June 1, 2022 – AD and Torbsa Ltd.—a building supplies buying group in Canada—announced an agreement to merge the two groups, thereby creating a new division called AD Canada-Building Supplies.

“AD brings decades of experience, strong leadership throughout the organization, with strong business ethics and core values that align with our own,” said Torbsa president Paul Williams. “Their scale and expertise across North America give us the strength to compete and succeed in an ever-changing marketplace.”

Established in Ontario in 1966, Torbsa is a shareholder-owned group made up of 27 independent building supplies distributors with 48 locations across Canada.

AD, meantime, is North America’s largest marketing/buying group for construction and industrial supplies. Its memberships comprises 845-plus independently owned member distributors, representing over 500 branches and annual sales of $58.5 billion across nine industries and three countries.

“Torbsa has been a leader in this space for a long time, and our new relationship will help us provide more benefits for members, including an increased supplier portfolio,” said Rob Dewar, president, AD Canada. “We both share a passion for serving independents and helping them thrive in competitive markets, and we’re honoured to have them join the AD community.”

Reporting to Dewar, Williams will head the AD Canada-Building Supplies division. Three additional Torbsa employees will join the AD team.

“Torbsa and its shareholders are truly excited at the road ahead, as we lay the foundation for what will be many years of success as a business,” Williams added.

“A key priority for us in recent years has been growing our presence in Canada, and our leadership team has done an amazing job identifying opportunities and expanding our multi-divisional footprint,” said Bill Weisberg, AD chair and CEO. “With a new Canadian division and multiple new associates coming on board, the future continues to look bright for AD Canada.”

The merger is expected to close July 1.

— With files from Zach Raczka