In 1871, a Mr. James S. Johntson, Merchant, began a business in Barrie dealing in coal, wood, cements and building supplies. Sixteen year old Walter Sarjeant went to work with Mr. Johnston and, after a few years learning the business, entered into a partnership forming “Johnston and Sarjeant” in 1889.

When Mr. Johnston retired in 1903 the partnership dissolved but Samuel Sarjeant (who had joined the company in 1890), together with his brother Walter, began a business called the Sarjeant Company of Barrie. In 1903 a new partnership was formed in Orillia with the retirement of Mr. Sanderson who was in a similar type of business.

It marked the beginning of the Sarjeant Company of Orillia. In 1905, both Sarjeant companies (Barrie and Orillia) were incorporated as The Sarjeant Company Limited with Barrie serving as its head office.

From its inception through to the end of WWII, The sale and delivery of coal and firewood was a key business for the Sarjeant Company.

By 1952, Sarjeant diversified into the selling and distribution of fuel & oil as it was now in wide use. With the purchase of a Barrie company in 1952, Sarjeant acquired oil tanks, fuel pumps, scales, stocks and equipment.

With the sale of the downtown property in 1970, fuel & oil facilities were built along with office buildings and the concrete plant at The Sarjeant Company's current location, on Sarjeant Drive, near Dunlop Street.

Between 1970-1985, Sarjeant purchased fuel & oil businesses from several companies in Alliston, Barrie, Orillia, Coldwater, Bracebridge and Midland surrounding the Simcoe County area. By 1985 the greatest growth area for The Sarjeant Company was in the fuel oil and petroleum products division.

Sarjeant has three commercial cardlock fuel depots located in Midland, Orillia, and Barrie. It is a hive of 24-hour activity where trucks are fueled by a computerized, automated system.
 
Sarjeant Fuels also supplies fuel & oils to commercial/institutional customers, as well as to construction sites, marinas, and many home heating customers throughout Simcoe County.

Today, The Sarjeant Company is the largest independent petroleum distributor in Simcoe County.

Since its inception in 1889, the Sarjeant Company has been a leading supplier of cements, lime, concrete and building blocks for Simcoe County. The Sarjeant Company began trucking ready-mix concrete in 1956. Thanks in part to an unprecedented construction boom in Simcoe County, ready-mix concrete is now synonymous with the Sarjeant Brand.

Post World War 2, the concrete supply business was expanded to include ready mix plants in Barrie, Midland, Orillia, Brechin, Bradford, Huntsville, Timmins, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Kirkland Lake, Hoyle, and Smooth Rock Falls.

For some 90 years The Sarjeant Company occupied property at Mary and Simcoe Streets in Barrie. In 1970, the site was sold and a new ready-mix concrete plant was built at Sarjeant Drive, off Dunlop Street, where it remains today.

In a major addition to its premises at 15 Sarjeant Drive, a fully equipped modern concrete laboratory was built. Sarjeant's laboratory is used for research and development of concrete products, custom concrete mixes and as a service to customers.

Today Sarjeants operates a fleet of 50 trucks servicing the Simcoe and Muskoka regions and its brand is synonymous with durability, quality and strength.

By 1905, the multifaceted Sarjeant Company Limited was in the ice business. At the time, ice cut from off Kempenfelt Bay and Lake Couchiching served as a common method of refrigeration. Ice was stored in sawdust and delivered to local homes throughout the summer. By 1915 shipments of ice were delivered by freight car to Buffalo, New York to the Buffalo Ice Co.

Ice cutting was a major undertaking each winter that employed some 200-300 men, originally cutting ice from the lakes by hand and later by steam driven saws. The ice was cut into 50, 100, or 300 blocks and brought to shore by sled.

In 1947, an artificial ice plant was installed in Orillia at a cost of $22,000 and a capacity of 12 tons per day.

The Sarjeant Company’s ice operations ceased in 1966 with the advent of modern refrigeration. Today, Sarjeant's supplies air conditioning & heating systems to customers throughout Simcoe County.  

Following extensive testing, four sand and gravel sites were purchased throughout Simcoe County. Sand and gravel crusher operations then commenced, and Sarjeant Aggregates was formed.

In a partnership that has proved mutually beneficial, the Sarjeant Company and KJ Beamish teamed up and opened an asphalt plant to serve the construction industry in Barrie and area.

To compliment the home heating fuel business, Sarjeant customers enjoy a customer dedicated service department. This is the largest, most highly qualified oil burner service group in Simcoe County and is specifically dedicated to Sarjeant customers only. Sarjeants also installs and services heating & air conditioning systems, hot water heaters, and provides 24 hour emergency service for its' customers.

Albert John Sarjeant, a partner in The Sarjeant Company of Orillia, began a dry goods business in 1882 until he retired in 1929.

With the incorporation of the companies in 1905, one of the objectives was to provide supplies and materials to builders and contractors. The Sarjeant Company Limited also manufactured lumber and shingles and was involved as agents in the purchase and sale of real estate.
One year later, in 1906 with the purchase of Tate Carson Lumber Company Limited in Orillia (for $400) branches were opened in Midland and Chatham.

In 1938, following a convention of Purina Mills in St. Louis, Missouri, the company diversified yet again as merchants and dealers in grain, flour, feed and farmer's products and supplies.

In 1973, the building supply divisions in Barrie and Orillia were sold but Sarjeant's concrete, jobsite fuel delivery, and retaining wall systems continues to serve the local building community.

Under John O. Elliott's management and guidance, the ready-mix concrete and aggregate divisions became dominant in Southern and Northern Ontario area making Custom Concrete Limited the largest independent ready-mix concrete company in Canada.

In 1985, Custom Concrete was sold but Elliott retained ownership of the Sarjeant Company and Custom Concrete (Northern) in Northern Ontario.

In 2001, Scott Elliott purchased the Sarjeant Company and Custom Concrete (Northern) from his family. In Scott’s tenure as President and CEO, the company has seen unprecedented growth largely due to his investment in our fleet, our employees and in the latest technologies.

Scott is a noted local philanthropist devoting much of his time as Chairman of the Royal Victoria Hospital and various duties with the Rotary Club of Barrie. Scott has been an outspoken advocate for a new cancer center in Barrie, and the Sarjeant Company proudly donated $1 million to the hospital foundation in support of this venture.

Sarjeants is a major supplier of Aggregates, Concrete Blocks, and Ready-Mix Concrete in northern Ontario. With a head office in Timmins, Custom Concrete serves the north with permanent locations in Timmins, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Kirkland Lake, Smooth rock Falls and Chapleau. Custom also provides further concrete services with portable Concrete laboratory services, and portable concrete facilities, which serve all parts of Northern Ontario.


In Timmins, block manufacturing to supply Northern Ontario is also carried out. Together with this The Northern Ontario operations include four sand gravel operations and five portable ready mix plants capable of producing concrete in remote areas as well as for large projects.

The Sarjeant Company Calendar Archive

Over the years, The Sarjeant Company has designed and produced a series of calendars that commemorate the communities that support us with various themes that range from historic buildings to local sports.

This archive stems back to 1988, so browse through and see some recent history belonging to your community.