Sunstate Equipment expands trench shoring division with acquisition of Cascade businesses

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Updated Nov 27, 2020
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Source: Sunstate EquipmentSource: Sunstate Equipment

Sunstate Equipment is buying Cascade Shoring and Cascade Trench Safety, with rental branches in Portland and Seattle.

The acquisition marks the entry of Sunstate Equipment’s Trench Safety Division into the Pacific Northwest. The company also has added general rental locations in Kent, Lakewood, and Woodinville, Washington in the past two years.

“We’ve seen tremendous success with our new trench services,” says Chris Watts, Sunstate CEO and president.

“Sunstate has traditionally relied on organic growth to fuel our nationwide expansion,” Watts adds. “Accelerating growth of our Trench Safety Division through this acquisition builds on the success of our fledgling Trench Safety Division while also combining the expertise and strengths of both Cascade and Sunstate to bring even more robust rental solutions to our business partners in this region.”

Sunstate’s rapid growth in the northwest has mirrored similar growth into new markets in the southeast – Georgia, Florida, North Carolina – during the same two-year period. In 2019, Sunstate also entered the specialized services niche of underground and confined space safety with the addition of their Trench Safety Division, which currently operates in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The family-owned and operated Cascade businesses will become part of the Sunstate brand when the sale closes in early December. Cascade’s current owner and CEO, Steve Heneveld, is retiring; however, his sons Greg, Sam, Tim and Josh Heneveld in addition to more than 20 Cascade employees will join Sunstate.