MBC Group, a leading provider of Appraisal, Engineering and Environment services to the Insurance Industry, announced today that they are expanding in Eastern Canada to better meet the needs of existing and new customers.

It is thus with great pleasure that MBC Group announces the addition of David Merks to the Eastern Canada team. David will be operating out of the Moncton office in New Brunswick.

Prior to joining MBC, David has worked as a Catastrophe Adjuster in many challenging locations nationally and abroad. During this tenure David has acquired a wealth of experience in both constructions Estimating, Property appraisal and Claims Management.

With a degree in Economics from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, David is a self-starter who jumped headfirst into the Insurance Industry 13 years ago. Like many of his colleagues, David developed a passion for the unique opportunities and challenges that the Property Insurance sector provides.

Ross Huartt, Executive Vice President of MBC Group commented, “It is great to have someone like David on board who embodies the drive of the company to get things done and pay attention to the details that matter most. David is dedicated and has a lot to offer the team as we expand our services in the Eastern Region to better serve our clients.”

“I am excited to continue learning and sharing my experiences from both my domestic and international career. It’s amazing how different each claim can be, and I am always looking forward to growing with every experience I am exposed to,” says David. “The opportunity to make a substantial contribution to the company’s eastern region expansion was an exciting prospect that I simply couldn’t turn down.”

After an extensive search, MBC Group is pleased to announce they have selected Erich Tratnik, P.Eng., to serve as the General Manager of the Greater Toronto Area.

“As a member of our Major Projects team, Erich brings extensive forensic engineering and quantity surveying expertise to help meet the growing demand for complex claim evaluation,” explains Ross Huartt, Executive Vice President of MBC Group. “While we draw on our national staff of skilled professionals to service our clients, having additional local Ontario and GTA expertise means we can be more responsive to our Insurance industry clients in that area.”

Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Erich has more than 30 years of senior construction, project management, and consulting experience. Prior to MBC, he collaborated on multi-million dollar industrial, commercial, retail, public sector, and institutional projects throughout Canada. Recognized for his superior problem-solving capabilities on fast-paced, complex assignments, he offers a unique perspective informed by roles on both the contractor and client side of the business.

“I plan to work closely with existing and new clients to forge strong, long-term relationships and reinforce MBC’s reputation as one of the most trusted companies in the property appraisal and construction consulting industry,” says Erich. “I look forward to working with the team at MBC Group to build upon their successful history of providing reliable and expert appraisal of commodity and complex claims including those that require forensic engineering and quantity surveying.

You can reach Erich at erich.tratnik@mbc-group.ca, or learn more about our services and submit requests through MBC Group’s website https://www.mbc-group.ca/.

MBC Group welcomes two Senior Project Engineers, Ben Ezenta and Tapas Das, to the team. “This continued expansion is a sign of our ongoing commitment to provide clients with expert consultation services,” says Antoine Caron, Director of Engineering for MBC Group.

Holding P. Eng. and PMP designations, as well an MBA in Banking and Finance, Ben’s career spans over 25 years in the building construction and restoration industry, with a focus on civil and structural consulting services. His background in project management and supervision allows him to manage projects of all sizes efficiently and with superior quality assurance. This is balanced by an analytical and detail-oriented approach that ensures compliance with health and safety standards–expertise he honed as a Safety Codes Officer for the City of Calgary.

“To get gold you must dig deeply–it is not found on the surface,” says Ben, who will be based out of the Calgary office, but will lend his expertise to national projects. “I am pleased to put this philosophy into practice at MBC to uncover exceptional value for clients across Canada.”

With over 20 years of experience, Tapas, P. Eng., has led civil and structural engineering assignments of varying complexity across a diverse portfolio, including Infrastructure, Industrial, Institutional, Petrochemical Plant, Power Plant, Research, Refinery, Mining and Municipal developments. Having PMP and RMP designations in addition to an MBA–and backed by major construction project delivery experience–he is equipped to add value on both front-end planning and governance. Tapas works with clients as partners to thoroughly understand their needs and develop long-term, cost effective solutions in context of the changing market environment.

MBC Group–a leading Insurance consulting firm specializing in Engineering, Property Appraisal, and Quantity Surveying–has acquired DF Technical & Consulting Services Ltd., experts in the Environmental Services sector.

This acquisition expands MBC Group’s service offering and geographic reach and unites two trusted industry leaders with complementary capabilities, relationships, and cultures, to support continued business growth and deliver enhanced value to clients.

“The addition of the DF Technical team’s environmental services expertise is part of an overall strategy to continue the evolution of MBC Group from a post-loss appraisal company to a multidisciplinary firm that can present our clients with a broad spectrum of insurance and construction-related consulting services,” said Marc Bourret, President and CEO of MBC Group.

DF Technical, founded in 1998 by Dennis French, is recognized in the field for expert air quality management services that create healthier and safer environments–and was the only Environmental firm recommended by MBC prior to the acquisition. French will assume the role of Executive VP – Environmental Services at MBC Group.

“We are thrilled to be part of a dynamic, growing team,” noted Dennis French. “I anticipate that the critical feedback, consistent process improvements, and best practice implementation through the collaboration between the Engineering, Appraisal, and Environmental service groups will result in tangible benefits for our existing and future clients.”

Ross Huartt, MBC Group’s Executive Vice President, also sees exciting new opportunities on the horizon for the company’s clients and approaching 100 employees as an outcome of the acquisition. With comprehensive service offerings, aligned values, and a steadfast emphasis on building client trust, he believes they are well-positioned to lead change in industry standards and practices.

“The combined expertise of MBC and DF Technical, along with the national expansion of Engineering service lines, will bring a wealth of resources to our clients as well as increase opportunities for the professional development of our team,” explained Huartt. “This acquisition opens the door to ongoing growth and future international expansion.” 

MBC Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Antoine Caron P.Eng as Director of Engineering. Antoine brings with him significant experience in major civil & structural mega projects across Canada. Originally from Quebec, Antoine will be based in our Calgary office. He will be overseeing our new Engineering service line, which initially includes Forensic, Civil, Structural, Mechanical and Cyber. MBC has Engineers located in Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto & Ottawa. You can reach Antoine at antoine.caron@mbc-group.ca.

Our latest addition, Kevin Magill, joins Antoine on the Major Projects Team. Kevin Magill, Dip Arch, Constr Law, Q.Arb, PQS, MRICS, MIFireE, is MBC’s new Northern Alberta Manager and Associate Director. Kevin holds a Masters degree in Construction Law, is a Qualified Arbitrator, a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. Kevin brings with him vast experience in the Canadian Energy Sector both in the Project Management, Scheduling and Estimating of major Oil & Gas projects. He is overseeing our Northern Alberta teams and supporting MBC’s continued growth in the region. You can contact Kevin by email at kevin.magill@mbc-group.ca.

Lastly, the MBC team would like to congratulate Sandis Legzdins on his promotion to Director – Western Canada. He has serviced the construction and restoration industry for over fifteen years. For over four years, Sandis was and continues to be, a key member of MBC’s senior management team. His promotion is reflective of his dedication and hard work. In his new role, he is responsible for the day to day operations of our Western Region, facilitating growth and client management for our Appraisal Division. You can reach Sandis at sandis.legzdins@mbc-group.ca.