What Tornado Global Hydrovacs does

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment Ltd. (operating as Tornado Global Hydrovacs, and also referred to as Tornado Infrastructure Equipment and Tornado Infrastructure Technologies) was a Calgary, Alberta-based manufacturer of vacuum excavation and hydrovac equipment, founded in 1984. Its core products include heavy-duty vacuum excavation trucks (hydrovac trucks), truck-mounted vacuum systems, and semi-trailer mounted industrial vacuum equipment, all designed for non-destructive digging around underground utilities, oil and gas infrastructure, and construction sites. The May 2025 acquisition of CustomVac Services Ltd. (Nisku, Alberta) for $28 million expanded the company's manufacturing and service footprint to include vacuum equipment across oil and gas, utilities, excavation, environmental, and safety sectors.

Tornado's business model is industrial equipment manufacturing: it builds and sells hydrovac and industrial vacuum vehicles to B2B customers in primary verticals — oil and gas, utilities, excavation, environmental, and safety — primarily across Canada and the United States. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. In 2022 the company entered a strategic partnership with Ditch Witch, a Toro Company brand, that produced a joint line of hydrovac trucks and established the foundation for deeper channel integration. In May 2025 Tornado expanded its TD credit facility (to an $8M operating line and a new $25M term loan) to partially fund the CustomVac acquisition.

On October 6, 2025, The Toro Company announced a definitive agreement to acquire Tornado for a fully diluted equity value of C$279 million (C$1.92 per share), with closing expected during Toro's fiscal Q1 2026. The acquisition places Tornado's product portfolio under the Ditch Witch underground construction brand and grants access to Ditch Witch's North American dealer network, formalizing a relationship that had existed through the 2022 strategic partnership.

Name

Tornado Global Hydrovacs

Legal name

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment Ltd.

Website

https://tornadotrucks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment is a Calgary-based manufacturer of vacuum excavation (hydrovac) trucks and industrial vacuum equipment, serving oil and gas, utilities, excavation, environmental, and safety customers across North America. It was acquired by The Toro Company in 2025 for C$279 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vacuum Excavation Trucks (Hydrovac Equipment Manufacturing)

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Construction Machinery Manufacturing (333120)

SIC

Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Pump & Compressor Packages (Skids, Booster Sets) (IMAHANAG)

Keywords

• Hydrovac truck manufacturing
• Vacuum excavation equipment
• Industrial vacuum trucks
• Non-destructive digging equipment
• Underground construction machinery

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment Ltd. (Tornado Global Hydrovacs) is a Calgary, Alberta-based manufacturer of vacuum excavation trucks (hydrovac trucks) and industrial vacuum equipment. The company designs, builds, and services truck-mounted and semi-trailer mounted vacuum systems used for non-destructive excavation, underground utility installation and maintenance, oilfield services, and environmental cleanup.

Product overview

Tornado Global Hydrovacs operates as a manufacturer of vacuum excavation and hydrovac equipment. The product portfolio centers on vacuum trucks and industrial vacuum equipment for underground construction applications. The company offers truck-mounted and semi-trailer mounted vacuum systems designed for non-destructive excavation in utilities, oil and gas, environmental, and construction sectors. The product line includes hydrovac trucks for soft excavation and industrial vacuum trucks for material handling. Following the acquisition of CustomVac (Custom Vacuum Services Ltd.), the company expanded its manufacturing and service capabilities for truck-mounted and semi-trailer vacuum equipment across Canadian industrial markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vacuum Excavation Trucks (Hydrovac Trucks) Heavy-duty vacuum excavation vehicles used for underground construction, non-destructive digging, and material removal in utilities, oil and gas, and construction applications.
• Truck-Mounted Vacuum Equipment Vacuum equipment mounted on trucks for mobile excavation and material handling operations in oil and gas, utilities, and environmental sectors.
• Semi-Trailer Mounted Vacuum Equipment Large-capacity vacuum equipment mounted on semi-trailers for industrial-scale excavation and material removal operations.
• Industrial Vacuum Trucks Specialized vehicles equipped with vacuum systems for industrial cleaning, excavation, and material transport applications.
• CustomVac Product Line Vacuum equipment products and services acquired from Custom Vacuum Services Ltd. (acquired May 15, 2025 for $28 million), serving oil and gas, utilities, excavation, environmental, and safety sectors across Canada.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Toro CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Toro Company acquired Tornado Infrastructure Equipment for C$279 million CAD. The acquisition builds on a strategic partnership established in 2022 and expands Toro's underground construction product portfolio through the Ditch Witch brand. Transaction expected to close during fiscal Q1 2026.
• Ditch WitchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strategic partnership established in 2022 that produced a joint line of hydrovac trucks. Ditch Witch, a Toro Company brand, collaborated with Tornado on product development for underground construction applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vermeer Corporation: Vermeer is a major manufacturer of horizontal directional drills, trenchers, and vacuum excavators serving the same underground construction contractors that buy Tornado hydrovac trucks. It is a direct competitor in the vacuum excavation equipment category.
• Ditch Witch (Charles Machine Works): Ditch Witch, a Toro Company brand, manufactures a competing line of vacuum excavators and HDD equipment for utility and underground construction, and was Tornado's strategic partner prior to Toro's full acquisition. It directly competes with and now houses the Tornado product line.
• TRUVAC (Barreto Manufacturing): TRUVAC designs and manufactures hydro and air vacuum excavators for utility locating, slot trenching, and daylighting applications. It is a direct competitor to Tornado in the hydrovac truck segment serving utility and municipal customers.
• Vactor Manufacturing: Vactor is a leading manufacturer of sewer and industrial vacuum trucks, including hydroexcavation models, serving municipalities and contractors. It overlaps with Tornado's industrial vacuum and hydrovac product lines in underground construction and utility work.
• GapVax: GapVax manufactures hydrovac excavation trucks, industrial vacuum loaders, and jet/vac combination units for utility, oil and gas, and environmental customers. It directly competes with Tornado across the same end markets and product categories.
• Super Products LLC: Super Products manufactures industrial vacuum trucks, hydro excavators, and sewer cleaners sold to contractors and municipalities. It is a comparable direct peer in the truck-mounted vacuum and hydrovac manufacturing category.
• Vector Technologies Ltd. Vector Technologies designs and builds industrial vacuum loaders, hydro excavators, and material handling systems for environmental, utility, and industrial customers. It is comparable to Tornado in vacuum equipment design and manufacturing.
• Aquatech (Aquatech Equipment & Service): Aquatech manufactures sewer cleaners, hydro excavators, and industrial vacuum trucks, and operates as both a manufacturer and service provider. It overlaps with Tornado's CustomVac business in serving oil and gas, utility, and environmental service customers.

Emerging players

• Rival Hydrovac: Rival Hydrovac is a Canadian hydrovac truck manufacturer and rental provider serving Western Canada. It is comparable as a regional competitor to Tornado in hydrovac truck manufacturing and serves overlapping oil and gas and utility customers.
• Sewer Equipment Company of America: Sewer Equipment manufactures sewer and hydrovac cleaning trucks for municipal and contractor customers. It is an adjacent peer in the truck-mounted vacuum and hydrovac product category serving overlapping underground infrastructure markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TornadoHydrovac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tornado Global Hydrovacs