Bringing Visions to Life

Beaubois Group

Family-owned Beaubois Group, established in 1977, has its head office in Quebec and serves Canada and the United States. This respected industry leader specializes in high-end millwork, works primarily on large projects and manufactures quality products that meet the specific needs of its clients.

Beaubois Group got its start when its founder Hervé Pomerleau, a general contractor, was having difficulties finding subcontractors to do the necessary millwork on a school for which he was working at that time.

“Instead of chasing workers and risking not opening the school on time, Mr. Pomerleau decided to create Beaubois Group, his own millworking company,” says Éric Doyon, chairman of Beaubois Group.

Today, with a second generation at the helm, the group continues to grow. What started with ten employees forty-two years ago, now employs 265 and has never lost its passion for creating custom, sophisticated designs with state-of-the-art machinery. The company has won multiple industry awards in recognition of its numerous achievements, which include massive projects such as luxury hotels, stadiums, hospitals, casinos, and courthouses.

The company does more than just wood millwork; it has also incorporated steel, glass, and many other products. In addition, Beaubois Group manages every aspect of the millwork. “We manage it all, from the sketches with the architects to the delivery on-site with our employees to the installation being supervised by our project management team,” says Mr. Doyon.

It has teams across North America but also counts on local installers to continually look to improve its services. “We regularly add more services to help the owners and general contractors get their projects done on time,” says Mr. Doyon. The company is dedicated to serving the owners of a site expediently. “We find creative ways to respect customer requirements in our work,” he says.

Beaubois Group is making the most out of technology and is presently working toward becoming a 4.0 manufacturer. The group is very excited about all it means not only for the company but also for its clients when it comes to customizing things.

“We already have a lot of equipment, but in the next three years, we’re going to be more computerized. That technology will improve our custom market share and maintain our competitiveness,” says Mr. Doyon.

“We’ll be able to have more data in our process,” he says. “From sketches to site installation, each component of our product will be traceable in the production process, on delivery status and on site. We will know where the products are everywhere and at any time. We will be able to let our customer know, through the process, where their products are, when they will be installed and confirm their field installation.”

The company is incredibly proud of the expertise of its employees and the fine work they do; needless to say the employees are proud of what they make too. “Our employees working in the plant only see portions of the project. For example, with a hotel, they’ll see a guestroom mock-up, some elements of the amenities, but they rarely see them as a full assembly.”

It is very important that the company’s employees get to see the finished product whenever possible. In this context, last year, the company filled three buses with employees, travelling six hours to Ottawa to see – not just with pictures as is often the case – but up close and firsthand, the end result of a project on which they had worked. “We really like to give them the feedback of their work. When the employees get to see what they’ve accomplished and are proud of it, that is what makes us feel good,” says Mr. Doyon.

One of the aspects that make the company stand out is how it gives its best attention to every project. “Each project has a project manager and its own dedicated crew for the project – to make sure the owners, architect and the general contractor that represents the owners are all well-served,” says Mr. Doyon. “Millwork is always at the end of the project timeline-wise so we’re there to help the customers to achieve their deadlines. We have capacities to adjust and serve their needs.”

Beaubois Group is focused on bringing the architect’s creative vision to life and each project has its own unique set of challenges to accomplish owner’s expectations. “A same name brand hotel can be built in three different cities, but just because it has the same name brand, doesn’t mean it will be the same hotel,” says Mr. Doyon. “Drawings are conceptual. We get the drawings and we can see what they want, but we need to figure out how to achieve it. Sometimes it’s easy to draw something but it’s a challenge to manufacture it and make it happen. We work with the architect’s creative ideas, visions, and desires to create unique pieces.”

Beaubois Group has had many accomplishments including some of its biggest projects so far: Parliament Hill’s West Block, Visitor Welcome Center and the Senate of Canada Building, all three in Ottawa. The fact that these projects were managed at the same time, in the same area, was an incredible feat all of its own. “We are proud to have accomplished that magnificent piece of art on Parliament Hill,” says Mr. Doyon. Not only was the Parliament Hill’s West Block a major project for Beaubois Group, but also for Canada overall.

“Rehabilitation of the parliamentary buildings over several years will be the biggest construction ever done in Canada by a general contractor,” he says. “They kept the existing building, but they refurbished everything and put that building up to code, making sure that it is able to survive earthquakes. All the technology is there now.’’

According to its website, Beaubois Group was one of the first companies in the North American woodworking industry to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®), which shows its concern for the environment. Its employees are true artists at heart who approach each project like painters would a canvas.

As Beaubois Group continues to grow, both in the United States and Canada, it will continue to focus its attention to details and efficiencies, to perfectly execute each project and surpass clients’ expectations while maintaining products quality, services, and values.

“We plan to be in a North American top-five position for high-end architectural woodwork,” says Mr. Doyon.

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