January 26, 2009 Growth Framework

Volume 12 | Issue 1

In 1951, Sam Lazarian had a dream of starting his own scaffolding company. Vision became reality in 1974. Today, Canada Scaffold Supply Comp

Modern scaffolds are complex structures that possess a striking metal splendor. In particular, equipment employed by commercial developers possesses an undeniable sublimity and height that appears to kiss the sky. Their bold stance serves as an apt metaphor for one of the leading purveyors, the Canada Scaffold Supply Company LTD, an enormously successful operation that stands tall in British Columbia.

Founded by Sam and Siranoush Lazarian, Canada Scaffold Supply has flourished in its 35-year existence. Established in 1974 to provide engineering, supply and erection of all types of scaffolding, the company expanded from a one-site, five-employee operation into a burgeoning enterprise comprised of three locations, all located on Mitchell Island in Richmond, B.C., and staffed by 80 employees. Further, it remains a family operated business.

The company’s stated mission it to provide its customers with the highest quality and safest product supported by optimal service. All personnel are specially trained and qualified erectors. Clients range from homeowners to large-scale commercial developers, and the company makes sure each customer, no matter their size or needs, receives the best possible service. As a result, Canada Scaffold Supply has received numerous consumer and professional awards.

THE SCAFFOLD MAN
Though the company was officially established in 1974, its roots date back to 1951, when Sam Lazarian moved to Canada and worked as an accountant at a scaffold company. Five years later, he took his acquired experience and applied it to the creation of his own company. His motto, “Need Scaffolding, call Sam the Scaffold Man,” became the clarion call for local homeowners and construction companies.

Together with wife Siranoush, Lazarian initially sold and rented scaffolding imported from Italy and Germany. However, over the course of the next several years, he began manufacturing his own scaffolding. During this period, he also developed a line of CSS Connectors for wood and concrete construction.

Today, his flourishing company rents, sells and installs frame scaffolding, shoring, tube and clamp, system scaffolding, swing stage and bleachers. Further, Canada Scaffold Supply provides the necessary engineering and operates in compliance with Workers Compensation regulations to ensure safety for both employees and customers. In fact, safety is the company’s number-one priority. All personnel are trained erectors and members of the Brotherhood of Carpenters Union local 1995. Further, the company is a member of Canada’s Work Safe Program.

The family-operated business is now managed by Sam Lazarian’s two daughters: Alice Lazarian, who earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of British Columbia, and Madlene Lazarian, who received a degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the University of Toronto. The talented and accomplished progeny carry on their father’s established tradition of high-quality products coupled with safety and exceptional service.

FABRICATING SUCCESS
Today, Canada Scaffold Supply operates two large production sites. In these settings, the company manufactures its broad product range that includes scaffolding, CSS connectors, swing staging, custom steel brackets and structural steel products. In addition, the company manufactures bleachers designed for facilities such as athletic and movie venues. Bleachers come in pre-assembled or Universal type (assembly required) formats and provide compact yet comfortable seating for both small and large crowds.

One facility is a 20,000-square-foot fabrication plant where the company manufactures miscellaneous steel products: custom brackets, steel stairs, handrails, steel canopy structures, chimney caps, bollards, embedded metals for tilt up and other construction, structural steel hangers, and hold-downs for wood construction. Canada Scaffold Supply’s other facility houses its expansive structural steel division, an operation involved in fabrication, installation, steel detailing and shop drawings.

In addition, to ensure that it meets all customers’ scaffold needs, Canada Scaffold Supply expanded its swing stage department, making it one of Western Canada’s largest suppliers of modular platforms, hoists and beams. Moreover, as an authorized distributor for Tractel and Griphoist products, the company offers many job alternatives to best meet each customers’ individual needs.

With worker safety a priority, Canada Scaffold offers a full line of fall arrest equipment approved by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). To meet the changing building code requirements, its swing stage department constantly upgrades its employees’ knowledge and training. With decades of combined employee experience and safety commitment, Canada Scaffold has become the swing stage company of choice in its region.

The company further underscored its safety commitment by developing its own computerized testing machine. The testing ensures that products meet or exceed all CSA specifications for scaffolding and Canadian Construction Materials Center specifications for CSS connectors.

Committed to quality, safety and customer satisfaction, Canada Scaffold Supply is protective of its reputation. And it’s not just a matter of family pride: the commitment extends to company employees, many of whom have been with Canada Scaffold Supply for more than 20 years.

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