Who We Are

Chinook Equipment is a division of the Davis Automotive Group, a Top 50 Best Employer in Canada since 2012.  The foundation for Chinook Equipment can be summed up in our mission and vision statements. These statements were carefully constructed, and are a true representation of  “why we exist” (mission), and “what we want to be” (vision).

Then and Now

Our roots take us back to 1978, when a gentleman by the name of Edwin Valgardson opened a heavy equipment repair shop in Taber, Alberta.  Edwin was approached by Hyundai in the late 90’s, and in 1997 became Alberta’s first and only Hyundai Construction dealer.  Fast forward to today, and Chinook Equipment has evolved into a full-scale heavy & agriculture equipment dealership serving Alberta and beyond.

Our Brands

We are Canada’s top Hyundai Construction equipment dealer, Canada’s longest standing Hyundai Construction equipment dealer, and a top 5 Hyundai Construction dealer in North America.  In 2020 we entered into the agricultural sector bringing on four agriculture specific brands: Versatile, Vermeer, McCormick and Trioliet.  Our expansion into the agriculture industry has helped us diversify, and gave us the ability to present additional product offerings to our rapidly growing customer base.

The Team

Chinook believes having the right person for any given position is imperative.  This approach has enabled us to continue to maintain a positive and cohesive culture.  On top of considering the knowledge, skills and abilities of candidates, Chinook & The Davis Auto Group place very high importance on character, values, attitude, and community involvement.  Here are a few details on some of the key individuals within our organization:

Management Team

Mike Davis

President


Mike was born and raised in Southern Alberta and has spent the majority of his career (Since 1994) in his families’ business. The Davis Auto Group consists of 12 automotive dealerships and a few other related businesses. Mike has been involved in the transformation of CEM Heavy Equipment to Chinook Equipment since the Davis Auto Group partnered on the operation in 2014.

Doug Pilsner

General Manager


Doug resides in Lethbridge where he started his equipment career in a single store, John Deere dealership. Over the past 14 years, he has held Key dealership roles in the aftermarket, general management, and more recently was the Director of Sales / Vice President of the largest John Deere dealership group in Canada.

Brent Ayley

Director Of Sales - Construction


Brent’s career has spanned a wide variety of roles over his 20+ years in the equipment industry. These roles include inside sales rep/sales coordinator, territory sales manager, director of fleet management, director of sales & marketing, general manager, regional manager and present day: - Director of Sales - Construction.

Nic Barker

Branch Manager - Taber


Nic has 9 years experience in Agriculture equipment sales, three of which were in dealership sales management with New Holland, Versatile, and Vermeer. Prior to joining the dealer channel Nic was a manufacturer representative for Jaylor.