Naples firm acquires 700-person Canadian energy business

In its third purchase this month, the Naples-based Hoffmann Family of Cos. has acquired majority ownership of CDN Controls, a Western Canadian company that specializes in electrical and instrumentation maintenance for a wide range of power production clients.

The deal’s financial details were kept a secret. CDN Controls provides automation, communication, and renewable/solar services to its clientele. CDN employs over 700 people, has a sizable fabrication facility, and has ten branches spread across two provinces in Western Canada, according to a recent article by Mark Gordon of the Business Observer.

The statement claims that the Hoffmann Family of Cos intends to give CDN Controls access to cash and new market prospects. The portfolio of businesses includes everything from vineyards to a luxury fleet business. According to business representatives, this involves aiming for the US market under the moniker CAVIS Energy Corp. The moniker CDN will continue to be used for operations in Canada.

Geoff Hoffmann, co-CEO of HFOC, states in the statement that The Hoffmann Family’s decision to purchase CDN was rooted in the alignment of values, culture, and business acumen. We see ourselves not as an agent of change, but rather as a catalyst for CDN’s ongoing growth and the preservation of its strategic and day-to-day operational autonomy.”

A number of CDN representatives will stay with the business. CEO and founder Dean Fraser, COO and founder Nick Stewart, CFO David Gillett, and Chief People & Corporate Services Officer Susan Borrows will make up the leadership team.

Fraser and Stewart state in the statement, “We wanted to create an industry dominator when we started CDN in 2011— a business fueled by performance and anchored by strong core values. “With funding from the Hoffmann Family of Companies, our company will be able to take advantage of larger and more recent opportunities. There will soon be plenty of chances to use our services to help with the global energy transition, particularly with the vast advancements and upgrades being made to the energy infrastructure worldwide.”

Besse Forest Products Group, located in Gladstone, Michigan, and Doonan Specialized Trailer, a bespoke semitrailer manufacturer with headquarters in Great Bend, Kansas, are two other companies Hoffmann purchased in March.

This article originally appeared on Business Observer