Volvo Penta and Wajax in Canada
Strategic collaboration with Volvo Penta and Wajax supports MacLean Engineering to strengthen performance in underground mining applications
Volvo Penta and Wajax started their own distribution partnership in 1988 and have since worked closely together on a mission to deliver Volvo Penta’s dependable industrial power solutions, along with aftermarket service and integration expertise from Wajax, to a growing range of heavy-duty industrial equipment and commercial marine vessels.
When Wajax introduced Volvo Penta’s off-road engines to MacLean Engineering, a designer and manufacturer of underground mining equipment, the joint support made the transition seamless, from testing and validation to implementation. Now, MacLean is integrating Volvo Penta’s mining engines into their full equipment line-up, with the first Volvo Penta-powered machine scheduled to arrive to a customer site in Quebec in early 2026.
The Wajax’s Profile
“What keeps us here is the customer experience and delivering solutions for our customers,” said Joe Di Pede, Vice President Powertrain, Wajax. “We cover key components of engineering and OEM distribution to provide the solutions our customers demand.”
Wajax’s regional service presence and parts availability, including more than 100 branches, is combined with Volvo Penta’s off-road engine technology and technical training.
“Volvo Penta and Wajax have enjoyed a partnership that spans decades. They are very well-experienced with our product,” said Joel Contreras, Regional Sales Manager, Volvo Penta. “Distributors like Wajax are vital to Volvo Penta because they apply local expertise and talent, while we bring global knowledge and resources to support that.”
Volvo Penta to drive mining innovation
The synergy between Volvo Penta and Wajax has been key in helping customers like MacLean embrace new off-road engine technologies, such as Volvo Penta’s D5 Tier 3 and Stage V mining engines, with confidence.
“Mining equipment demands a certain level of safety, productivity and emissions performance, and we find that Volvo Penta and Wajax bring that with their product,” said John Botelho, Product Manager, MacLean Engineering.
Volvo Penta’s robust and reliable mining engines complement MacLean’s focus on building highly customized, purpose-built underground mining equipment with outstanding uptime, dependable performance and lower emissions that could decrease ventilation needs and lower total cost of ownership for operators. Working closely with Wajax, MacLean integrates Volvo Penta’s tailored engine systems with reliable support to maximize peace of mind for their customers.
“We’re able to provide a solution that MacLean trusts will work, and that’s achieved through close engineering collaboration between Wajax and Volvo Penta,” said Duncan Finlayson, Technical Sales Representative, Wajax. “Working with MacLean, we can ensure that what we’re proposing as a propulsion solution is going to fit for their end user.”
For Wajax and Volvo Penta, close collaboration that customers like MacLean count on is the key ingredient to deliver customized, fit-for-purpose equipment.
“Having a strong partner relationship between Volvo Penta and Wajax is important because it’s a global network that supplies products across many markets,” added Finlayson. “It makes the end user more confident in ordering machines with Volvo Penta power.”
