Canadian firm acquires Barbados water treatment solutions company

CMC – Canadian-based Integrated Sustainability says it has acquired Barbados-based Ecohesion Ltd, which provides the Caribbean with industrial, commercial, and residential water treatment solutions.

The Barbados entity currently operate and maintain 19 membrane bioreactor (MBR) facilities here and supports another 10 across the Caribbean with technicians and offices in Barbados, Antigua, Trinidad, Saint Lucia, and Bermuda.

Integrated Sustainability said the acquisition became effective September 1, 2022.  It did not disclose the cost of the transaction.

“Climate sensitivity in the Caribbean necessitates inventive solutions now. The merger between our two purpose-driven companies facilitates faster technology exchange between regions and consolidates our endeavours to deliver conscientious water, waste, and energy solutions.

“The partnership signals the continued strength of the relationship between Canada and Barbados, as both countries work to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and expand the reach and availability of services required to meet acute environmental challenges,” it said in a statement.

President of Integrated Sustainability, Stuart Torr, speaking of the acquisition said his company is “incredibly excited to expand our Caribbean design-build-operate services and tackle some of the big challenges facing the region”.

“Typically, when you bring an international company together with a smaller one the expectation is that the international company has solved everything, but we haven’t. We need innovative, task-focused companies that are looking for solutions like rainwater harvesting, and renewable natural gas; companies looking for water and wastewater, recycling, and reuse opportunities,” he added.

He said Ecohesion brings unique expertise and perspective that the Canadian company can also export into its broader offering in North America, adding, “In the process, we will create opportunities for Ecohesion staff to help us support those projects internationally as well”.

“Canada and the Caribbean have benefitted from a special relationship. The Caribbean is a vital place to tackle some of the most significant challenges globally, and what we are looking at here is a combined team that enables us to do it with passion,” Torr said.

Ecohesion’s Director, Caribbean operations, and business development, Andre Quesnel, said the company has grown from four people when it started in 2013 to more than 25 before the acquisition by Integrated Sustainability, and now the focus was on further expansion.

“The future is really exciting. Joining up with Integrated Sustainability provides nitro to our gas tank – to go out and continue to expand to places like Bermuda, to Belize, to Guyana – to be more efficient, and drive sustainability in the region,” Quesnel stated.

Ecohesion has previously worked with the University of the West Indies to develop talent and Quesnel explains how that would continue to provide fruitful career growth.

Quesnel noted, “What’s amazing about this partnership is that it has opened up the career growth for Barbadians, and for Caribbean nationals, to grow and work on international projects, with international mentors . . .  it is removing that ceiling.”