It was in 1959 that Mr. Renaud Fournier went into business. He began in his house basement offering tinplate services. The following year, he bought a lot and built a shop offering specialized services in tinplate, machining, hydraulic and plateworks.
From 1960 to 1974, then known as "Fournier Steel Works Ltd", the company was working mainly in the fabrication, maintenance and installation of mining equipments. In the late 1970, Mr. Fournier diversified its market to target foundries, aluminum smelters and grain elevators.
In 1987, the Company became interested in equipment invented by the Industrial Research Center of Quebec (C.R.I.Q.); a rotary press for dewatering municipal and industrial sludge.
Since 1960, the plant has had seven expansions of workshops and offices. The last one was completed in spring 2000 and required significant investments. It allowed the company to add 20,000 square feet (1860 square meters) to the working surface and increase the height and lifting capacities of the overhead cranes. At the same time, the company invested five million Canadian dollars (5 M$ CA) to buy equipment at the cutting edge of technology for milling and fabrication; for R&D in dehydration industry and for the development of National and International markets and training the workforce. Since 2000, the company never stopped investing in modernization of the machine tools, in improvement of computer equipment and software, in the organization and layout of its offices, and in business diversification and marketing.
In May 2005, we announced the acquisition of Tecosol inc., a company providing comprehensive services in the characterization and treatment of soil and underground water contamination. Its staff consists of environmental specialists like biologists, hydrogeologists and technologists in ground and water decontamination. They act as consultants or contractors for public or private customers. Tecosol today has 10 employees.
In November 2009, we acquired the branch of Kamtech Services in Trois-Rivières, Qc which now bears the name of "Les Industries Fournier Inc. Division Construction". With its competent staff, this division handles the onsite installation of both mining and hydroelectricity. There are 60 employees in the Construction Division.
In October 2010, we established a joint-venture by the name of Compte-Fournier inc. with whom we can offer an European technology in biomass boilers.
Besides the above companies and subsidiaries, we own:
- Richmond Fournier (1976) Inc.
- Fournier International Inc.