ABOUT CLOW DARLING
History
Clow Darling started business in Fort William (now Thunder Bay) in 1937 when Bill Darling and Emerson Clow purchased the local branch of Darling Plumbing & Heating of Winnipeg.
The company performed the plumbing and heating during construction of the Hawker Sidley Aircraft plant and the rapid expansion of commercial, industrial and institutional and residential base in the community.
During the post war industrial growth, Clow Darling expanded its mechanical services with contracts on the Pine Tree Radar project throughout northern Canada, Geco Mines in Manitowadge, Caland Ore and Steep Rock Iron Mines at Atikokan.
During the 1960's Clow Darling undertook several large institutional projects including the construction of McKellar Hospital as well as expanding into the growing paper mill industry with large projects at Great Lakes Forest Products (now Bowater). Emerson Clow acquired Bill Darling's interest in the business.
During the 1970's, Clow Darling was a major contractor in the paper mill industry. We completed multi-million dollar projects in Avenor Thunder Bay, Domtar Red Rock, and Kimberly Clark Terrace Bay.
We also completed several large apartment buildings and senior citizens complexes, residential housing developments and large institutional projects in North-western Ontario. Ken Ramsay, Peter Moshonsky and Mike Jurcik acquired Emerson Clow's interest in the company.
During the 1980's, we concentrated our efforts in the paper mill industry. We completed large projects at Kimberly Clark Terrace Bay, Avenor Dryden, Boise Cascade Fort Frances (now Abitibi Consolidated), and James River Marathon. We expanded our service department and undertook work in the fire protection, air conditioning and refrigeration market. Arnold Hollis and Dale Sparkes acquired Mike Jurcik's interest in the company.
In the early 1990's the construction market in North-western Ontario has been soft. There have been few large commercial projects. We did the mechanical work on one senior citizens home. We expanded the service operation. We undertook fewer and smaller paper mill construction projects - Abitibi Consolidated, James River, Domtar Red Rock and Ontario Hydro. Joe Gerolami and Don Splawski acquired an interest in the company and Peter Moshonsky retired. Regretfully Don passed away in early 1998.
Today, Clow Darling is the largest full-service mechanical contractor in Northwestern Ontario. Our management and staff are committed to providing customers with high quality and efficient services in the mechanical contracting industry. Recently Jerry Kelly, Barry Leochko, Paul Maydo and Blair Smith acquired the interests of Dale Sparkes and Arnold Hollis to become owners in the company.
Location
The Head Office of Clow Darling Limited is located at 1201 Cameron Street in Thunder Bay , Ontario , and occupies a two storey brick office building and a 9,000 square foot shop and warehouse surrounded by an acre of land.
Head Office Personnel
The President and all departments operate from the head office on Cameron Street. All employees are based in our head office, with construction site offices set up for large projects on an as required basis.
Ken Ramsay FCA, President, is responsible for the overall operations.
Paul Maydo, Vice-President and Hydronic Heating Manager, is responsible for acquiring and managing heating contracts, service and maintenance work in the Industrial, Commercial, Institutional and Residential sector and stress relieving and pressure reducing valve maintenance programs. Mark Sandberg manages larger projects.
Barry Leochko, Secretary and Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Manager, is responsible for acquiring and managing HVAC contracts and service and maintenance work in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional sector. Tom MacDonald manages larger projects.
Jerry Kelly, Vice-President and Plumbing Manager, is responsible for acquiring and managing plumbing contracts and service and maintenance work in the Industrial, Commercial, Institutional and residential sector. Mark LaGrange manages larger projects.
Blair (Chuck) Smith, Treasurer and Equipment /Warehouse Manager, is responsible for maintaining the company's fleet and tools and equipment and inventory and maintaining customers' equipment in the Transportation and Forest industries.
Hugh La Forrest is responsible for acquiring and managing large projects in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Sector. Jack Lane (Supervisor/Estimator), ), and Brad Gibson, Master Plumber (Estimator and Project Manager) for the Commercial sector report to him, as do James O'Kane (Structural Millwrighting Manager), and Mike Woolley (Piping Manager) for the Industrial sector.
John Cava, the Residential Manager, is responsible for acquiring and managing Residential heating and cooling contracts and service, as well as duct cleaning for residential and light industrial and commercial facilities.
Karen Boote, Office Manager, is responsible for managing the office, bookkeeping and maintaining the computer systems. The office staff including a receptionist, three dispatchers, invoicing clerk, accounts receivable/payable clerk and payroll clerk report to her.
We are signatory with the following unions: Air Conditioning Local 787, Boilermakers Locals 128 and 555, Ironworkers Local 759, Labourers Local 607, Millwrights Local 1151, Operating Engineers Local 793, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 628, Sheet Metal Workers Local 397 and Sprinkler Local 853.
The company has about 50 employees and access to members of the above unions.
We offer 24 hour service, 7 days a week. Service personnel are radio dispatched and all department managers are equipped with cell phones. We have approximately 50 vehicles of which 25 service vans are fully equipped with tools and materials and our warehouse stock is about $400,000.00.
We have the desire and the ability to respond quickly to service our customers' needs.
Accountants & Lawyers
Our accounting firm for over fifty years has been Grant Thornton (and its predecessors) located at 979 Alloy Drive , Thunder Bay , P7B 5Z8 . Our contact is Doug Vanderwey at 807-345-6571.
Our legal firm for over 20 years has been Carrel & Partners located at 1136 Alloy Drive , Thunder Bay , P7C 4W6 . Our contact is Rod Johansen at 807-346-3000.
