About Us
Cansel helps clients capture, transform, and manage data, leading to increased field to finish efficiency and profitability.
Learn more about Cansel. View our Corporate Brochure.
Executive Team
Martin Trudelle
President and CEO
After graduating from Laval University Geomatics program, Martin worked for a few years as a professional legal land surveyor in Quebec City. With a strong desire to discover Western Canada and a specialization in GPS, he joined Trimble in 2001. After 6 years with Trimble, 3 different roles in sales support, sales and marketing, and experiences across Canada and the US, he joined the Cansel management team in 2007. Since then, Martin has helped the company expand both organically and via acquisitions, and today leads the company as President and CEO.
Tejvir Minhas
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
After studying as an electronics engineer, TJ started his career as a service technician in Calgary in 2002. Following this, he has worked in various roles across service, sales, and management, and today the Chief Revenue Officer for Cansel, CSDS and Vantage (Canada & California).
Alain Sirois
Senior Vice President Sales – Geospatial in Canada
Following his graduation from Laval University in 2001, Alain worked on multiple major projects throughout Western Canada and Quebec. A work term at Syncrude in Fort McMurray and two others in Northern Quebec led him to a major project in the Northwest Territories. Through networking and the need to work closer to home, he joined Cansel in Montréal in 2003 as a technical support expert and has evolved through multiple positions. From Outside Sales to General Manager at BuildingPoint Canada, Alain is now the Canada Senior Vice President Sales - Geospatial for Cansel.
Heath Miller
Vice President Field Consumables and Subsurface - Canada and California
After completing studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Heath got into sales, selling into the engineering and survey markets. He enjoyed working with the customers and technology so much that he decided to attend SAIT to earn his Survey and Municipal Drafting Certificate to further understand the industry and provide better ongoing service. Heath has been in sales & sales management for the last 26 years. During his 9 years at Cansel, he’s enjoyed different management roles and today is the Vice President Field Consumables and Subsurface for Cansel & CSDS.
Robert Elliott
Vice President Wide Format Systems - Canada and US
After graduating from Concordia University, Robert started his career in the reprographics supply industry. He worked his way through many roles in the industry eventually leading to a national role as a customer facing Application Engineer and then a Product Manager responsible for a portfolio of digital plotters, software and consumables. He used this experience to springboard into a successful Sales role with Fortune 500 manufacturers of the worlds leading plotters, scanners and software culminating in a career with Cansel as Wide Format Business Manager and now Vice President – Wide Format Systems for Canada and US.
Our History
Cansel was founded in 1966, as Canadian Survey Equipment Ltd., by Stan Jackson and Albert Weiss. With no customers and few contracts in the Vancouver market, they rented a shop in Burnaby, BC, bought a lathe for $2,000 and first made their mark in the business by repairing equipment faster than anyone else. The young company managed to generate about $100 in total revenues in its first month of business. We've changed a lot since then. We are now the largest distributor of land-based positioning systems in North America with 20 locations across Canada and over 600 employees.
1966
Cansel Survey Equipment Ltd. is founded by Stan Jackson and Albert Weiss in Burnaby, BC
1978
Cansel opens an office in Calgary
1979
Cansel opens an office in Edmonton
1980's
Rapid expansion in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec
1990's
Cansel branches nationwide through the opening of an office in the Maritimes
2002
The company name is legally changed to Cansel Survey Equipment Inc.
2008
Cansel acquires Global CADD Systems, specialists in CADD systems integration
2009
Global CADD Systems, a division of Cansel, acquires Microtek, Autodesk reseller in Atlantic Canada
2010
Cansel acquires Autodraft, making Cansel the only Autodesk Gold reseller in Western Canada and expanding training expertise through Authorized Autodesk Training Centers
Cansel acquires Wade Atlantic, a market leader in printing and reproduction services, and engineering supplies
2011
July: Cansel acquires software division of Onix, an Autodesk value-added reseller (VAR) located in Ottawa, Ontario
October: Cansel acquires Le Groupe BusCom, specialists in Autodesk software and training in Quebec, making Cansel the largest Autodesk reseller in Canada
2012
February: Cansel acquires Capital Cad Supplies, expanding our presence in the wide format business in the Maritimes
May: Cansel enhances its wide format business with the acquisition of NDS West Micro Systems Inc.
June: Cansel enhances its print capabilities with the acquisition of Maritime Digital Colour Inc. in Dartmouth, NS
June: Cansel announces the acquisition of Phoenix Media Direct Inc. a large format printing company, based in Burnaby, BC
October: Cansel acquires Phoenix Imaging Calgary, a leader in wide format paper supplies and large format equipment
2013
February: Cansel acquires CAD Worx Warehouse Inc., one of Western Canada's largest authorized sales and service provider of HP and KIP printing equipment
March: Cansel acquires Bob's Copy Centre, a leading reprographic company based in Moncton, New Brunswick
May: Cansel acquires the Drawing Centre, a major provider of printing, reproduction and finishing services, as well as wide format printers and paper converting services
May: Cansel receives Autodesk's coveted Platinum Award for the highest growth for new sales in Canada
May: Cansel and ClearEdge3D announce a reseller partnership
June: Cansel acquires Copie Tech, a leading reprographic company based in Val-d'Or, Québec
July: Cansel enhances its Autodesk manufacturing business with the acquisition of Solid Engineering Solutions Inc.
July: Cansel earns Autodesk Civil Infrastructure Specialization
July: Cansel acquires Robert Steltman Inc., an Autodesk Authorized Developer based in Toronto, Ontario
2014
June: Cansel recognized by HP for growth and service in Canada
October: Cansel partners with Global eTraining to deliver comprehensive Autodesk training solutions across Canada
December: Cansel expands into Wide Format market in Quebec through the acquisition of Dutech Matériel D'Art Appliqué Inc.
December: Cansel increases its paper converting services through the acquisition of Canadian Paper and Film Converters (CPFC) in Ontario
2015
February: Cansel achieves Autodesk Platinum Reseller Status, Autodesk's Highest Tier for VARs
April: Cansel expands their authorized reseller agreement with Canon Canada to achieve national distributor status
May: Cansel expands their authorized reseller agreement with BlueCielo ECM Solutions to achieve national partner status
July: Cansel expands its wide format offering, and adds flexo packaging and commercial offset to its portfolio through acquiring Ernest Green & Son
July: Cansel merges its Ontario Autodesk business unit into SolidCAD Solutions and takes an equity stake in the joint organization
December: Cansel creates BuildingPoint Canada Inc. and acquires Dowco Technology Services, the Tekla reseller for Canada
2016
March: Cansel celebrates 50th anniversary
May: Cansel expands both its portfolio and presence in the Quebec graphics marketplace by acquiring PMP Media
September: Cansel expands its engineering bond paper converting operations in Eastern Canada
2017
March: Cansel/SolidCAD expands its presence in Québec with the acquisition of IRISCO's Autodesk business unit
March: Cansel announces the acquisition of Midland Paper Packaging & Supplies' Canadian wide format printing supplies division
May: Cansel/SolidCAD expands its presence in Atlantic Canada with the acquisition of Atlantic CAD Solutions Inc.
July: SolidCAD earns Autodesk Construction Specialization
August: Cansel merges their national Autodesk business operations into SolidCAD forming the largest Autodesk Platinum Partner in Canada
November: SolidCAD continues to strengthen its presence in the Quebec market with the acquisition of Consortech’s Autodesk business unit
December: Cansel announces the acquisition of Ernest-Joubert, Inc., GeoShack’s field supply operations in Quebec
December: Leading Autodesk solutions providers, KETIV and SolidCAD establish a strategic partnership
2018
January: Cansel announces the acquisition of BD Art & Drafting Supplies Ltd. in Calgary
March: Cansel announces exclusive reseller agreement with ikeGPS
March: Cansel to Distribute Microdrones Fully Integrated Drone Systems Throughout Canada
April: Cansel announces distribution agreement with GeoSLAM based in the UK
June: SolidCAD continues to solidify its presence in Québec with the acquisition of Le Groupe A&A’s Autodesk Division (SIM)
June: Cansel signs commercial drone distribution agreement with Delair, now certified compliant by Transport Canada
August: Cansel announces the launch of COBALT™ Graphics Distribution
October: Cansel expands its portfolio of underground asset management locate and pipeline inspection products in Ontario and Alberta
2020
November: GeoVerra makes a significant investment in new equipment, providing the most up-to-date technology for its clients
2021
January: Cansel expands its business footprint into the United States with the acquisition of California Surveying & Drafting Supply, Inc.
July: Cansel Brings TinySurveyor Robot to Canada