Alberta Logistics Giant Strikes Deal for Canada–U.S. Customs Broker With 330 Employees

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A truck reaching the border is only part of a successful delivery. The paperwork, duties and regulatory requirements must be right, too. Alberta-based Mullen Group is expanding its role in that less-visible side of trade with an agreement to acquire Willson International, a customs brokerage employing more than 330 people across Canada and the United States.

Announced on October 19, 2026, the proposed acquisition brings together a major logistics operator and a business whose history began at a Canadian ferry landing in 1918. Mullen plans to keep Willson operating independently under its existing leadership. The transaction would deepen its customs expertise at a time when changing trade rules are complicating cross-border commerce.

A Signed Deal, With the Purchase Price Still Undisclosed

Mullen has entered into definitive share purchase agreements for Willson International Limited and related entities, with closing expected during the fourth quarter of 2026. The company plans to use existing cash to fund the transaction. Neither the acquisition announcement nor initial independent reporting disclosed the purchase price. The agreement therefore establishes the intended buyer and business being acquired, but leaves an important financial detail unavailable to shareholders assessing its value.

The timing also deserves attention. An agreement announced in October is not the same as a completed takeover, and the parties still need to meet the requirements for closing. For customers, the practical concern is whether their shipments continue receiving dependable support throughout that process. For investors, the unanswered question is what Mullen will pay relative to the earnings it expects to acquire. Until additional terms become public, the strategic rationale can be examined more confidently than the acquisition’s financial return.

From One Alberta Truck to a C$2.1 Billion Business

Mullen’s story began in 1949, when Roland Mullen bought a Chevrolet Maple Leaf truck. The business eventually became a publicly traded company in 1993 and developed into a much broader transportation group headquartered in Okotoks, Alberta. Its corporate website reports C$2.1 billion in revenue for 2025 and more than 89 acquisitions since going public. Revenue was C$72.6 million in 1993, showing how far the company has expanded beyond its original Alberta trucking roots. That history helps explain why buying an established operator is familiar territory rather than a departure from its growth strategy.

Today, Mullen’s independently operated businesses span trucking, warehousing, logistics and specialized services supporting industries such as energy, mining and forestry. The proposed Willson purchase extends that model into work performed at desks and through software, not simply behind a steering wheel. The commercial logic is straightforward: moving goods and helping customers satisfy border requirements are different parts of the same delivery process. Owning businesses involved in both could give Mullen more ways to serve customers without relying entirely on additional trucks.

A Border Business Built Over Four Generations

Willson traces its beginnings to 1918, when William F. Willson established a customs brokerage at the Fort Erie ferry landing handling traffic from Buffalo, New York. As transportation routes changed, the business grew alongside them. The Peace Bridge opened in 1927, and Willson’s history records its establishment of a brokerage office there in 1930. In 1987, it expanded into U.S. customs brokerage with offices in New York and Michigan. Its history is therefore closely tied to the practical evolution of Canada–U.S. trade, from ferry crossings to a network of land-border operations.

The family connection comes through in a 2018 account published by Family Business Magazine. Third-generation leader Bill Willson recalled emptying office wastebaskets at age 10 and later carrying customs paperwork to the border as a runner. His son Peter, the fourth generation, took over leadership in 2014. These are small details, but they give the proposed sale a human dimension: Mullen is not acquiring a newly assembled brand. It is buying a business shaped by generations of work, customer relationships and changing border procedures.

More Than 330 Employees, With Leadership Set to Stay

Willson employs more than 330 people across Canada and the United States, and Mullen says most are customs-certified professionals. These are existing positions associated with the business, not an announcement of 330 new jobs. Under the planned arrangement, Willson would remain a standalone operation, with its senior management team, led by Jim McKinnon, continuing to oversee the business. That approach places continuity ahead of immediately absorbing the broker into another operating company.

Long service has been part of Willson’s identity. In the company’s centennial profile in 2018, Peter Willson described senior colleagues with roughly three decades of experience and branch employees who had stayed for more than 20 years. Those historical examples do not establish today’s staffing picture, but they illustrate why institutional knowledge matters. A team familiar with customers’ products and recurring documentation issues can offer something an ownership change cannot instantly replace. Preserving that knowledge will be an important test of the transition.

C$80 Million in Revenue Is Not the Price of the Deal

Mullen expects Willson to contribute approximately C$80 million in annual revenue. That is projected business revenue, not the purchase price and not profit available to shareholders. Wages, technology and other operating expenses still have to be paid. The annual estimate should not be mistaken for an amount Mullen will necessarily report from Willson in 2026, either, given that the proposed acquisition would close near the end of the year.

The buyer also expects relatively limited ongoing capital spending apart from technology investment, alongside positive free cash flow. That suggests an appeal different from acquiring a business that continually needs expensive equipment replacement. However, limited capital requirements do not make growth automatic or remove the need to invest in people and systems. The useful question is whether the broker can retain customers and turn its revenue into dependable cash after operating costs and necessary investment. Without a disclosed purchase price, the return on Mullen’s investment remains difficult to judge.

The Purchase Builds on Mullen’s C$190 Million Cole Deal

Willson would join a group that already owns a substantial customs brokerage business. Mullen announced its acquisition of the Cole Group of Companies in May 2025, effective June 1, for C$190 million in cash, subject to adjustments. That transaction included Cole International and Abco International Freight. At the time, the acquired group employed more than 700 people and operated through 43 locations serving Canadian and American land, air and ocean entry points.

Cole brought customs brokerage, freight forwarding and trade consulting into Mullen’s network. Adding Willson would therefore expand an established line of business rather than launch an unfamiliar one. The potential advantage is broader coordination between transportation, storage and border clearance, although that remains an opportunity rather than a guaranteed customer benefit. Keeping separate operating businesses also means the purchase should not be confused with an announced merger of Willson and Cole into a single brand. The immediate plan is a larger parent group with another specialist business.

What a Customs Broker Actually Does

A customs broker is a private service provider, not a government officer. The Canada Border Services Agency explains that importers can prepare their own documentation or hire a licensed broker to assist. Services may include arranging customs release, handling accounting documents, paying duties and taxes on a client’s behalf, and maintaining records. Importers pay for that expertise; hiring a broker is not a universal legal requirement for bringing commercial goods into Canada. The agency does not regulate brokerage fees, making the service agreement between an importer and its broker particularly important.

Consider a manufacturer importing replacement machinery parts. If an invoice lacks the detail needed to classify the products correctly, the paperwork may need attention before the shipment arrives. Reviewing those details in advance can help avoid preventable delays. Cole’s guidance specifically identifies incomplete documentation as a potential source of extra costs and clearance problems. The important limitation is that outsourcing the paperwork does not erase the importer’s responsibilities. A broker can help navigate the requirements, but cannot simply make applicable tariffs or inaccurate declarations disappear.

Technology Has Become Part of the Border Business

Willson’s investment in electronic processing predates the current deal by decades. Its company history records the electronic transmission of customs entries in 1990 and the introduction of a customer web portal in 2005. Those milestones show why technology is part of the business being acquired, rather than an entirely new capability Mullen must introduce. The value lies in connecting accurate information with the people responsible for getting shipments cleared.

Canada’s customs system has also changed. The CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management system, known as CARM, launched on October 21, 2024, and supports digital accounting for commercial imports. Importers must register their own businesses and delegate authority to a broker that will act for them; the broker cannot complete that initial registration on their behalf. For customers, the practical benefit of technology depends on more than having an online portal. Correct permissions, reliable data and timely responses still determine whether the digital process supports a shipment or becomes another obstacle.

Trade Volatility Creates Opportunity—and Exposure

The size of the cross-border market helps explain Mullen’s interest. Statistics Canada reported that the United States received 71.7% of Canada’s merchandise exports in 2025. More recent figures show how quickly activity can shift: exports to the United States rose 8.1% in August 2026 from July. The agency noted that tariff announcements can encourage businesses to move shipments forward before higher duties take effect, complicating any reading of a single strong month.

For a customs broker, that environment can create demand for help interpreting requirements and preparing documentation. It can also make workloads less predictable. A rush of shipments ahead of a deadline does not necessarily signal sustained growth afterward, and fewer transactions could mean less routine processing work. That is the distinction behind the acquisition’s trade exposure: compliance remains necessary, but the amount of business moving across the border can change. Mullen is buying a service that helps customers manage uncertainty, not one that eliminates uncertainty from its own outlook.

The Next Test Is Keeping Service Steady

Mullen’s next scheduled reporting date is October 22, 2026, when it plans to release third-quarter results at 6 a.m. Eastern time and hold an earnings call at 10 a.m. The event provides another opportunity for investors to hear management’s assessment of the business, although the company has not promised further Willson deal terms that day. The acquisition’s separate milestone remains completion, followed by the work of operating under a new parent.

For Willson’s customers, the more meaningful tests will be everyday ones: whether familiar contacts remain available, questions receive clear answers and documents are handled accurately. For employees, continuity will depend on how the ownership transition works in practice, not simply how it is described. Mullen’s own acquisition assumptions include retaining customers and maintaining normal operations. Its broader customs business will be strengthened most convincingly if those relationships survive the change. A larger corporate network matters only when it helps the next shipment move reliably.

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