part of our restructuring we are in the process of selling the van division of MacKinnon Transport Inc. to Laidlaw Van LP. Our objectives were to ensure the future existence of MacKinnon Transport, while preserving as many jobs of all those who work here as possible.”

MacKinnon said the filing was predicated by a “perfect storm” of events brought on by “market conditions” and “an unsuccessful acquisition.” MacKinnon purchased LE Walker in the summer of 2009 and in December of that year placed it into creditor protection from which it did not emerge. He stressed MacKinnon Transport will continue to operate and serve its customers as it goes through the restructuring process.

“I’m especially excited that through our business deal with Laidlaw Van LP we have jointly achieved preservation of 95% of the jobs of the MacKinnon employees and independent contractors – a huge success in these challenging times of excess unemployment,” MacKinnon said.  He added the company’s focus will be to return to its roots and core competencies as a “premier flatbed truckload carrier.”

“I remain confident that our goal of achieving financial stability of MacKinnon Transport as a strong flatbed player in the North American trucking industry will be preserved,” MacKinnon said.    

MacKinnon Transport is a Guelph, Ont.-based, family-run carrier employing 240 people and independent contractors. As first reported by Trucknews.com, it informed drivers Dec. 13 it was filing a NOI to restructure the organization while selling off its van division to Laidlaw Van LP, owned by Contrans. You can read the previous story here. Contrans COO told Trucknews.com yesterday it was “premature” to discuss details of the acquisition, however he did confirm his interest in the company.

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  • To Evan Mackinnon. I am a sales agent and I retain carriers on behalf of my customers. I do 96% of my business using flat bed carriers. At one time Mackinnon was one of them, but because of a problem with the American end of one of my customers, Mackinnon would not do business with the Canadian arm of the Company, which does business every day with many flat bed companies, and have no problems. The reason for my comment is, that your people should have done their homework re this account and would have found out that everything was ok on the Canadian side. To get a blanket no from the dispatchers, without any back up reason for turning us down, just cost you a lot of business.
    I agree, Mackinnon has to get back to its roots, Flat Bed business, only.

  • I think in 2012 the word “MacKinnon” might get added to the “Urban dictionary” to mean under bankruptcy protection. Drivers can say so and so is going through a “Mackinnon” and we’ll all know that means they’re under bankruptcy protection. This is the second time they have been link to a filing for “NOI” protection. Walker and now themselves.

    I’m glad to see that MacKinnon did try to save jobs. Especially just before the holidays. However, I’m confuse with their statement that the company is going to “return to its roots and core competencies as a premier flatbed truckload carrier”. What does “core competencies” even mean? Why weren’t they focused on them before this? I going out on a limb, but I would guess that their “roots and core competencies” is to haul freight regardless of the trailer type.

    The rumor in the industry is that they go through management quicker than Kim Kardashian’s marriage. Haven’t all there VP’s left the company within the last 3-4 years? If this is true, this is more likely the real issue than “market conditions” which everyone in the industry has had to face. A top 50 managed company should have put plans in to place to deal with “market conditions”. Also, if the market conditions were so bad why did they get involved in the Walker acquisition?

    I would like to see Truck News write an article on what really went wrong. Market conditions? Bad management? What effected MacKinnon and a company within 20 miles of them seem to weather the storm and was able to purchase their van division. There might be a learning opportunity here, so future trucking companies can avoid this pitfall. When a trucking companies goes under, it means less jobs for all of us.