News

Stewart “Stew” Kerby March 7, 1936 – February 17, 2023 Years of Service: 1957 – 2007 It is with heavy hearts that we share the recent passing of a treasured friend and an important figure in Canerector’s history – the one and only Stewart “Stew” Kerby. Stew was born in Winnipeg in 1936, and moved … Read More

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Canerector Foundation Scholarships in Skilled Trades program. The Foundation has already contributed $1.75 million to support approximately 450 students with four leading colleges and is excited for new schools across Canada to join the program. The Canerector Foundation was established in late 2019 as a way … Read More

When a customer approached Gamma Foundries to manufacture a unique piece, they were intrigued. While Gamma has experience in the odd architectural shape, their team was surprised to learn that this was no ordinary request—they were asked to create a 22-foot-high statue comprising of 21 individual aluminum castings built around a steel frame, and designed … Read More

Canerector is proud to see Paprima Industries harnessing the power of technology to improve their customers’ operations. For many, the average “smart home”—complete with modern appliances all linked and controlled through the swipe of a smartphone—is the simplest example of the Internet of Things in our everyday lives. In an industrial capacity, however, and manufacturing … Read More

Three-quarters of a century of operations is no small achievement, and one that undoubtedly comes with times of dramatic growth and change. For Canerector, there are three short periods where the company experienced intense growth, each doubling the company’s size. The first was the 1983 purchase of a large, national competitor, TIW Industries, profiled in … Read More

We have been very pleased with our previous network events, and are thrilled to see continued success. Our most recent network event was for the controllers of our companies. This event was this group’s first in-person gathering since the pandemic. It was a fantastic opportunity for accounting individuals to connect with their peers, share experiences … Read More

To connect our procurement network, we held an event for key individuals responsible for supply chain through our businesses. The first in-person event for this group since the pandemic, it was great to see our team from various companies and industries finding commonalities, sharing experiences and discussing approaches to procurement. Thank you to all the … Read More

Our production managers gathered in Toronto, where we hosted an opportunity for growth and further strengthening of our companies’ network. This seminar, the first in-person gathering for the group since prior to the pandemic, was a continuation of the virtual seminars series on developing management skills. We would like to thank the attendees that joined … Read More

As part of our long-term commitment to strengthening our network, sharing ideas, and developing our teams, we held an event for key sales individuals this month. This was our first in-person seminar since prior to the pandemic, when we initiated a series of virtual seminars, including one earlier this year for our Sales and Procurement … Read More

With our sincere respect and gratitude, Canerector announces the retirement of Richard Bélanger, President of Robert Mitchell Inc. Richard’s leadership skills have shone throughout his career. Richard Bélanger’s Early Beginnings with Robert Mitchell in the 1980s Richard received a diploma in college studies in motorized equipment. Upon graduation, his school sent his resume to Robert … Read More

Canerector is pleased to share that TIW Western Inc. (TIWW) has merged with Petro-Tech Heat Technology Inc. The combined product offering and engineering capabilities of these two companies will provide a single-source service unmatched anywhere else within the heat transfer industry. “With the merger, we have maintained the Petro-Tech brand and integrated the operations fully … Read More

During the Open House Celebration held on June 11, for Canerector’s 75th anniversary, we offered tours of the artwork adorning the walls of our corporate office building. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to work in an environment surrounded by inspiring art from talented artist Jarmila Kavena, and were honoured to share the … Read More

Photo above: Randy Lauder speaks to his peers after receiving his retirement recognition award at the 2022 Presidents Meeting. Canerector wishes to extend our thanks and appreciation to Randy Lauder on his 20 years with the company as he moves into retirement. Over the course of his time as president of MBB Power Services (MBB), … Read More

Photo above: Pierre Désormeaux and his wife Manon Côté stand with Canerector CEO Amanda Hawkins after his boardroom dedication ceremony at the 75th anniversary Canerector open house. It is with much joy and gratitude that Canerector announces the dedication of our boardroom in honour of retired vice president Pierre Désormeaux. Pierre’s work helped shape Canerector … Read More

In honour of our 75th anniversary, Canerector held an open house celebration on Saturday, June 11th. All of our presidents from across North America were in Toronto for our annual Presidents Meeting and joined our corporate office staff to celebrate this special occasion in person. Canerector’s Open House Takes Us Back to Its Humble Beginnings … Read More

It is with much pleasure that we, at Canerector, were able to resume our annual Presidents Meeting face-to-face this year. Following COVID-19, we have been eager for the wonderful opportunity to unite our company leaders in person. PRESIDENTS MEETING ROUNDTABLES & TRADE SHOW One of the many benefits of this gathering is the opportunity for … Read More

Canerector wants to extend our deepest thanks to Connexus President Cliff Lane for his service of 45 years. A charismatic family man who finds joy in all he does, Cliff Lane left his mark with many in the industry through his energetic personality and thoughtful leadership. In the beginning His career path started in 1977 … Read More

Canerector is working to support our businesses in helping them achieve success across all facets of their company. In our spring production seminar we focused on management training. At Canerector, we believe that great leadership is part of the recipe to great success within a corporate structure. And, we know that great leadership can only … Read More

Photo: The Labrador Metal Works team stand proudly together following the reopening of their company after closing their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Labrador Metal Works’ team has plenty to celebrate! The business is once again up and running after being shut down completely for almost two years. Hit hard by the … Read More

Spring Sales and Procurement Development Seminar At Canerector we value our long-term commitment to our companies and strive to provide them with access and opportunities to enhance growth, sales, and corporate success whenever possible. Our company leaders work hard with a goal to provide unparalleled service to their customers. We help them in that goal … Read More

Cecil and Stanley Hawkins circa the 1980s.  Canerector is proud to be celebrating 75 years of operation. Since its creation in 1947, the company has undergone an incredible transformation from a small field team to a multi-company family business. Its success is closely related to the three successive owners of the same family who were … Read More

Conrex Steel’s President Larry Harrison has been featured in MetalForming (MF) magazine for an informative Q&A. In a discussion with editor Brad Kuvin, Harrison provides an honest and open account of his management insights and learnings. Since he joined the company as president in 2017, Harrison has invested in changing the company culture to being … Read More

The team at Monett Metals Inc. was recently called on to bring another artist’s vision to life. Previously, we shared about Monett’s support of the creation of a memorial for 9/11 first responders. This time, Monett aided in the creation of a permanent art installation for the City of San Francisco, California. Monett poured a … Read More

Above Photo: The Hon. Doug Ford tours Conrex Steel’s new 3500-ton head press.  On Friday, November 19th, Conrex Steel unveiled North America’s largest ever head press. Ontario’s Premier, The Hon. Doug Ford, toured the facility and joined Canerector CEO, Amanda Hawkins, in congratulating Conrex Steel along with their partners on this project. “I love coming … Read More

Conrex Steel unveils new massive 3500-ton hydraulic press – the largest head press of its kind in North America. The project was lead by Conrex Steel in partnership with hydraulic press manufacturer, Macrodyne Technologies Inc., and with the support of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada. With facilities in Etobicoke and Kingston, ON, Conrex Steel specializes in … Read More

Douglas Barwick (DB) Piping Group celebrated their 50th anniversary this year, and also honoured employee John Jonkman’s 50 years of service. Their longest serving employee, plant manager Jonkman joined Douglas Barwick’s predecessor company when he was still in his late teens. To mark this significant milestone for the company, Jonkman helped unveil a 50-year plaque … Read More

As Canerector approaches its 75th anniversary in 2022, we thought it was time for a refresh! Our team is proud to announce the launch of our new website. We have spent many hours focusing on tailoring our website to bring you the latest information and news about Canerector and our businesses. Our new website provides … Read More

In 2022, Canerector will celebrate its 75th anniversary. To honour our heritage, we felt it was an appropriate time to refresh our logo. To understand how our logo evolved to where it is today, we must first look back to its origins. Rooted in historical significance, the logo’s evolution is one that has a unique … Read More

On June 30, 2021, John Beingessner retired from his position of President at the Aberfoyle Metal Treaters.  John started his career working through various roles in his family’s multi-generational heat treating business – B&W Heat Treating, before taking on the part of President and General Manager. His expertise in all facets of the business has been … Read More

A big congratulations to the team at Highland Foundry Limited! Not only are they celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, but they also won two safety awards from the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC: The Sapphire Safety Pinnacle Award The JHSC (Joint Health and Safety Committee) Excellence Award Founded in 1970, the team produces highly … Read More

As an organization, we have always looked for ways to give back to the communities where we operate and where our people live. Helping to make sure our communities are thriving is an important responsibility of anyone running a business. We are very pleased to share that we have created the Canerector Foundation, which will … Read More

On January 13, 2020, we acquired Quality Fabrication Inc., a precision sheet metal fabrication and machining business located in Los Angeles, California. QFI operates out of a 50,000 sq ft building and performs laser cutting, punching, bending, machining, welding, grinding and assembly operations, in addition to having a full in-house paint and silk-screening shop. The … Read More

The Monett Metals’ team had a rare opportunity when they were approached by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to support creation of a memorial for 9/11 first responders, survivors and members of the Manhattan community. Years after the 9/11 attacks, tens of thousands of people continue to struggle with medical conditions or have died due … Read More