MONTREAL -- TransForce Inc. has completed two transactions designed to increase the strength of Matrec, the company's waste management division.

TransForce completed the acquisition of Roland Thibault Inc., based in the Granby region of Québec. The new acquisition specializes in the collection, transportation and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste and is in the process of expanding its site by 6.8 million cubic meters.

The company also plans to institute a number of recycling initiatives that will divert waste from landfills and further contribute to meeting the local municipalities' diversion goals as set out in their waste management master plan.

TransForce also increased its ownership position from 37.5 percent to 50 percent in Laflèche Environmental's landfill and environmental complex located in Moose Creek, Ont.

During recent years, TransForce has worked closely with its partner at Laflèche to promote a number of recycling activities including the treatment of contaminated soils, generation of electricity from refuse-derived fuel and, most recently, the construction of a composting facility.

Landfilling of waste is progressively becoming a means of last resort at the multi-faceted Moose Creek environmental facility, and it will serve as a model for other operations, including the landfill site owned by Thibault.

"Our Matrec division has made increasingly significant contributions to TransForce. It is focused on controlling costs associated with the disposal of its waste which, in the past, have represented approximately 50 percent of Matrec's operating expenses," said Alain Bédard, TransForce's chairman and CEO. "We believe the addition of the Thibault landfill and management team, in addition to the increased ownership stake in Laflèche, will greatly enhance Matrec's cost-control efforts and make it an even stronger competitor in its market."