Longueuil (Quebec), December 13th, 2021 – Exprolink, a world leader in the field of vocational electric vehicles (VEVs), continues its rapid growth and announces the acquisition of Excelway, a line of multifunctional vehicles that have been proven and sold worldwide for the past 15 years, thanks to the European know-how of Spanish company AUSA. The Longueuil‑based company intends to relocate Excelway’s production to Quebec in the near future, to a brand-new plant, and to complete the electrification of the entire line by the end of 2023.
This major acquisition is part of a three-year $30-million investment plan that will eventually create more than 100 direct jobs in Quebec, and lead to the opening of Exprolink’s first assembly centre in the United States. The company will announce in the coming months the chosen location of its future Quebec plant and the identity of the partner that will supply the electric batteries for powering Excelway vehicles.
A wide range of multifunctional VEVs
Exprolink is realizing its desire to offer a complete range of multifunctional VEVs to meet the needs and growing demand of cities, institutions and companies around the world, while helping to fight climate change.
As the only North America manufacturer of compact litter vacuums and sweepers, the Quebec business is expanding into all cleaning and maintenance sectors, in addition to opening the way for the development of chassis for specialized applications as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). In doing so, Exprolink is gaining access to a global market of more than $5 billion, which is expected to grow by 5% annually over the next decade, propelled by technological advances, the green shift and trends in urban policy.
Electrification and innovation at the centre of development
Thanks to this strategic acquisition and its innovation capabilities, Exprolink intends to increase its sales by a factor of five by 2026, to reach $80 million. Earlier this fall, Exprolink announced the opening of three sales offices in the United States, on the East Coast, in Texas and on the West Coast, and its association with Zero Motorcycles, a world leader in electric motorcycles and power trains. Exprolink’s annual sales have tripled over the past year, while recent investments have helped to double the production capacity of its current Longueuil plant.
“We are very pleased to be able to complete this strategic acquisition today, which will enable us to offer a complete range of vocational electric vehicles to our customers, in addition to opening the doors to Europe, where the demand for this type of vehicle is expanding steadily in the context of the fight against climate change,” said President of Exprolink, Jean Bourgeois.
“With Excelway, we developed great technological knowledge that we are taking advantage of to improve all our products. We believe that Exprolink proposal is the best for the Excelway product line to enter a new phase of development and to satisfy existing demand. At AUSA, we have put in place a major international expansion plan, with the aim of doubling our turnover. We will achieve this target focusing on our industrial vehicle product range, which has been the core business of our company since the beginning,” explains Ramon Carbonell, Chief Executive Officer of AUSA.
“Exprolink is a great example of Quebec’s expertise in innovation and the electrification of transportation. By developing vocational electric vehicles (VEVs), the company is meeting a need in cities, institutions and businesses. In short, thanks to Exprolink, Quebec is positioning itself as a world leader in another sector of the electric and intelligent transportation cluster,” says Chief Executive Officer of Propulsion Québec, Sarah Houde.
“This acquisition strengthens Exprolink's position in the global vocational vehicle market. The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is proud to support the Longueuil-based company in its growth and in the electrification of its equipment line. It is thanks to innovative leaders like Exprolink that Québec can become a leader in electric and intelligent transportation," added Dany Pelletier, Senior Vice-President, Investments, Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
About Exprolink
Exprolink is a world leader in the field of vocational electric vehicles (VEVs), offering a complete range of compact multi-purpose chassis and vehicles, particularly for the cleaning and maintenance sectors, to meet the needs of cities, institutions and companies around the world, while helping to fight climate change. Known for decades for their reliability and intelligent design, their two main vehicle lines, Madvac and Excelway, are in the process of being fully electrified.
About AUSA
Established in 1956, AUSA is a company that specializes in the design, manufacture, and sale of compact all-terrain industrial vehicles (dumpers, forklifts and telescopic handlers) designed for the residential, civil and road construction industry and for the transportation and handling of industrial and agricultural materials. With its headquarters in Manresa (Barcelona), AUSA operates in 90 countries and has subsidiaries in Madrid, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the US and China. Its firm commitment to innovation, providing more efficient and safer technological solutions for its customers and its commitment to people and talent have made AUSA a leading company in its sector.