How do I find a hydraulic hose business for sale in Canada?

Hose and fitting shops are small, local and often sold quietly. The owner may be a tradesperson who has run the counter for decades and never thought of advertising a sale. A buyer who only watches public listing sites will see a few of them. A buyer who also talks to the right people in the trade will hear about more. Here is how to widen the search.

Who hears of a sale first

Territory reps for hose and fitting manufacturers visit these shops regularly and know which owners are tired or planning to step back. Heavy-equipment dealers and fluid power suppliers also see the shop’s traffic. Ask them politely whether they know of an owner thinking about a sale. The shop’s own contractor and farm customers sometimes know too. Keep these conversations short and respect the owner’s privacy.

Search terms that turn them up

Owners describe the same business in different ways, so search under each. Try hose and fittings, fluid power, hydraulic repair and mobile hose service, along with the name of your region. Check listing sites, broker pages and trade classifieds. A shop listed as a general industrial supplier may be mostly a hose business, so read past the headline.

Reading a short listing

Listings for these shops are usually brief. Look for whether the business works from a counter, from service vans or from both, because the two run very differently. Check whether crimping and test equipment is included, and whether a hose and fitting manufacturer supplies the shop under a stocking account. Our page on finding a distribution business covers the wider search by region and product line.

Questions to put to the seller first

• Does the stocking account stay with the shop after a sale?
• Which equipment and vans are owned, and which are leased?
• Who are the main contractor, fleet and farm customers?
• Which employees run the counter and drive the vans?