Fortress Coach Partners Acquires Ayr Coach Lines to Accelerate Ontario Expansion and National Growth Strategy
Toronto, [January 8, 2026] –WeShall Investments, Second Bite Capital, and KCM Holdings Group today announced that Fortress Coach Partners (“Fortress”), has acquired Ayr Coach Lines (“Ayr”), a long-standing, family-owned charter transportation company with over six decades of operating history. The acquisition represents a significant step forward in ‘the sponsors’ strategy to build and grow essential-service platforms across Canada, with a particular focus on transportation infrastructure that supports economic activity, community connection, and national mobility.
This is the third acquisition for Fortress, following the acquisition of Great Canadian Holidays & Coaches and Tisdale Bus Lines in September 2025.
Wes Hall, Founder and Executive Chairman of WeShall Investments, said, “We invest with a long-term lens. That means respecting what has been built, strengthening what already works, and expanding thoughtfully where there is opportunity. Ayr Coach Lines adds immense value to the Fortress platform, with its proud history and strong operating fundamentals. This is a highly strategic bolt-on that strengthens our footprint in Ontario while reinforcing our growth thesis.”
Founded in 1965 in the village of Ayr, Ontario, Ayr Coach Lines has grown steadily into a trusted regional transportation provider serving Southern Ontario and beyond. Headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, the company has an established reputation for reliability, safety, and service excellence.
Al Willis, Co-Owner, Ayr Coach Lines, said, “For over 60 years, we have been a leader in the transportation industry, proudly delivering countless ‘Miles of Smiles.’ From our office team and shop staff to the wash bay and our professional drivers, we’ve always built a strong culture, and that culture has been the foundation of our success. We’re excited to see that legacy continue as we partner with Fortress. Their long-term vision gives us confidence that this best-in-class operation will be part of a leading platform that only grows stronger over time.”
Ayr Coach Lines has serviced thousands of group transportation engagements, supporting everything from athletic travel and corporate shuttles to educational trips and tourism-driven charter services. Its longevity in a competitive and operationally demanding industry speaks to a culture rooted in customer service, safety, and operational excellence.
Ankit Kamboj, Founder and Principal, KCM Holdings Group, said, “We are excited to partner with Ayr Coach Lines and welcome their team into the Fortress Coach family. Dave and Al Willis have built a strong business alongside their family and operating with integrity every step of the way. This acquisition strengthens our foothold across Southwestern Ontario and fits squarely within our growth and consolidation strategy.”
Reza Jafer, Managing Partner, Second Bite Capital, said, “This is a meaningful step forward for the Fortress platform. What stood out immediately was Ayr’s customer-obsessed culture, an attribute that consistently shows up in team pride, reliability, and service quality. This acquisition strengthens our position and expands what we can offer through broader fleet options and greater operational leverage. We’re especially excited to partner with the next generation of the Ayr family as we continue building a long-term platform across Ontario.”
STRATEGIC RATIONALE
Ayr is being acquired as a strategic bolt-on to the Fortress Coach Partners platform, strengthening Fortress’s operating footprint in Ontario and deepening its regional presence in key corridors. The transaction brings a skilled operating team and proven systems that will support Fortress in expanding service capability through greater fleet availability, dispatch coverage, and route density.
Fortress has already completed two acquisitions that form the foundation of its platform strategy, and the addition of Ayr accelerates the next phase of growth, focused on platform optimization, higher utilization, operational excellence, and geographic expansion.
For WeShall Investments, the acquisition of Ayr Coach Lines aligns with our focus on essential-service sectors where operational excellence, scale, and reliability create competitive advantages. Transportation quietly underpins commerce, education, sport, tourism, and community life.
WeShall believes the market is increasingly suited to consolidation as customer expectations rise and operators face greater complexity in staffing, maintenance, regulation, and fleet replacement cycles. Fortress Coach Partners’ roll-up thesis is centered on building a scaled, professionalized charter and tour transportation platform through the acquisition of high-quality regional operators. Focusing on businesses with strong local brands, proven safety cultures, and durable customer relationships.
Rather than changing what makes these operators successful, Fortress’s approach is to preserve local service excellence while layering in the capabilities that help regional fleets compete and grow: stronger systems, deeper management support, and platform resources that improve reliability, utilization, and customer experience.
With the addition of Ayr Coach Lines, Fortress Coach Partners continues to execute on a disciplined platform-building strategy in Canadian transportation, one designed to create a scaled operator with strong safety standards, dependable service, and durable operational infrastructure.
Fortress will pursue continued investments in people, fleet reliability, training, compliance, and systems that improve fleet utilization and customer experience across the platform.
Over time, Fortress intends to expand its presence across Ontario and selectively into additional Canadian and US markets where demand for safe, reliable group transportation remains essential. The strategy is to build a network that can service customers with consistency and scale. This enables us to continue supporting sports and education travel, corporate and municipal transportation needs, tourism and tour operators, and cross-border charter demand, while maintaining the service quality and safety standards that define best-in-class operators.