Big Developments At Lifco

Hey Lifco Fans! We have some exciting projects coming up for expansions at our different Lifco locations. I talked to Fraser to get more details, especially on the expansion over at Corpus Christi Texas. 

Tomas: A lot of new things for Lifco in 2026--out of all the pending expansion projects, which are you personally most excited for?and/or which do you think will have the biggest positive impact on our operations day-to-day?

Fraser: We have three construction projects as of today: Corpus Christi, TX addition, Grand Island, NY mixed use community development, and Niagara Falls, ON development. Corpus Christi addition is in construction with estimated completion of Oct 1, 2026. Grand Island, NY is a phased development that is in the planning stages of the first phase, and Niagara Falls, ON is in the preliminary stages. The Texas and Niagara Falls Ontario projects will have a positive impact on Lifco customers. The Grand Island, NY is unrelated to selling hydraulics or excavator attachments (Our TRK Attachments division). Niagara Falls, Ontario project (known as "Willodell Rd" has a lot of zoning challenges and how much of Lifco we can put there remains to be seen. 

Tomas: Regarding Corpus Christi, we have some pictures from that project: What is the goal of this expansion? Or, what should our customers expect to see from their perspective, once this project is complete? 

Fraser: More inventory storing capability and the ability to install wet line kits (truck hydraulics).

Tomas: Do you anticipate any challenges with this project, specifically incorporating it into our existing processes?

Fraser: No, all of that is pretty straightforward. If only they were all this easy.

Tomas: Do you anticipate Niagara Falls being a more difficult project?

Fraser: It has the most complications and will be the most long term project we have.

Tomas: What is the main goal of this expansion? Similarly, how do you see these improvements helping with our processes and abilities as a whole? 

Fraser: It is too far into the future for those specifics. Likely incorporating more warehousing and offices. It is likely that it will include lots of commercial leasing opportunities.

Tomas: Why did you decide that 2026 was a good year to pull the trigger on these investments/projects? Have you always been wanting to pursue these developments, or was this a recent decision?

Fraser: The resources and motivation required is something we slowly accumulated over time.

Tomas: The way I understand it, this will include a drive in-out for PTO servicing?

Fraser: Yes.

Tomas: For this specific project, who is our target customer? Contractors and truck-drivers looking to upgrade their setups after-market? Or would we be working more closely with dealerships and retailers? 

Fraser: About 50/50 of resellers and end users.

Tomas: Do you see this expanding into any services beyond PTOs?

Fraser: They have a very large test stand that includes a dyno, so likely getting into more on-highway power train in the future. This is the one where we had to take down a part of the building just to get it inside.

Tomas: So Oct 1 is the goal for completion, when do you think we will see our first truck come in?

Fraser: It will take some time. First we need to focus on the PTO inventory, plus all the accessories. We are running out of space in our Texas facility so we could really use the space for warehousing.