Marion company, Acterra Group, expanding territory

A Marion company is expanding its geographic footprint and service territory with an impending merger.

Acterra Group and J8 Equipment of Denver, Colo., have reached a definitive agreement to merge, with J8 becoming a subsidiary of the Acterra Group. J8 Equipment is a distributor of fueling and carwash equipment in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region.

Acterra Group, founded in 1958, is a diversified service organization focusing on the energy and petroleum industry in the Midwest. The company's services include turnkey construction for fueling facilities, renewable energy development, steel tank manufacturing, and industrial electrical services.

Under the terms of the merger, J8 Equipment will retain its name for the near future. The current J8 owners, Fred Seymour and Tom Green, will be staying on with the company in their current roles.

J8 Equipment will continue to maintain offices in the Denver Metro area, but corporate headquarters will transfer to Acterra Group's Iowa offices.

'J8 is a great company with a great brand, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a long, successful history in Colorado and the Western Region,” said Terry Cooper, president of Acterra Group in a news release. 'The J8 team is going to greatly enhance our petroleum service capabilities and stretch our footprint beyond the Rockies.”

Fred Seymour, president of J8 Equipment, said the merger will provide his customers with access to a much broader range of equipment and services, including construction, electrical and renewable energy, and Acterra steel tank manufacturing.

Acterra Group and J8 Equipment have worked together in the past on projects. The owners of the two companies also have been personal friends.