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Winnipeg Free Press

Brandt Tractor completes renovations to more than double size of Winnipeg-area branch

For more than two years, the Winnipeg-area branch of an international construction equipment dealer has been a construction zone. Things are getting back to normal at Brandt Tractor Ltd. in the Rural Municipality of Macdonald, now that a $30 million renovation that more than doubled the size of the facility is complete. When it first opened in 2000, the facility — located at 3700 McGillivray Blvd. — was 29,450 square feet. Now it spans 65,190 sq. ft., more than doubling its showroom, office spaces, parts warehouse and repair shop. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS 'It's tough to express what it means to get this done. We're pretty excited for the whole thing,' says branch manager Peter Paulic at Brandt Tractor's newly renovated location in the RM of Macdonald. The business has also increased the size of its yard by 73 per cent, for a total of more than 12 acres. 'It's tough to express what it means to get this done,' said Peter Paulic, branch manager. 'We're pretty excited for the whole thing.' According to the company, which is the world's largest privately held dealer of John Deere equipment for the construction and forestry industries, customers will benefit from increased access to equipment, parts and service as a result of the renovation. The updated facility includes increased shop capacity, more service staff members, better parts availability and a larger showroom. The parts department has more than tripled in size, which the company says will ensure customers in central Canada will have easy access to parts. With the help of a small satellite branch in Brandon and a shop in Swan River, the Winnipeg-area facility effectively services all of Manitoba, Paulic said. Before construction started, the branch had 63 full-time employees. That number has grown to 85, and Paulic said it will reach 100 before the end of the year. (The Brandon location has eight staff members and the Swan River shop typically employs two.) Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'The size of the branch is critical in making sure you have enough sales people and techs to serve the whole province,' Paulic said. The branch is open six days a week, with a night shift that ends at 12:30 a.m. That means customers can use a machine all day, drop it off in the evening for servicing and then pick it up the next morning, Paulic said. Graders are one of the branch's best-selling pieces of equipment, but loaders, excavators, dozers and skid steers sell well, too, he said. 'It's a premium product that customers quite appreciate and love.' They're sold and maintained by staff members who undergo regular professional development, Paulic remarked, adding the branch has spent $500,000 on training in recent years. The renovations included a brand-new classroom just for that purpose. 'Whether it's the mechanics, the parts guys or the sales people, the training never ends for them,' he said. 'Any time there's a new line, they go to school, basically.' Located adjacent to the southwest side of Winnipeg, the RM of Macdonald is growing. The Free Press reported in September that in 2016, the RM's assessment (or estimated market value) was $770 million; in 2024, it was $1.19 billion. Meanwhile, its commercial assessment increased 4.12 per cent — to $277.3 million from $265.9 million — between 2023 and 2024. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Brandt Tractor's 3700 McGillivray Blvd. site features a repair shop with increased capacity. Reeve Brad Erb credits Brandt Tractor and Kleysen Group Ltd. with driving commercial development in the area. 'They were really the two big businesses that started the growth and the opportunities that we've had there,' he said. 'We appreciate … (Brandt's) commitment to our municipality and our region.' Brandt CEO Shaun Semple was not available for an interview before deadline, but expressed his excitement about the renovated branch in a news release. 'This new facility further demonstrates our deep investment in Canada,' Semple said. 'This isn't just a shop. It's a commitment to delivering the best possible service to our customers.' Paulic echoed those words. 'At the end of the day, our whole idea here is to make sure that our customers are successful,' he said. 'If our customers are successful, we'll be successful.' Brandt Tractor is part of the Brandt Group of Companies, a privately owned manufacturing and distribution company headquartered in Regina. The company serves numerous industries, including agriculture, construction, forestry, rail, mining, steel, transportation, material handling and energy. The Brandt Group of Companies has more than 6,000 employees and more than 180 locations in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.