Val-d’Or, Quebec-based Marcotte is bringing Uni-Draulik and Uni-Drill back under Quebec ownership after acquiring the two drilling and hydraulics companies in an $8 million deal.  

Marcotte has acquired a 55 per cent stake from U.S.-based Singer Industrial, while Mathieu Dubé-Vaillancourt, CEO of Uni-Draulik and Uni-Drill, acquired the remaining 45 per cent. 

Martin Doyon, vice-president of drilling at Marcotte, told CIM Magazine that the return to Quebec ownership was driven in part by the opportunity to keep key decisions closer to the companies’ employees and customers. 

“With the economic situation now with [the United States], we are proud to keep this business here in Canada,” he said. “It will benefit the people here, and we [won’t be] sending more money to the United States.” 

Dubé-Vaillancourt told CIM Magazine that when Singer decided to sell Uni-Draulik and Uni-Drill, it approached Dubé-Vaillancourt about acquiring the companies with a partner. He then entered discussions with Hugues Marcotte, president and CEO of Marcotte. 

The businesses offered a natural fit: Marcotte is primarily active in surface drilling equipment, while Uni-Drill focuses more on underground rigs and Uni-Draulik distributes hydraulic components. 

A complementary fit 

Under the new ownership structure, Uni-Draulik will take on hydraulic and electro-hydraulic work for Marcotte’s drilling equipment, while Uni-Drill will be able to draw on Marcotte’s machining, welding, engineering and manufacturing capacity. 

The expanded group will also give Marcotte access to a distribution business it did not previously have, allowing customers to source hydraulic components and electrical automation controls through Uni-Draulik. The companies expect that added access to simplify parts sourcing and support equipment maintenance and repairs. 

Despite the ownership change, Dubé-Vaillancourt noted that customers should see little disruption. The three companies will continue using their existing brands, and their teams and customer relationships will remain in place. 

No major changes are planned for the group’s 95 current employees. Instead, hiring is currently under way at Uni-Drill and Uni-Draulik, with at least 10 additional positions expected over the next year, to build local capacity. Planned positions include production roles, machinists, sales, administration and human resources. 

Uni-Draulik was established in Quebec City in 2003 and specializes in hydraulic and electro-hydraulic engineering, including the design, manufacture and repair of custom systems. Uni-Drill traces its origins to DR-Fabrication, which was established in Val-d’Or in 2015 to manufacture diamond drilling equipment. The two businesses merged in 2021, before being acquired by Dallas-based Singer Industrial in March 2023. 

Dubé-Vaillancourt said local ownership will give the companies more flexibility in how they manage inventory, including the ability to keep more parts and equipment in stock rather than waiting for a purchase order before beginning production. 

Dubé-Vaillancourt added that the companies intend to grow the business by taking advantage of the synergies between them, with some operational adjustments planned to better align the three companies as they move forward.