Atelier Gérard Beaulieu

Back in 1912, the grand-father of today’s shareholders, Mr. Moïse Beaulieu, moved to Saint-Quentin and opened the first public forge (Saint-Quentin had only been colonized two years prior in 1910). In 1957, Moïse’s son Gérard took over the company to turn it into a welding shop. After that, it was Gérard’s sons’ (Robert, Marc and Michel) turn to take over in 1984.

AGB (Atelier Gérard Beaulieu) has since transitioned from a small family-run service company to a diversified manufacturing company with distributors and clients taking our products around the globe.

Over the years, we have strived to be the best at what we do. This allows us today to proudly state, we are experts in steel products’ design & manufacturing, hydraulic systems design & assembly, critical parts machining and much more.

Here is a historical summary of our most notable milestones:

• 1912- At 19 years old, Moïse Beaulieu moved to Saint-Quentin from Saint-Angèle de Méricie, Québec. He opened a blacksmith and cartwright shop;
• 1943- At the age of 16, Gérard, Moïse’s son, joined his father. At that time, the company only had two employees;
• 1957- Moïse Beaulieu retired and Gérard took over the business by himself;
• 1958- Construction of a new machine shop to make up for the increased demand of the local sawmills;
• 1969- Robert, Gérard’s eldest son, started working in the company as a welder;
• 1977- Marc, Gérard’s youngest son, started working in the company as a machinist & welder. At the same time, the company expanded and had a new mission: to offer full machine shop services as well as welding expertise for heavy equipment customization & repairs;
• 1979- Extension of the machine shop;
• 1983- Michel, Gérard’s son, joined the team as a mechanic-welder;
• 1984- Incorporation of AGB Products Inc. and transfer of Gérard Beaulieu’s shares to his sons Robert, Marc and Michel. Extension, construction of a new production department, and Denis Caron (Robert, Marc and Michel’s brother-in-law), joined the team as an industrial heater and heavy equipment mechanic;
• 1986- Modernization of the equipments. Purchase of a CAD system, new expansion of machine shop. Specialization in transmission and diesel engine refurbishing;
• ‘93-‘94- Construction of the office (20’x 20’), a storage area (8’x 90’) and yet another extension of the machine shop (760 sq. ft);
• 1995- Opening of AGB Foresterie Inc, a new company dedicated to forest harvesting;
• 1995- Restigouche’s Company of the Year Award given by the Restigouche Industrial Commission. The company had 15 to 17 employees and reached their million dollars in sales in one year;
• 96-99- Modernization of certain strategic pieces of equipment (cutting table, lapping machine, lathe, milling, etc.);
• ‘97-‘98- Recourse to an Industrial Adjustment Service Committee;
• 2000- Transfer of Robert Beaulieu’s stocks to Marc B., Michel B. and Denis C.;
• 2002- Recourse to a SHOP KAIZEN group (to maximize production and minimize waste);
• 2002- AGB Products’ CWB Certification (Canadian Welding Bureau) CSAW47.1-92&CSAW59-1989;
• 2003- Recourse to a LEAN and LAYOUT KAIZEN group for the new factory;
• 2004- Addition of a new building to the facility (9,000sq.ft.);
• 2004- Purchase of Roy Auto Électrique’s inventory and addition of an Auto Parts store to our business;
• 2004- Introduction of a quality management system under ISO 9001-2000 certification;
• 2004- Purchase of a press brake, a shearing machine, a CNC and a plate bending roller;
• 2004- Beginning of the production of fuel tanks under CAN/CGSB 43.146-2002 & UN 31A;
• 2005- Beginning of the production of waste containers;
• 2006- Addition of a dedicated paint shop (3,750sq.ft.);
• 2008- Enlisting to UL 142 & ULc S601 for manufacturing of above ground storage tanks;
• 2009- Development of our turn key fuel trailer product line for remote fuel transportation requirements;
• 2010- Launch of our Guardian Tanks Brand and Registered Trademark as well as new websites for our fuel storage and fuel transportation solutions;
• 2010- Launch of our Blacksmiths containers Brand and registered Trademark and a new website for our waste industry related products;
• 2010- Launch of our revamped AGB logo, new corporate image and website;
• 2011- Addition of a new metal preparation facility (7,000sq.ft.) for metal cutting, bending & rolling as well as raw materials storage;
• 2011- Launch of our first product for the concrete industry – replacement concrete mixers;

Thank you for your interest in our background and how far we have come! Stay tuned though; we will be adding more highlights as we keep moving forward!