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About Us

CSDS helps clients capture, transform, and manage data, leading to increased field to finish efficiency and profitability.

Executive Team

Martin Trudelle
Martin Trudelle
President

After graduating from Laval University Geomatics program, Martin worked for a few years as a professional legal land surveyor in Quebec City. With a strong desire to discover Western Canada and a specialization in GPS, he joined Trimble in 2001. After 6 years with Trimble, 3 different roles in sales support, sales and marketing, and experiences across Canada and the US, he joined the Cansel management team in 2007. Since then, Martin has helped the company expand both organically and via acquisitions, and today leads the company as President.

Tejvir Minhas
Tejvir Minhas
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

After studying as an electronics engineer, TJ started his career as a service technician in Calgary in 2002. Following this, he has worked in various roles across service, sales, and management, and today is Cansel’s Vice President of Western Canada and National Professional Services Manager.

Tom Cardena
Tom Cardenas
‪Senior Vice President Sales - Geospatial

After studying various aspects of computer science and networking, Tom began working with GIS Mapping technology within the agricultural insurance industry. As his interests in geospatial technology expanded, he pursued his focus on high-precision positioning solutions and joined CSDS to lead the technical support & training team, eventually becoming an account manager and partner at CSDS. In 2015, Tom became the president of CSDS. Three years after becoming a part of Cansel, Tom was appointed to Senior Vice President of CSDS’s Geospatial Division.

Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Vice President Field Consumables and Subsurface - Canada and California

After completing studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Heath got into sales, selling into the engineering and survey markets. He enjoyed working with the customers and technology so much that he decided to attend SAIT to earn his Survey and Municipal Drafting Certificate to further understand the industry and provide better ongoing service. Heath has been in sales & sales management for the last 26 years. During his 9 years at Cansel, he’s enjoyed different management roles and today is the National Sales Manager for the Remote Sales Team (inside sales).

Robert Elliott
Vice President Wide Format Systems - Canada and US

After graduating from Concordia University, Robert started his career in the reprographics supply industry.  He worked his way through many roles in the industry eventually leading to a national role as a customer facing Application Engineer and then a Product Manager responsible for a portfolio of digital plotters, software and consumables.  He used this experience to springboard into a successful Sales role with Fortune 500 manufacturers of the worlds leading plotters, scanners and software culminating in a career with Cansel as Wide Format Business Manager and now Vice President – Wide Format Systems for Canada and US. 

Cansel Group History

For over 35 years CSDS has helped clients capture, transform and manage geospatial, construction and design data, leading to increased efficiency and profitability. In 2021, CSDS was acquired by Cansel, the largest distributor of land-based positioning gear in Canada, who expanded its business into the U.S through this acquisition. Together we provide precision positioning, GIS and documentation solutions to engineering, surveying, construction, mining, utilities, and government sectors to improve productivity in the complete field to finish workflow. CSDS is headquartered in Sacramento, CA.  

Cansel was founded in 1966, as Canadian Survey Equipment Ltd., by Stan Jackson and Albert Weiss. With no customers and few contracts in the Vancouver market, they rented a shop in Burnaby, BC, bought a lathe for $2,000 and first made their mark in the business by repairing equipment faster than anyone else. The young company managed to generate about $100 in total revenues in its first month of business. We've changed a lot since then. We are now the largest distributor of land-based positioning systems in North America with 20 locations across Canada, 6 in California and over 600 employees.

1966

Cansel Survey Equipment Ltd. is founded by Stan Jackson and Albert Weiss in Burnaby, BC

1978

Cansel opens an office in Calgary

1979

Cansel opens an office in Edmonton

1980's

Rapid expansion in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec

1990's

Cansel branches nationwide through the opening of an office in the Maritimes

2002

The company name is legally changed to Cansel Survey Equipment Inc.

2008

Cansel acquires Global CADD Systems, specialists in CADD systems integration

2009

Global CADD Systems, a division of Cansel, acquires Microtek, Autodesk reseller in Atlantic Canada

2010


Cansel acquires Autodraft, making Cansel the only Autodesk Gold reseller in Western Canada and expanding training expertise through Authorized Autodesk Training Centers

Cansel acquires Wade Atlantic, a market leader in printing and reproduction services, and engineering supplies

2011

July: Cansel acquires software division of Onix, an Autodesk value-added reseller (VAR) located in Ottawa, Ontario

October: Cansel acquires Le Groupe BusCom, specialists in Autodesk software and training in Quebec, making Cansel the largest Autodesk reseller in Canada

2012

February: Cansel acquires Capital Cad Supplies, expanding our presence in the wide format business in the Maritimes

May: Cansel enhances its wide format business with the acquisition of NDS West Micro Systems Inc.

June: Cansel enhances its print capabilities with the acquisition of Maritime Digital Colour Inc. in Dartmouth, NS

June: Cansel announces the acquisition of Phoenix Media Direct Inc. a large format printing company, based in Burnaby, BC

October: Cansel acquires Phoenix Imaging Calgary, a leader in wide format paper supplies and large format equipment

2013

February: Cansel acquires CAD Worx Warehouse Inc., one of Western Canada's largest authorized sales and service provider of HP and KIP printing equipment

March: Cansel acquires Bob's Copy Centre, a leading reprographic company based in Moncton, New Brunswick

May: Cansel acquires the Drawing Centre, a major provider of printing, reproduction and finishing services, as well as wide format printers and paper converting services

May: Cansel receives Autodesk's coveted Platinum Award for the highest growth for new sales in Canada

May: Cansel and ClearEdge3D announce a reseller partnership

June: Cansel acquires Copie Tech, a leading reprographic company based in Val-d'Or, Québec

July: Cansel enhances its Autodesk manufacturing business with the acquisition of Solid Engineering Solutions Inc.

July: Cansel earns Autodesk Civil Infrastructure Specialization

July: Cansel acquires Robert Steltman Inc., an Autodesk Authorized Developer based in Toronto, Ontario

2014

June: Cansel recognized by HP for growth and service in Canada

October: Cansel partners with Global eTraining to deliver comprehensive Autodesk training solutions across Canada

December: Cansel expands into Wide Format market in Quebec through the acquisition of Dutech Matériel D'Art Appliqué Inc.

December: Cansel increases its paper converting services through the acquisition of Canadian Paper and Film Converters (CPFC) in Ontario

2015

February: Cansel achieves Autodesk Platinum Reseller Status, Autodesk's Highest Tier for VARs

April: Cansel expands their authorized reseller agreement with Canon Canada to achieve national distributor status

May: Cansel expands their authorized reseller agreement with BlueCielo ECM Solutions to achieve national partner status

July: Cansel expands its wide format offering, and adds flexo packaging and commercial offset to its portfolio through acquiring Ernest Green & Son

July: Cansel merges its Ontario Autodesk business unit into SolidCAD Solutions and takes an equity stake in the joint organization

December: Cansel creates BuildingPoint Canada Inc. and acquires Dowco Technology Services, the Tekla reseller for Canada

2016

March: Cansel celebrates 50th anniversary

May: Cansel expands both its portfolio and presence in the Quebec graphics marketplace by acquiring PMP Media

September: Cansel expands its engineering bond paper converting operations in Eastern Canada

2017

March: Cansel/SolidCAD expands its presence in Québec with the acquisition of IRISCO's Autodesk business unit

March: Cansel announces the acquisition of Midland Paper Packaging & Supplies' Canadian wide format printing supplies division

May: Cansel/SolidCAD expands its presence in Atlantic Canada with the acquisition of Atlantic CAD Solutions Inc.

July: SolidCAD earns Autodesk Construction Specialization

August: Cansel merges their national Autodesk business operations into SolidCAD forming the largest Autodesk Platinum Partner in Canada

November: SolidCAD continues to strengthen its presence in the Quebec market with the acquisition of Consortech’s Autodesk business unit

December: Cansel announces the acquisition of Ernest-Joubert, Inc., GeoShack’s field supply operations in Quebec

December: Leading Autodesk solutions providers, KETIV and SolidCAD establish a strategic partnership

2018

January: Cansel announces the acquisition of BD Art & Drafting Supplies Ltd. in Calgary

March: Cansel announces exclusive reseller agreement with ikeGPS

March: Cansel to Distribute Microdrones Fully Integrated Drone Systems Throughout Canada

April: Cansel announces distribution agreement with GeoSLAM based in the UK

June: SolidCAD continues to solidify its presence in Québec with the acquisition of Le Groupe A&A’s Autodesk Division (SIM)

June: Cansel signs commercial drone distribution agreement with Delair, now certified compliant by Transport Canada

August: Cansel announces the launch of COBALT™ Graphics Distribution

October: Cansel expands its portfolio of underground asset management locate and pipeline inspection products in Ontario and Alberta


2020

November: GeoVerra makes a significant investment in new equipment, providing the most up-to-date technology for its clients

2021

January: Cansel expands its business footprint into the United States with the acquisition of California Surveying & Drafting Supply, Inc.

July: Cansel Brings TinySurveyor Robot to Canada