Uni-Select and Acklands Complete Partnership Deal

Uni-Select and Acklands-Grainger closed its partnership deal Friday, and have begun rolling out programs to the distribution network.
The deal, which sees the creation of USI AGI Prairies Inc., effectively puts Uni-Select in management control of the Bumper to Bumper organization, although operational functions are still very much in the hands of existing Bumper to Bumper staff.
A series of roll-out meetings are being held this week at various locations in the Western Canada to discuss the implications of the new arrangement with members of the two networks.
On October 1, 2001, Uni-Select and Acklands-Grainger announced they had agreed to the formation of a joint venture combining Uni-Select’s Western Division and Acklands-Grainger automotive aftermarket division operating as Bumper to Bumper. It was announced at the time that each would have a 50% stake in the business and that the companies would combine their product offerings and trademarks, which include Uni-Select’s Auto Parts Plus and Auto Plus, as well as Acklands-Grainger’s Bumper to Bumper automotive division. Annual revenues for the new company are expected to be $120 million CDN.