Like many successful firms, Armbro Enterprises had very humble beginnings. Over 30 years ago Etienne and Rose Beck founded a small precast concrete business in Montreal called Prefac Concrete Co. Ltd. When their son, John, took the helm in 1963, the company evolved into a reputed architectural and structural precast concrete manufacturing firm. Within 10 years, Prefac was trading publicly and started expanding into western Canada and northeastern United States. The company also expanded into miscellaneous metal and structural steel fabrication activities to add to the products being supplied to the construction industry.

Prefac's precast concrete curtain wall contract on the Complexe Desjardins in Montreal, obtained in 1971, was the largest awarded to that date in North America. Other precast projects completed by Prefac include the CBC Headquarters, the Olympic Village and Olympic Stadium bleachers in Montreal, the Petro-Canada building in Calgary, the Marriott Marquis in New York City, the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., Copley Place in Boston, metal work on Canada Place at Expo 86 and the stainless steel work on the Convention Centres in Montreal and Toronto.

Those were busy and profitable years until the recession in the early eighties at which time the direction of the company was reevaluated. Divisions were closed or sold; goals were diversification, longterm growth and stability..

In 1986, Alan Chapple, Chairman, John Beck, President, Michael Manley, Secretary Treasurer, and Don Burrill, Executive VicePresident, joined forces and started diversifying with the acquisition of companies such as Steelforce Incorporated, Collmac Lumber Services Inc. and Pinewood Residence, in Pembroke, Ontario, destined to be the first in a chain of retirement homes. Since then, new retirement homes have been built and are now operating in North Bay, Sudbury and Timmins. Precast concrete operations have continued and current major precast projects include Toronto's SkyDome and the Lower Manhattan Detention Facility in New York.

In 1987, Prefac acquired the Armbro Group of companies in Brampton, Ontario, founded nearly sixty years ago by the Armstrong family. Armbro is currently involved in road building, production of aggregates, real estate development, transportation and automotive activities, including the manufacture and distribution of Chalmers suspensions.

Road building and aggregates are stable, solid operations, providing significant and predictable revenues and cash flows. Real estate activities include large holdings of land being prepared for long term development. Transportation and new warehousing facilities will reinforce each other to their mutual advantage. Chalmers Suspensions are encountering a growing demand in Canada and even more so in the United States. With assets approaching $100 million, and a highly motivated management team, the Prefac/Armbro combination offers a mix of stable earnings and rapidly growing operations in proven markets.

Prefac has come a long way, from the small precast concrete plant, to the large real estate, construction, transportation and industrial group that it is today. Prefac has changed its name, and is proud to be called "Armbro Enterprises Inc." Armbro is now undertaking new ventures with significant long term growth prospects. Experienced and successful management, combined with entrepreneurial and aggressive drive, will serve to maximize the new possibilities available to Armbro.

In conclusion, Armbro is poised for longterm growth on a solid foundation.