After 46 years in business, a Squamish-based, family-owned company has been sold.
The Cardinal Group of Companies-Cardinal Concrete, Coast Aggregates, and Westland Concrete Pumping-were sold by the Fast family to Lafarge Canada Inc., a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, which has its headquarters in Switzerland.
"When I first arrived in Squamish in 1973, I was 23 years old and ready to start the next chapter in my life," said Bob Fast in an email. "I had grown up on my family's dairy farm in the Fraser Valley, and when my parents decided to sell it, I made the move to Squamish for new career opportunities."
"I didn't know that one day, that decision would lead me here; having grown three successful companies ... getting to work with so many wonderful people, having my own family, and becoming a part of the community."
Cardinal Group of Companies is a ready-mixed concrete manufacturer and the sale includes its two concrete plants (one of which is in Whistler), aggregates quarry and concrete pumping business, joining Lafarge's construction materials supply and infrastructure contracting business.
In a press release announcing the acquisition, Lafarge's CEO Brad Kohl said the company had been a 50 per cent owner of the group of companies for more than 30 years.
"Cardinal's top-notch employees produce quality products with a customer and community orientation that is well aligned with Lafarge," Kohl said.
Fast said he was proud of what has been accomplished over the past 46 years at the Cardinal Group.
"In the early days, Cardinal Concrete supplied to projects including the Brennan Park Ice Area in 1979, the shops at the BC Rail Yards on Government Road in the early '70s, the start of Whistler Village in 1979, and the shops at Squamish Terminals in the early '80s," he said.
"More recently we've been involved in the construction of the Sea to Sky Gondola, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, and the 2010 Winter Olympic venues in Whistler and the Callaghan Valley. It's quite an honour to be a part of these important projects in the community, something I will always cherish.
"Now that Lafarge Canada Inc. has acquired the companies, I'm excited not only for my next chapter, but also for the next chapter for the Cardinal Group of Companies, and the amazing team of people that work there."
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