Canarm Ltd.

 

Customer service and a dedication to quality are important values for any manufacturer, but in serving a global customer base, Canarm Ltd. has found it also must maintain other standards to drive its operation forward. Canarm is a global marketer and manufacturer of lighting, air moving and related environmental products, and it consistently has been building its reputation for excellence with its focus on continuous improvement for the benefit of its customers.

“Our company is built around the philosophy of supporting our quality products with outstanding customer service,” the company says. “We work tirelessly to earn and then maintain our position as supplier of choice for our customers.”

Based in Brockville, Ontario, Canarm serves the residential, HVAC, commercial and agricultural markets, and sells to wholesalers, retailers and distributors. The company explains its meets its customers’ expectations and provides them with the best service by:

> Striving for continuous improvement and cost leadership;

> Treating employees, suppliers and other stakeholders equitably;

> Maintaining integrity throughout all of its relationships;

> Aspiring for controlled growth and achieving a strong position in selected markets;

> Expecting a reasonable return on investment;

> Contributing back to the communities in which it lives and works.

“In recent years, we have seen the addition of many new customers, new products, and new market delivery channels, and our growing workforce is working hard to ensure that our customers continue to enjoy exceptional service and product quality,” the company says.

Building Relationships

Canarm Ltd. was created in 1980 by the merger of Danor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Canadian Armature Works. Danor was established in the early 1960s as a small sheet metal shop and over the years expanded into agricultural products and fans. Canadian Armature was established in 1934, and was known as a producer of electrical products. In 1986, Canarm purchased a Montreal ceiling fan company and that fan facility became Canarm’s main distribution center for imported products. It also provided the company with a local Quebec sales office and showroom. In 1990, Canarm entered the retail lighting market, and it now has one of the most extensive lighting lines in North America.

Canarm has had a long relationship with the Far East, noting that it developed its contacts in mid-1970s, well before most North American manufacturers. Several plants in China produce only Canarm products thus tightly aligning the interests of the factory and Canarm.

“We have built our business relationships in China over the past 25 years,” the company says. “All operations are centralized in Zhongshan, China. Our team of professionals manages our engineering, quality and logistics. The infrastructure in China ensures outstanding, consistent quality with on-time delivery, whether it be single or multiple SKUs per container.”

The company formulated a growth strategy in 2003, which led to a series of mergers and acquisitions over the next several years. In April 2004, Canarm acquired the assets of Florida Lighting Inc., a Toronto-based manufacturer of decorative and functional fluorescent lighting products. This acquisition launched what is now a fully developed line of fluorescent products that are sold into the consumer and industrial markets.

Some of the company’s other mergers and acquisitions include:

> BSM Agri Ltd. – In January 2005, Canarm merged with BSM Agri, a manufacturer of livestock confinement equipment.

> Leader Fan Industries – In May, 2005, Canarm acquired the shares of Leader Fan Industries, a manufacturer of commercial and industrial ventilation products.

> Farmweld Inc. – In January, 2006, Canarm acquired the shares of Farmweld Inc., a livestock confinement equipment manufacturer based in Teutopolis, Ill.

> Delhi Industries – In June 2006, Canarm merged with Delhi Industries, a leading provider of axial fans, blowers, heat exchangers, roof exhausters and other equipment for  the HVAC marketplace.

> Titus Lighting – In 2008, Canarm acquired Titus Lighting, which offered contemporary crystal fixtures.

During its years of mergers, Canarm also was focusing on its own operations. In 2008, the company’s 110,000-square-foot distribution center in Laval, Quebec, was built. The company installed an Epicor system in the Brockville facility in 2009 and rolled out over the next few years to its other locations.

“Canarm is closing in on 80 years in business,” President James A. Cooper said in a statement. “I have been here for 36 of those years and I must say I am very proud of the company that we have built and the 300 people that share their knowledge and professionalism with us every day.”