History
OUR TIMELINE
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1871
1871 -
Mr. James S. Johnston, a Merchant, began a business in Barrie dealing in coal, wood, cement, and building supplies. Sixteen-year-old Walter Sarjeant went to work with Mr. Johnston.
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1889
1889 -
Walter Sarjeant entered into a business partnership with his employer of 18 years, James S. Johnson. Together, they made the Johnston and Sarjeant Partnership in 1889.
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1903
1903 -
When Mr. Johnston retired in 1903, the partnership dissolved. Still, Samuel Sarjeant (who had joined the company in 1890) and 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.
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1905
1905 -
Both Sarjeant locations (Barrie and Orillia) were incorporated as The Sarjeant Company Limited, with Barrie serving as its head office.
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1909
1909 -
Walter Sarjeant and Allan Laidman, partners, started Sarjeant Insurance.
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1929
1929 -
Sarjeant Insurance was incorporated as part of Sarjeant Co. Ltd. Later, in 1950, it became a separate firm.
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1945
1945 -
The company bought the Jenkins Coal Co. in Allandale and Barrie. An artificial ice plant with a capacity of 12 tonnes a day was installed in Orillia. Operations ceased in 1966.
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1952
1952 -
The company bought the Cameron Ellis Gibson Ltd. fuel and oil business.
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1956
1956 -
The ready-mix concrete business began with a plant built in Barrie and two ready-mix trucks. A plant was later built in Orillia.
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1960
1960 -
John Elliott started Elliott Mobile Mix in North Bay.
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1964
1964 -
John Elliott founded Custom Ready Mix Limited with his cousin Fraser Elliott, founder of Stikeman Elliott LLP in 1952, with 12 employees in Markham with a concrete plant, garage and office.
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1966
1966 -
Custom expands with plant #2 in Mississauga
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1967
1967 -
Custom Concrete Northern adds a Technical Service Department and builds a concrete testing laboratory in Markham.
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1969
1969 -
Renaming of “Custom Ready Mix Limited” to “Custom Concrete Limited” and expansion of plant #3 in Oakville.
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1970
1970 -
Custom Concrete Ltd. purchased the Sarjeant Company, a new era began with the Elliott family, and has represented its largest acquisition. This acquisition added three concrete plants to Customs’ portfolio: Barrie, Orillia, and Midland, and it expanded to Brechin in the years to follow. The business also supplied home heating oil, as well as other building materials and land holdings.
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1971
1971 -
Sarjeant acquires Terminal Holdings (Barrie) Limited and Barrie Trucking Terminal & Warehousing to expand its land holdings, building materials, and trucking divisions. Part of the land holdings is where the new Sarjeant facilities were constructed for the concrete plant and fuel operation off of Dunlop Street, the current head office on Sarjeant Drive. Sarjeant Moved from its location on Mary Street, which was home for approximately 90 years.
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1972
1972 -
Custom Concrete Northern buys pits in Uxbridge and 200 acres in Aberfoyle and founds Custom Aggregates. It also expanded and bought Belko Ready Mix to add an Oshawa plant and build a Bracebridge plant. Custom’s footprint is now Burlington in the West, Bowmanville in the East, and Huntsville in the North.
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1973
1973 -
Concrete block plant and building supplies in Barrie and Orillia are sold from Sarjeant.
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1976
1976 -
Custom Concrete bought Parnell Concrete Products in Timmins, establishing a regional office off Riverside Drive, including a concrete block plant, a large aggregate deposit, and a construction supply business. The same year, Custom purchased its first portable ready-mix plant, the AssinckOne. It is mobilized in Timmins at the Dougwall site to supply 100,000 yards of concrete for the new Kidd Creek Smelter site. This was the first of many portable concrete plants we would use to perform projects in the far North of Ontario for mining, infrastructure, pulp and paper, and lumber sites.
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1979
1979 -
Sold Bracebridge concrete plant to Muskoka Ready Mix Limited.
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1980
1980 -
The fuel oil petroleum products division had the most significant growth between 1970 and 1985, acquiring many companies from Barrie, Midland, Orillia, Alliston and surrounding areas including but not limited to; Maverick Fuels Ltd (Alliston), Rolls and Simpson Ltd, Peacock Petroleum Ltd (Barrie), Orillia Fuels Ltd and Coldwater Heating.
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1984
1984 -
Custom acquired Kirk Dowling Concrete in Barrie.
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1985
1985 -
Custom acquired Timmins Diesel Limited, bringing fuel delivery to the Timmins region.
John Elliott grows Custom Concrete Group into Canada’s largest privately-owned ready-mix company. John and Fraser sold Custom Concrete Limited to St. Lawrence Cement Inc., and at the same time, John bought Fraser’s equity in the remaining assets and parted ways. They divested all assets South of Highway 9. Still, they retained The Sarjeant Company all assets North of Highway 9 across Simcoe County and Muskoka as well as the newly founded Custom Concrete (Northern) in Timmins and Iroquois Falls, as well as the portable plants in Detour Lake, Chapleau and Cochrane. Again, a new era was born.
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1987
1987 -
Sarjeant Aggregates is formed by purchasing aggregate pits in Essa, Oro and Phelpston.
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1989
1989 -
Sarjeant marked 100 years in business.
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1998
1998 -
The opening of the Aberfoyle Springs plant in Hope, BC.
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2000
2000 -
After the sale of Aberfoyle Springs, Scott Elliott bought out his brother’s interest in The Sarjeant Company Limited and Custom Concrete (Northern), starting the second generation of Elliott ownership and operation.
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2005
2005 -
Sarjeants opened a ready-mix plant in Bradford, Ontario.
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2006
2006 -
Sarjeants opened a ready-mix plant in Huntsville, Ontario. From this location, they could service commercial and residential customers in the Muskoka area.
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2007
2007 -
In 2007, our property development efforts reached new heights. We successfully completed a much larger residential development in Essa Township, Brownley Meadows, which comprised 376 residential homes. This project was a testament to our growth and success in the industry. Additionally, the start of the Carson Ridge Estate subdivision in Midhurst saw the development of 51 residential estate homes.
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2008
2008 -
The company acquired three fuel companies, Grants Fuels, Leeder Fuels, and Middleton Fuels, expanding its reach in the fuel business. Custom Concrete (Northern) in Timmins consolidated its locations into a new, larger facility in early 2008, bringing its many different divisions under one roof.
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2009
2009 -
Our Huntsville operation grew from an aggregate pit into a brand-new 5,000-square-foot building in early 2009. This location is the regional office for the Muskoka area.
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2010
2010 -
Acquired Waites Fuel in Muskoka.
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2011
2011 -
Acquired the oil portion of Budget Fuel in Muskoka
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2012
2012 -
Sarjeants established a concrete plant northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta to provide concrete for a large commercial project.
We also mourn the passing of our esteemed founder, John Orville Elliott, on June 19th, in his 81st year.
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2013
2013 -
Sarjeants opened a new commercial Cardlock fuel depot in Timmins. Four centres (Barrie, Orillia, Midland and Timmins) now use a computerized automated system to fuel trucks 24 hours a day.
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2014
2014 -
Sarjeants acquired a CRS residential propane business to enter the propane industry and start its customers’ transition from heating oil.
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2018
2018 -
Brandon Elliott was appointed President of The Sarjeant Company Limited to start the third generation of Elliott owner-operators. In the same year, Sarjeants purchased Flying D Fuels.
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2023
2023 -
Sarjeants opens a new ready-mix plant in Parry Sound.
This site will also have a new card lock fuel/propane outlet on the way now (estimated to launch in 2025). Timmins Rail Depot includes a cement blending and storage facility and a fuel and propane storage facility. This is to assist with the high transport costs and the serviceability of products in the North due to inclement weather and treacherous roads.
November 2023 also marks a milestone for Sarjeants with the successful acquisition of the Northern Ontario territory, spanning from Fort Frances to New Liskeard, from Superior Propane. The territory operates under the newly founded Sarjeant Propane Limited, a division of The Sarjeant Company Limited. Sarjeant Propane welcomes this new chapter and is proud of the chance to bring job opportunities, such as backend office staff, administration, and operations, back to the North, ultimately enabling better service for customers and the community of Northern Ontario.
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2024
2024 -
The Bracebridge Cardlock fuel station at the propane depot is now open to the public, expanding the Cardlocks to five locations.
RECENT NEWS
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