Los Angeles-headquartered motion picture camera equipment rental house Keslow Camera is set to acquire Canadian camera rental company Sim Camera and expand its presence in the Canadian market.

Keslow announced the forthcoming acquisition in a news release on Friday (March 24), touting the merger as one that “will bring significant benefits to Keslow Camera and Sim’s clients, including access to an expanded range of equipment and support from seasoned industry professionals.”

The merger will see Sim’s assets, expertise and resources integrated into Keslow Camera. The acquisition is expected to close on March 31. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed as of press time.

Keslow Camera is billed as the largest privately-held motion picture camera equipment rental house in North America, and also has locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Sudbury, Ont., Toronto, Utah, New Mexico, New Orleans, Chicago and Atlanta.

Sim has offices in Vancouver, Toronto and North Bay, Ont.

Keslow Camera CEO Robert Keslow, who founded the company in 1990, said the “move will strengthen our presence in the Canadian market and provide an even greater selection of cutting-edge equipment and expertise to our clients,” in a statement.

“With the combined resources of both companies, we look forward to empowering Canada’s most talented filmmakers to realize their creative visions,” he said, adding: “This opportunity to improve our customer offering, add depth to our amazing team, and gain Canadian market share is a milestone on our journey to foster creativity and innovation in filmmaking.”

Said Sim CEO Scott Dorsey: “Joining the Keslow Camera family is a natural next step in the evolution of what Rob Sim started in his basement some 45 years ago to provide the best service to the creative industry. The combination of both these exceptional teams will be a North American leader.”

Keslow Camera first expanded into the Canadian market in July 2017 through the acquisition of Clairmont Camera, adding Vancouver and Toronto to its list of offices.

Sim moved exclusively into camera operations in 2021 after the company’s post-production business was acquired by Streamland Media and its lighting and grip division was acquired by MBS.

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